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Best Tent Camping near City of Rocks National Reserve

253 Reviews

Tent camping options near City of Rocks National Reserve in southern Idaho range from established campgrounds to backcountry sites, with several tent-specific areas scattered throughout the granite formations. Bread Loaves Group Campsite offers designated tent pads within walking distance of popular climbing routes, while Twin Sisters Group Campsite provides isolated tent camping with picnic tables and toilet facilities. Independence Lakes Campground features walk-in tent sites along a creek, accessible primarily from July through October when snow has melted from the higher elevations.

Most tent sites in the area require some preparation as amenities are minimal. Access to many campgrounds involves travel on rough dirt roads that may require high clearance vehicles, particularly at Independence Lakes where one review notes "the road is a little rough to get here." Fires are generally not permitted at tent sites within the City of Rocks Reserve itself, though some surrounding areas allow them. Vault toilets are available at several locations including Twin Sisters and Independence Lakes, but drinking water is not provided at any of the tent campgrounds. Campers should pack in all necessary supplies and be prepared to pack out all waste.

Sites typically offer level tent pads set among rock formations or under scattered tree cover. A recent review described Twin Sisters as offering "splendid isolation" with "good level pad[s]" for tents. Areas farther from the main reserve provide deeper seclusion with fewer visitors. The backcountry tent site at Indian Grove offers a more primitive camping experience with no facilities but greater solitude. Most tent campers use these sites as bases for rock climbing, with the Bread Loaves area providing access to numerous climbing routes within walking distance of tent sites. During peak summer months, tent sites fill quickly, particularly on weekends, so arriving early or mid-week improves the chance of securing a primitive tent campsite.

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Best Tent Sites Near City of Rocks National Reserve (11)

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Tent Camping Reviews near City of Rocks National Reserve

253 Reviews of 11 City of Rocks National Reserve Campgrounds

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 6, 2020

    City of Rocks Campground — City of Rocks Natural Reserve

    Climbers delight

    City Of Rocks National Reserve, Idaho

    Fascinating, desolate, historical State Park. The visitors center is out on the main road and has a short informational trail with some authentic pioneer wagons. The signage is good, if you need water go to the dump site on the way in, there are no spigots at the campsites. When we visited the water was turned off so I was glad I always carry water with me. The sites are well spaced out, intermixed with the rock formations. Our site was huge, with a picnic table, tent pad and fire ring. There was a rock formation on the back side that you can walk up on and see the surrounding area. There were several rock climbers on Practice Rock across from our site. The dogs were permitted , on leash, on the trails however I was concerned about the numerous cactus so we stayed to the dirt roads mostly.

  • C
    Feb. 15, 2021

    City of Rocks Campground — City of Rocks Natural Reserve

    Exactly what you want a National Park Campground to be

    I spent one night in the City of Rocks National Reserve Campground. Nabbed spot 15 - the best one I saw - which had fantastic views from the front and back of my campervan. Sweeping view of valley and mountains beyond from the front, massive rocks through the window over my bed. There is a picnic table and fire ring on the nearly level site which is also very private, tucked away as it was between large rocks.  I camped in February so I could have been the only camper in the park that night, though there are campsites extending up the main road for what must be half a mile, so there is room for many campers both RV and tents. I saw no one other than the ranger during my stay. The bathroom is a pit toilet, very clean and supplied with paper. There are no amenities like power or water at the site. I left my campervan parked and hiked all around the reserve. Million dollar views for dollars a night.

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 7, 2019

    Third Fork Campground

    More Great Creek Spots with Ample Parking!

    This is a no frills campground located in the South Hills of Idaho about 20 miles south of Twin Falls.  Each site has its own fire ring and picnic table with most also giving you a shady spot to set up a tent if you want.  There is only 1 vault toilet though near the info sign.  The campsites are all lined up in a row next to the creek and trees.  There are not many sites so get here early if you plan on coming during the weekend.  It also seems like you could just park your RV in the giant dirt area to the east of the creek.  This area will be hot in the morning and shady in the afternoon as there are no shade trees to the east of the campsites.  A bonus of staying at this campground is that you have walking access to the Third Fork Trailhead!

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 28, 2023

    City of Rocks

    Hidden Gem

    Really beautiful and low key state park. The rock formations are really cool and the whole place has a calm and peaceful vibe. There are pit toilets but no other amenities, not even trash, so please take your trash out with you. 

    Camp sites are scattered all along the main road, and broken up into area numbers. Kind of confusing until you see it for yourself. The hard part here is that the sites are all so different that you really need to see the site for yourself before deciding where you want to camp, but the cell signal here is minimal and sites MUST be reserved through Reserve America (online or by phone).  The highest sites towards the end of the road do have cell signal for both verizon and ATT, but everywhere else in the park there was no reception. There is wifi at the visitor center.

    Another bummer about the reservation system is the $10 fee per transaction. Sites are $14/night, so we paid $24 for one night.

    NOTE: when you are reserving on Reserve America, "City of Rocks RV, ID" is a private RV park in the area. The park you want to choose is City of Rocks National Reserve, ID. 

    The park is a designated dark sky park, which is cool, but from our site (#63) the lights from the town of Oakley were pretty bright on the horizon, though the stars in the sky were still amazing. We are in a 26ft class c and there were plenty of sites for us to choose from when we visited mid week in July. Very few other campers there when we were there. The paved road ends shortly after the visitor center but the dirt and rocky and at times washboarded road was ok in our motorhome. We stopped at the visitor center on the way up and got lots of helpful info from the rangers on duty. 

