Cabin camping near City of Rocks National Reserve is a great way to escape into nature, yet still have all the comforts of home. Finding a place to cabin camp in Idaho is easier than ever. Each cabin rental offers quick access to one or more of City of Rocks National Reserve's most popular destinations.
There are 38 campsites available, 9 of which are pull-through. Sites 11 and 24 are designated ADA accessible. A separate loop with 6 sites accommodates equestrian campers. - water service May-September - 30 amp electrical hook-ups - fire-ring/ground grill - picnic table - partial shade There are flush toilets and showers open May-September and a vault toilet open year-round at the equestrian trail head. An RV dump station is provided near the campground entrance.
Traveler
My daughter and son-in-law were visiting from out of state and wanted to go camping and bring the boats. We chose Lake Walcott mostly because of the campsites that were right on the lake. There is a dock although we didn't use it as we had the canoes and kayaks with us which we were able to just tie up at the campsite. The toilets were within walking distance and was clean and stocked. I noticed there were rental cabins as well but we were in tents. The only downside was a very rowdy group of teenagers that decided to camp right next door to us. Great lake for the boats. We had a blast!
LegendWe stayed here the end of September. Our Garmin RV GPS and Google Maps had us exit earlier than exit 216 off of Interstate 84 coming from the NE. The emailed state park instructions have you get off at exit 216. Since the roads looked RV-friendly on Google Maps, we took the earlier exit. It was fine, but exit 216 would have been more of a straight shot. The RV GPS and Google Maps eventually followed the brown Walcott SP signs all the way to the campground (CG). We had a couple of interesting turns at the far side of Rupert, but no big deal. When we arrived at the CG check-in building, it was unmanned. Since we had paid online, we paid the $7 vehicle fee per day via envelope and then proceeded to the CG. As a side note, the next morning, we got a call from the park office that our tow vehicle was included in the nightly camping fee, so they gave us our envelope back. We saw a right turn to the tent and boat ramp area and decided to go straight, and as we rounded a corner, we saw the RV campsite sign and proceeded to pull through site 5 with water and electric. The site was plenty big enough for our 40’ 5th wheel and our F-450. The water and electric were in the middle of the site, which was nice. There was decent water pressure, and we had a clear shot to the north sky for Starlink; however, to the south were mature trees. This site had decent spacing between the adjacent sites. We got 2 bars on Verizon. There are two tent areas, one that’s to the first right with the day-use area and another that’s adjacent to the RV CG and cabins. Most sites here will take larger rigs, and the center and north sites will give both north and south shots for satellite. There were a couple of interesting quirks with this state park. 1) The park’s sprinkler watering times were special, with our site getting an hour's worth at 1:00 PM with five rainbird sprinkler heads. However, the grass and trees were in good shape for this desert-ish area. 2) As we have seen with COEs, there’s a dam between the lake and the river, so when they open or close the floodgates, there’s a siren that goes off until the process is completed. We had this happen our first night at 1:00 AM. In the park’s defense, they have both of these activities posted in several locations. There are a ton of areas to walk your dog, and we saw deer during our walks. There’s a dump station located as you enter the CG area. We enjoyed our stay at this well-managed state park.
GuideIt’s hard to beat a site like this in Idaho with so many amenities. It’s a very large site and the fee isn’t bad about $7 a day if I recall. I’ve mostly camped here for a group event but it’s one of the best Idaho sites I’ve been too. Just be prepared for lots of spiders in July, also this last time coming through we were struggling with chiggers
Legend
TTo start off this is an Idaho state park and requires a fee to enter (was $10) This is a great place to go if theres swarms of climbers at the City of Rocks because of the fee which tends to drive away most dirtbag (endearing term for us) climbers haha. There are a multitude of fantastic routes there and some good bouldering to be had as well. Another one of the great things about this park is they have yurt, small house, RV, and tent sites, so no matter how you like to camp theyll be sure to get you into something comfy!
