Best Tent Camping near Preston, ID
Tent camping options surround Preston, Idaho, with several established campgrounds and dispersed sites within a short drive. Smithfield Dispersed Campsite, located just south in Utah, offers free primitive tent camping with both drive-in and walk-in access. North Fork Campground in St. Charles Canyon provides designated tent sites with metal fire rings and picnic tables, while Dry Canyon Campground offers a more remote tent camping experience west of Preston.
Most primitive tent sites near Preston require campers to be self-sufficient. Smithfield Dispersed Campsite has no drinking water, toilets, or trash service, making it essential for tent campers to pack in all necessary supplies and pack out all waste. Fire restrictions vary seasonally, with permits required at some locations. North Fork Campground features vault toilets near the RV section and separate tent-specific sites with more space between campers. Sites typically consist of natural surfaces with minimal improvements, though established campgrounds provide basic amenities like fire rings and tables.
The tent camping experience varies significantly across the region. Areas farther from town offer deeper seclusion, particularly at higher elevations in the surrounding canyons. Smithfield Dispersed Campsite provides creek access with multiple small clearings suitable for one or two tents. Tent campers at North Fork benefit from proximity to Minnetonka Cave and hiking trails in St. Charles Canyon. The primitive tent camping areas typically see less traffic than developed campgrounds, especially during weekdays. A review noted that Smithfield Dispersed Camping has "plenty of spots on both sides of the road where you can pull off and have dispersed camping. Most of the spots are pretty small and would only work for one or two tents or maybe a couple of hammocks." Cold Springs Campground, though more remote, offers what one camper described as "breath taking" surroundings despite narrow access roads.