    No hookups or dump station at this park, but we stopped at the Castle Rock campground on the way out and filled our tank with potable water and dumped for free.

  • C
    May. 8, 2021

    City of Rocks Campground — City of Rocks Natural Reserve

    Each site is very different...

    Be careful which site you book. Many are walk in tent sites or don’t have room for even a sprinter van. We had site number 29 which was beautiful. Definitely recommend staying in the 1-30 sites. Many back up to rocks but all are very different.

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 7, 2019

    Thompson Flat Campground

    Gorgeous Alpine Camping in Southern Idaho!

    This is one of the last campgrounds you come across before arriving at the turnoff for Lake Cleveland.  It has a ton a ton of spots but they are pretty close together so try to camp here during the weekday or if you have to come here on a weekend go to the campground immediately before Lake Cleveland as it is a little more secluded and the sites are more spaced out.  If you're planning on having a large get together or party in the mountains then this is the best campground to come to!

    Each campsite has a minimum of a metal fire ring and BBQ grill, picnic tables and some even have a large metal BBQ pit thing.  The large sites also have massive fire rings where you could basically get a bonfire going!  There are trash cans and vault toilets scattered throughout the campground.  The only problem I had with the campground is that there isn't a map and the roads through it are narrow and confusing.  Other than that this is an amazing spot to spend the weekend or a few days during the week

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 23, 2018

    Independence Lakes Campground

    Perfect for Seclusion

    First and foremost this campground needs a high clearance vehicle to reach and is best visited in late summer fall as it is very marshy there earlier in the year.

    The campground has permanent fire rings, picnic tables, and vault toilets. The campgrounds are pretty close together but we were the only ones there so it didn't really matter. Nearby is a stream to cool off in and a hike to the top of Independence Peak can give you an amazing 360 of the surrounding area!

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 31, 2019

    Schipper Campground

    Great Oasis in the Desert but Very Small

    This is definitely the smallest campground that I encountered while traveling through the South Hills of Idaho that are about a half hour away from Twin Falls.  There were only 2 sites that I could find while driving along this narrow stretch of the river, but they were definitely some of the best sites in the canyon!  Each of the 2 sites had metal fire rings and picnic tables and a vault toilet right at the split between the 2 campsites.  Another bonus was the seclusion you get from the other campground but unfortunately not the road, which isn't too big of a problem as the traffic is pretty light in the canyon during the week.  At the campsite further to the south there were 2 little rocks pools that people had made in the stream that were perfect for cooling off in after a long hot day of hiking around in the hills.  There were also dozens of trout swimming in and around these pools that would make it super easy to fish from a chair within site of your campfire!

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 26, 2019

    Lake Cleveland - East Side

    Great Place to Escape the Heat of the Valley!

    Driving up to Lake Cleveland I realized that this was the same road we traveled in the winter to get to one of our local ski mountains.  I had never been up here in the summer so I never thought that the road went any further.  So, if you're passing by in the winter time definitely make a stop by Pommerelle and ski some turns!

    As soon as you start to level out on the one lane road that leads to the lake you'll be able to see a board and a campsite on your left.  This is the first site for the east side and was one of our favorite sites that we encountered exploring the canyon.  At each of the sites there were metal fire rings with BBQ grills attached and picnic tables.  There were also a few vault toilets scattered around between the sites.  The lake itself was very beautiful and had crystal clear water!  We could see fish swimming among the rocks from 20' above on the road!  Walking down to the lake there were even more trout than we had initially seen, so it would be a shame not to bring a pole up here!

Guide to City of Rocks National Reserve

Tent camping near City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures, making it a perfect getaway for nature enthusiasts.

Local Activities for Tent Campers

  • The hike to the lakes from Independence Lakes Campground is a beautiful trek that rewards campers with breathtaking views and serene waters.
  • At Bread Loaves Group Campsite, climbers can enjoy numerous routes, including classics like Bloody Fingers, right near their tent sites.
  • Twin Sisters Group Campsite offers access to the California Trail, perfect for those looking to explore historical routes while camping.

Tent Campers Appreciate These Amenities

  • T4 GLAMP’N RANCH provides a comfortable glamping experience with amenities like firewood and trash disposal, making it a convenient choice for tent campers.
  • Bostetter Campground features vault toilets and a peaceful setting, ideal for those seeking a rustic camping experience without sacrificing basic facilities.
  • Third Fork Campground offers fire rings and picnic tables, allowing campers to enjoy meals outdoors while surrounded by nature.

Prices for Tent Camping

  • Tent camping at Independence Lakes Campground is free, making it an excellent option for budget-conscious adventurers.
  • The cost for reserving a site at T4 GLAMP’N RANCH typically ranges from $50 to $100, depending on the season and amenities chosen.
  • Camping at Bread Loaves Group Campsite is also free, providing an affordable way to experience the beauty of the City of Rocks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near City of Rocks National Reserve?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near City of Rocks National Reserve is Bread Loaves Group Campsite — City of Rocks National Reserve with a 4.7-star rating from 3 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near City of Rocks National Reserve?

TheDyrt.com has all 11 tent camping locations near City of Rocks National Reserve, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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