GuideThe relationship between City of Rocks National Preserve and Castle Rocks State Park is still not clear to me as this campground appears on the National Park Service website, although it is an Idaho State Park. That said, the park rangers seem to work cooperatively. This campground is delightful. Located about a 7-mile drive/walk to the entrance of City of Rocks, Smoky Mountain Campground is situated above the valley providing a wonderful view from many sites including space #19 where I parked my campervan. I believe the walking distance to the reserve could be shorter by taking any of the hiking trails from the campgrounds rather than going along the paved roads which first go away from the City of Rocks then back up again, making a big "U".
During my one-night stay in February, water, showers and bathrooms in the campground were closed for the winter season. A very clean, pit toilet is located in the equestrian parking lot across from the campground entrance. The distance from the campsites to the bathroom will vary from quite close to about 1/4 mile max. And during the winter season, there won't be much competition for the spaces close to the bathroom, as I was the sole user during my time there.
In addition to the breathtaking views, the sites offer privacy from 3 sides though all face the loop access road. There are picnic tables, fire rings and electrical power. I did not note if water was available as it would have been shut off in February in any event. There is a dump station about 1 mile down the road toward the exit. I do not know if it is open in the winter.
Check-in during the off-season is accomplished by envelope collected at the entrance or directly to the ranger who came by in the morning to check-in. The rate was $27 per night. Definitely worth the money to stay in this tranquil campground so close to the magnificent City of Rocks.
TravelerGreat camp ground close to castle rock and city of rock climbing areas. We were only able to get a reservation for two nights but would have stayed longer. Nice spread out sites with medium size trees that provide privacy and some shade. The weather was great (late July) cooling down in the evening for comfortable tent sleeping. The showers were a huge bonus with 3 young kids and the paved roads were great for bike riding.
GuideWent down to go climbing. Wasn't able to get the guidebook due to the visitor center closure (just as the COVID-19 stuff started) but was able to take a nice lap around the main spire and on-sight a few routes for us. Camped at the main campground for the park (short drive from the climbing). Campground was surprisingly full for mid-March so we set up the tent at one of the unused "equine sites" away from everybody else so that the dogs could roam a bit. There is a $5 entry fee and a camping fee as well. Would definitely go back.
LegendSmoky Mountain campground is very close to the entrance of City of Rocks NR and just slightly further is Castle Rocks SP, however, the grounds are managed by the state park. There are some RV/equestrian sites that have 30/50 amp power and water hookups. There is a dump station on the road to the grounds but it was closed for repairs when we visited. There are plenty of pit toilets around the area and the ones we used were quite clean. Spots are mostly back-in but pretty easy access. The camp hosts were very friendly and the camp reservation includes a parking pass for the State Park ($10 value). The RV sites are very private and nicely spread out with pine trees in between. Great views of City of Rocks. Plenty of biking and hiking trails around and TONS of climbing. The visitor center is about 2 miles away and a general store another half mile beyond that. There’s opportunity for gas and food on the way to the grounds (both Albion and Almo have options) but best to get what you need before you leave the major highway. Having hookups at a State Park with such awesome views was sweet and the grounds are very well maintained. Reservations seem hard to come by during the high season.
RangerWe stayed here midway through a two-week adventure visiting national parks out West. This just so happened to be on our route after leaving Glacier, and it ended up being our favorite campground we visited during this journey.
We had a little trouble finding the campground, but that was because of human error when selecting the route via Google Maps. After stopping and scratching our heads a bit, we figured out our error and easily found our way. We didn’t realize that we had booked an “equestrian site” complete with a horse pen but had some fun with our friends later (good place for corralling the husbands). Our friends were in Site 34, and there was a small trail connecting our two sites.
