Looking for the best dispersed camping near Bruneau? Find the best information on dispersed campgrounds near Bruneau, including photos, reviews, and tips. Each dispersed site offers quick access to one or more of Bruneau's most popular destinations.
Overview: The Ice Springs Campground has 3 campsites on Fall Creek near the Anderson Ranch Reservoir. The reservoir is a popular destination for fishing, boating, waterskiing and riding personal watercraft. It is also has good smallmouth bass and kokanee fishing. This area had a major wildfire in 2012 and conditions may have altered. There is a nearby trailhead at Camp Creek, south, to the end of Forest Service (FS) road 128, which heads north past Dog Mountain, all the way to Horse Ranch Mountain, about 17 miles. A shorter hike can be done by setting up a shuttle at Bear Hole Trailhead, north on FS road 129.
Scout
Beautiful scenery, easy drive in for most vehicles and surprisingly good phone service. Had the place all to myself and got some really nice long exposure shots of the night sky.
Traveler
1st stop on our way to Moab. We were able to get our Nissan Frontier hauling a 6×10 trailer parked into the sight next to the Snake River. It was fairly level. Nice sunset viewing, not too buggy in early Oct. Lots of train noise thru the night, tho. Pit toilet was out of TP, luckily we had spare. We had an owl also visit the tree above us and serenaded us for a good 1/2 hr in the middle of the night (very cool). Overall, good stop for passing through.
TravelerWas worried about the weather when I pulled up at dusk during a storm but it passed south of me and I got to watch the lightening. It is remote without any services for miles in either direction off 20, so do check the weather and come prepared.
We had it to ourselves in mid September. Toilets had lots of TP and were clean. Saw some big scat (moose?).
GuideSpent one night here on a long road trip. I was the only one there. Very easy to find. Felt safe, nice view of the river. The only negative was the trains going by at night. Quite loud.
TravelerNice level sites overlooking lake. Easy to get to. Lots of cows wandering around. Toilets were clean. We had the place to ourselves.
ScoutThere are vault toilets in two locations. No other facilities. Very few people. Where we stayed overnight, we didn't see anyone else. Lots of gnat-type flying bugs. Almost no mosquitos. Great views of the mountains around the lake and very quiet. Difficult to access the water as it is deep mud near the shoreline. Lots of grazing cattle nearby.
GuideI stayed here for about a week. My spot was a short distance from the water in an attempt to avoid the mosquitoes (didn't really work), but still really serene. It's about a 30 minute drive to stores in Mountain Home. I also appreciated that you're only on non paved roads for about 1/2 mile. Would definitely come back here.
TravelerWe parked right beside the river, and it was absolutely gorgeous. However, I don't recommend taking a car on this road. It's definitely an ATV road as it's very rough.
TravelerFairly easy access off US 20. There is open grazing so we did have cattle close to our campsite by morning. Tons of bugs but not many mosquitoes. Quiet and not many others. T-Mobile worked well. There was some in/out movement around 5:30 am but as an early riser I wasn't disturbed.
Traveler
Pretty little spot with pretty decent cell service. Lots of space for my dogs to run around. Could see other campers in the distance. Everyone had lots of room to themselves. I could see it becoming a little bit busier on the weekend. No facilities available at all, which is fine by me! Unfortunately people seem to leave trash around. There was a fire pit which I appreciated but greasy tends in the pit. There also trash bags and a few other things around. Overall, this did not majorly detract from the site. I would recommend bringing bug repellent or a thermacell to ward off bugs.
GuidePretty, small area with a boat launch. No services were open in April, but parking was available and free. There is enough Verizon cell signal to text, but not to stream.
GuideA great little spot off the road next to the reservoir. Has a bathroom and a few camping rings. Nothing special but a peaceful place.
GuideI was driving 84 east late night around 11 pm and found this place on app. I didn’t want to stay on a rest area that is only about 4 miles 84 east, it is quiet and small but only 2 other cars. There are only few spaces for tent. But I park in the dirt parking lot next to boat ramp and slept on my car. Next to snake river. Some noise because train rail at other side of the river
GuideBad roads, high tension wires crackled with electricity, and a lot of traffic on the main road.
