Best Campgrounds near Horseshoe Bend, ID

Open Season 15 May to 15 September. Advance reservations are requires and cannot be made on site. No free camping. Potable water by old USFS style hand pump. Host on site. Ranger patrols.

The location is absolutely beautiful, a small piece of heaven. There are maybe 10-15 roughly built fire rings, and you can walk or park right on the waters edge. There is a single public use restroom that was in good condition and open in the winter. The only downside is that throughout the night and all day, multiple jeeps and side by sides traveling through to use the restroom and play in the water. They were all respectful though. It is roughly 10 miles of maintained dirt road to reach this site.

Large open sites. Big rigs go left and park on top. Large areas, can accommodate dozens of RVs and tents.

Avoid during holidays, people leave tents and rvs for days to keep the spot despite rules and the ranger station will do nothing about it. At those times expect loud parties and even fights or gunfire which the rangers will also do nothing about.

Other than that its great. Take a right on the highway and head to the sourdough lodge for the best pancakes for hundreds of miles.

There are many other dispersed and paid spots along the highway.

Details: Free camping 14 Day limit No tables at campsites Minimal wood to scavenge Town of Lowman is close by No trash, water, or toilets

Easy to get to, no marked spots, tent or small to mid RV. Pit toilet on site. No boat launch but easy enough for small craft or floaties. Sloped, not much level spots. Nice views and easy bank fishing.

Details: No site boundaries, easily crowds No trash or water Long drive to services Slow drive in if towing medium or large trailer No tables Minimal rock fire rings Long drive to town, bring plenty of stuff Free stat, 14 day limit, rangers may stop by and say hi, if you’re lucky they’ll clean and restock the toilet. Don’t count on being lucky

Views are wonderful and the fishing is good. No, this is not near Lowman as Dyrt claims. The drive is a long dirt road, vibrates a lot but not exactly bumpy. Any car can do it. Coming in from the SE side at the exit just past the rest stop after leaving boise is a far better drive.

You could bring in a 30-35 footer but be sure to have clearance. For some spots you will need to turn around the lower parking area which may be a problem on weekends. Show up on a Wednesday if you for sure want to stay a few days.

I have visited numerous times in spring and fall. After snow starts melting it gets high fast and is un-fishable. If you are a fisherman check usgs. A river monitoring station is just up the road maybe 3 miles.

My last visit the trash and treatment was so bad the rangers said there were discussions of either closing it or turning it to a paid CG.

Wood is scare but easy to find if you drive the roads. Plenty of hiking. During hunting season it will fill up.

Details: Toilet might be maintained or might not Campers have been trashing the grounds since early 2024 Hunters and fisherman are nice and friendly, others not so much Long drive to town; the first 22 miles are on that road and will take 30-45 min depending on vehicle, another 20 at least to reach anywhere for supplies Inspection point at the exit sometimes for fishing and hunting Free stay, 14 day max

Has come a long ways in the last 10 years. Could still be part of the solution that part of the problem.

Reading the other reviews made me a little unsure, but I went for it. The location is outstanding and my site is right on the river. The sites aren’t real obvious so I kind of made it up as I went. There is trash everywhere. The fire pits are all full of trash. And a little mowing or weed eating would help. To be honest, all the campgrounds I’ve been to this trip have been covered in trash and dog feces. It’s obvious service has gone the way of the dinosaurs. Keep your expectations low!!!

Nice spot, got to drive up the road past the usa fee area campground. Its a bit up a hill and not on the valley floor so phone service is there like one bar. No tables but some make shift fire pits at free spots. Kinda a rocky road but not a bunch of holes. Supposedly there have been mountain lion sightings in this area. Some intense utah/idaho drivers so just be cool. A less dry quiet spot, beautiful sounds of bugs at night prob crickets and no biter bugs like mosquitoes. Could give it 4 stars but I got to sneak in in the usa fee area to use toilet. Usually most hosts are not paying attention or are cool about it if you aint a crazy. Hey just realized Im not one of those lol.

We arrived late, but it was no problem. Everything was great - quiet, but near the highway. Showers and bathrooms were super clean. We walked to the little cafe down the street and had a nice country breakfast before going on our way to Idaho.

I found this place using the Dyrt app and was happy with the stay. We only spent one night here as we were passing through town. I purchased the site after hours, and everything was paid for; check-in and registration were all done from my smartphone. I paid$70 for a backup sight with full hookups. They have 24-hour shower/bathroom stalls that are very clean and nice. It is located right off I-84, so some light traffic will be heard. It is in a small city with plenty of options to eat out. Boise is only 1 hour away, which isn't bad if you want to explore that part of Idaho. Overall, it was clean, quiet, and easy to navigate.

About an hour off the highway, 7 miles of which are washboard-bumpy gravel roads along the lake cliffside (Had to drive under 10mph those last 7 miles). We were in an AWD sprinter van, and the road conditions definitely put a damper on the night. Site is right on the water gorgeous once you’re there. The stars were incredible. Toilet on site but the flies were swarming.