We easily set up camp and made a quick meal before touring the campground. It was so quiet that we didn’t think there were any others camping there, so we were surprised during our walk to see so many fellow campers. The sites are HUGE and really offer a great deal of privacy and seclusion. The only issue we had was that there were so many bugs (gnats and flies)! This forced us inside sooner than we would have liked, but we were tired from the long journey that day anyway. We went to bed early and opened the blinds on the front stargazing window of our Lance. The view was breathtaking!!! It was such a clear night (and so dark in the campground) that we could see hundreds of stars and fell asleep looking at them. We awoke to a beautiful sunrise over the distant mountains. It was the most beautiful view from our trailer to date!
We begrudgingly left Castle Rocks after only one night wishing that we could have stayed much longer. If we are ever fortunate enough to be in the area again, we will definitely revisit this campground . . . hopefully for a longer stay next time!
LegendMay 9-13, 2019 Nice park. Site 16 had electric and water. Very clean PRIVATE showers. Verizon 3G was poor. Elevation 5,567. No TV service through antenna. Very nice hike. Rock City Restaurant has good pizza. Tracy's General Store serves meals, has groceries, ice cream, showers, mail service and accepts UPS.
TravelerAll sites were quite nice, many pull-through, and most with shade and lots of privacy. All sites have hookups. Very easy access to City of Rocks.
GuideThe park is beautiful, and the sites are well-maintained. But we were disappointed to find that all the water and restroom facilities were closed during the winter.
Would absolutely recommend the park, and would gladly stay here during the season. But if you're camping off-season, you may as well go into one of the many cheaper and more interesting primitive sites inside the main part of the park. Lots of options!
GuideGorgeous campground. Very private campsites-we has #19. Have both power and water hook up which make it a little pricey.
LegendCaution: Save yourself some time, dust and frustration and enter Smoky Mountain Campground into your GPS and not Castle Rock State Park like we did. Haha.
We were so surprised when we got to this campground. Private sites. Clean. Paved, not gravel. Not the most level we've been in but totally workable. Bathrooms were clean. Men and women's toliets are on one side of the building and individual shower rooms on the other. All handicapped accessible and plenty of places to put you stuff so it stays dry.
Also, DARK skies!!! A star gazer's dream.
Be sure you have gas before Sunday rolls around because the one place to get gas, Tracy's General Store, is not open on Sundays. Tracy's also has a nice Cafe. They even offered a VEGAN burger. Progressive in this outof the way spoy. The pizza at City of Rocks Pizza is supposed to be really good, but only offered outdoor seating. It was 95 degrees, so we passed. But, they do serve beer and have a small grocery.
LegendCaution: Save yourself some time, dust and frustration and enter Smoky Mountain Campground into your GPS and not Castle Rock State Park like we did. Haha.
We were so surprised when we got to this campground. Private sites. Clean. Paved, not gravel. Not the most level we've been in but totally workable. Bathrooms were clean. Men and women's toliets are on one side of the building and individual shower rooms on the other. All handicapped accessible and plenty of places to put you stuff so it stays dry. There is also an equestrian loop with individual corrals.
Also, DARK skies!!! A star gazer's dream.
Be sure you have gas before Sunday rolls around because the one place to get gas, Tracy's General Store, is not open on Sundays. Tracy's also has a nice Cafe. They even offered a VEGAN burger. Progressive in this outof the way spoy. The pizza at City of Rocks Pizza is supposed to be really good, but only offered outdoor seating. It was 95 degrees, so we passed. But, they do serve beer and have a small grocery.
LegendCaution: Save yourself some time, dust and frustration and enter Smoky Mountain Campground into your GPS and not Castle Rock State Park like we did. Haha.
We were so surprised when we got to this campground. Private sites. Clean. Paved, not gravel. Not the most level we’ve been in but totally workable.
Bathrooms were clean. Toliets are on one side of the building and individual shower rooms on the other. All handicapped accessible and plenty of places to put you stuff so it stays dry.
Also, DARK Skies!!! A star gazer’s dream.