GuideMy camper is 32' long. There is a small turnaround on the left fork. The dirt is "moon dust" and got stuck. See photos and video. Turn right there is a paved turn around area. TMobile is good for phone calls, internet was not good.
GuideNice open and secluded area with decent camping options. Pulled in around midnight and saw about 3 other cars but room enough for twice that. The lower area is not too far down a little dirt/gravel drive that ends next to the river. There’s a second more brushy road off to the left that ends in a secluded spot but no toilet. Decent vault toilet by the river, but didn’t see a water spigot for drinking water. Only thing is no at&t service, and the train tracks are across the river but it never blew its horn and was just a rare low rumble. With ear plugs I didn’t hear it at all. Would stay here again!
RangerThis is a clearly dispersed location. There is a single pit toilet. Camped right next to the lake. Lots of bugs being close to water but seemingly few mosquitoes
GuideGreat little spot tucked away off the freeway and next to snake river! Not much space as far as camping goes. But there is an open lot area that says 10 day maximum. Also pit toilets by the boat launch. Didn’t stay cause I needed phone service to do work. Verizon and AT&T both did not work for me.
GuideDown a dirt road. This used to be a boat ramp, but it doesn't exist anymore. A few fire pits scattered around the hill and by the water. Vault toilet available. Great views of the mountains. No privacy other than some sage brush. No room for big rigs, 4wd not required.
RangerThis is our 2nd stay at this campground but different season. The reservoir is low but the view is still gorgeous. We had the place to ourselves.
Good cell coverage (TMobile).
ScoutDidn’t end up staying since the water was so low.
TravelerPerfect for an overnight stop during a long drive. The access road also serves residential property some distance away so is well maintained. The primitive camping spots are close enough to the highway to make it a quick drive but far enough away to buffer most noise from passing traffic. Even though the landscape seems sparse there was very active wildlife during our stay, with many species of birds throughout the night and a chorus of coyotes at one point. The water level was really low, which would probably inhibit launching larger water craft, but the reservoir still provided a peaceful atmosphere. There definitely isn't any nearby wood for fires so people do need to bring in their own.
RangerSo happy we pulled off the road to stay here despite waking up to snow. Beautiful area with a view of the reservoir below. Very quiet.
Sites marked with fire rings. No other signage seen. There is one pit toilet.
Decent cell coverage. Road heading into the campground was accessible by a 2WD vehicle.
LegendThis is a nice area for dispersed camping. No water in the reservoir at this time (early September). Very few other people around, even on labor day weekend, and the area was so quiet and serene.
We stayed along the western side of the reservoir, and there's are little loops you can take in off of 160 to find a spot. The path was relatively narrow and our class c made it fine, but you could hear the sides brushing along the sage.
Watch for wasps, especially around the bathroom. We didn't see any wildlife, but heard coyotes in the night.
It was hard to find a level spot, so we just ended up moving next to the bathroom since we were only there for the night.
Good cell service with all 3 carriers.
TravelerWe camped here in June 2020. There are clean vault toilets but not much else. The reservoir was practically empty. There were not picnic tables and the roads off the main road were not maintained. It was hard to tell if there were campsites there at all, but there were fire rings so we pulled in next to one and set up. One other camper came in later and set up down by the lake, but otherwise it was really quiet. Nice place to get away from everyone during a pandemic.
Legend
If you are a fan of motorized vehicles and access to lots of off road adventure, this would be a great campground for you. I like quiet tent camping, hence the 3 star rating, others might rate it higher. We were here in the fall and there were a lot of hunters staying here. We did see some road hunting so be careful if you are out here during hunting season.
ScoutI thought it was beautiful here. There are places to barbecue and have a fire and there is a river right below the camp sites. Very quiet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Bruneau, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Bruneau, ID is Frank C Jones King Hill Area with a 4.1-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Bruneau, ID?
TheDyrt.com has all 12 dispersed camping locations near Bruneau, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