Be sure you have gas before Sunday rolls around because the one station around is closed on Sunday. The next closest one is 1 hr away. Speaking of, the Tracys General Store in Almo is really nice. Gas, Cafe (even offered a vegan burger!) and other general supplies. Rock City Pizza, just down the way, also has groceries.
We got caught in 3 different local cattle drives on the roads. It was so cool to watch real cowboys at work. Oh, and I even saw a jack rabbit! They are a hoot!
GuideFirst trip to this campground and we really liked it. Price was reasonable for electricity and water. Dump station nearby. We have bigger RV so some of the spots would not work. Make sure you use the filter to eliminate those with a smaller driveway. The restrooms were clean with nice showers. This campground is 40 miles or so from the interstate so make sure you are well provisioned before you arrive.
ScoutExcellent campground. Quiet and out of the way. Good privacy and clean and well kept facilities. It’s in an out of the way location which is one of the things we love about it but may not be everyone’s cup of tea. We very much enjoyed our stay there.
GuideClose to City of Rocks and the small town of Almo. Hot springs in Almo. Small market in town which makes their own ice cream and has a little restaurant across the street but not much in the way of groceries. Couple other restaurants in town but they were not open while we were there. Also water not yet turned on in the campground so bring your own water if you are coming through early in the season. But it was quiet and we were able to explore and hike without running into many people
Guide
My wife and I lived here in an old RV for a year while we were working in the area. It's a pretty clean place, mostly residents but there were usually a few open RV sites as well as a few tent spaces. It is right on the highway, from our spot I could've thrown a rock and hit traffic on the I-84. The owners are nice and live on-site. They have a little gift shop that also has a salon in it. Not a bad place, not a great place, but good for what we needed it for.
TravelerNice facilities including hookups and showers. Good place to use as base camp to explore area. Close to Twin Falls, City if Rocks and Craters of the Moon
GuideStayed one night, beautiful and quiet. Big trailer spots. Felt like a clean town park setting. Hookups and dump station at the entrance.
ScoutPrimitive camping requires hauling camping goods to site. No site parking for the tent people. Rv parking is good with plenty of room. Nice little boat launch with Great Lake to play in. Fishing was good and kids loved the swimming.
TravelerNice park with plenty of trees by the Lake Walcott reservoir on the Snake River. There’s a variety of camping areas spaced out for varying needs. The parking lot for the boat launch is spacious and can accommodate many vehicles. The deer tend to come in in the early evening hours to enjoy the park too and are not very spooked by people. Just a short distance from the park is the overflow from the low dam where you can see a variety of birds enjoying the water and the shallower rapids for fishing.  This is a quiet campground that’s away from the noise and hubbub of the cities.
TravelerThis is a State Park with beautiful landscaping and walking trails. There are plenty of RV and tent sites. The lake is absolutely beautiful with views of mountains in the distance. We stayed in space #13 with a lake view. The space had its own bbq grill, fire pit, picnic table and full hook ups. The park was about 1/3 full and quiet. We definitely want to go back. We highly recommend, especially if you want to include boating or fishing.
GuideI’ll start by saying that we were overcome with insects. That clearly tainted my experience. Maybe the bugs are only there at certain times but they were thick. People were wearing head nets and we spoke with a number of people who were cutting their trips short as a result. Beyond that there was no real good water access for the kids. There was a pretty good park with play equipment for the kids during the midday hours. It probably wouldn’t be too bad for a day spot.
RangerNice capacious campground on a beautiful reservoir. Cooled off during the hot days swimming in private spots on the lake. Water and electric hook ups, fire ring and picnic tables. There was no shade in our site but the ones closer to the lake had some trees
Cabin camping near City of Rocks National Reserve, Idaho, offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and comfortable accommodations, perfect for nature lovers and families alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near City of Rocks National Reserve?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near City of Rocks National Reserve is Smoky Mountain Campground — Castle Rocks State Park with a 4.8-star rating from 16 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 4 cabin camping locations near City of Rocks National Reserve, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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