Best Tent Camping near Lava Hot Springs, ID

The mountainous terrain surrounding Lava Hot Springs, Idaho offers several tent camping options within a short drive of the thermal waters. North Fork Overflow Campground near Saint Charles provides tent-only sites with basic amenities during the May to September season. Morgans Bridge Campground, located along the river near Firth, features two walk-in tent sites with rough ground surfaces. Cold Springs Campground near Montpelier operates seasonally from May to September with designated tent campsites that include picnic tables and fire rings.

Most tent campgrounds in the Lava Hot Springs region have minimal facilities. Vault toilets are available at several locations, but drinking water is rarely provided. Campers should bring their own water supply or filtration systems. The camping season typically runs from late spring through early fall, with most sites closing by October due to weather conditions. Fire restrictions are common during summer months, particularly in drought years. Sites at Morgans Bridge feature rough terrain directly adjacent to the river, making them suitable for primitive tent camping but requiring careful tent placement. Access roads to backcountry tent sites may require high-clearance vehicles, particularly after rain.

Tent campers visiting the area report varying experiences based on location. According to reviews, North Fork Overflow provides a sense of solitude, with one visitor noting it's "back in the mountains a couple hours from civilization." The tent section at North Fork Campground offers "ample room along with metal fire rings and picnic tables," according to a camper. Sites closer to Lava Hot Springs provide convenient access to the thermal pools while maintaining a rustic camping experience. Fall is noted as an ideal time for tent camping in the region, with cooler temperatures and fewer visitors. Dry Canyon Campground provides space for group activities with multiple picnic tables, though campers should note there's no water available on site. Walk-in tent sites throughout the region offer greater privacy than drive-up locations.

Best Tent Sites Near Lava Hot Springs, Idaho (15)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Lava Hot Springs, ID

351 Reviews of 15 Lava Hot Springs Campgrounds


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

    Portneuf Bend Campground

    Great KOA like campground

    A great little campground with many full hookups for RVs and some tent sites.  There is a small store in the office and a pretty little lake nearby but we didnt see any fish.  Lucky for the fisher though the Portneuf River is also right in the campground.  Theres a little bit of shade but not really any large trees.  If you want to head further up into the mountains this is a great spot to head north from.  It is also very close <5 minutes from Lava Hot Springs.

  • Shani C.
    Jun. 25, 2019

    Portneuf River Lower Sportsman Access

    Free Camping, No Luxuries

    This free campground has about 10 sites to choose from, mostly RV but occasionally tent camping. There is a bathroom, no luxury showers or a store to buy firewood or items. It’s about a 10min or less drive to Lava Hot Springs in case you need supply. This campground is right next to the river, has a small waterfall and beautiful scenery all around. The road is extremely bumpy so if your have a low car or trailer be careful. The pros of this is its free. 1st come 1st serve, nice, quiet area. The cons, no shower, hook ups, store and the train that runs by Lava Hot Springs can be heard.

  • skoerber@moscow.com The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 2, 2025

    Maple Grove Campground

    small campground by the lake

    Stayed one night at the end of May. The road along Oneida Narrows is good graded gravel. At the base of the dam, a sign recommends against large RVs and towed vehicles so I scouted it first, but it's ok, just a little rutted in places. The campground is small, 12 spaces. I suggest not towing a camper that's longer than 20 ft or so, due to the general smallness of the pull ins and the narrowness of the road. Sites have picnic table and fire ring. Vault toilets that were reasonably clean. No water or trash service. There is access to the reservoir shore, but it has a lot of aquatic growth near the shore, which i don't like. So many fish jumping, big ones! I don't know what they were. It was about half full when I was there mid week. Quiet except when the neighbor was playing his trumpet -- are you kidding me?!?! No cell service, Verizon.  Nice shade from the maples. Surrounding ridges are scenic.

  • S
    Aug. 5, 2018

    Lava Hot Springs West KOA

    Great camping

    We did not stay at the KOA, but right up the road at a Sportsman Access area. Camped right next to the river at no cost. We were able to get a large cleared out spot, not very many neighbors, 1 vaulted toilet on sight. Now there is no potable water in this area and not much shade. But great, no cost, quite, river access and only 3 miles from center of Lava Hot Springs where we went tubbing.

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2019

    Goodenough Creek Campground

    More than the Name Suggests!

    Agreat little campground that is split into a more developed tent area and a primitive tent area.  The developed tent area had gravel pads along with picnic tables and metal fire rings.  There was also a halfdicap vault toilet near the entrance.  At the primitive site we found a wonderful little rope swing that swung out over the creek.  All the primitive sites were wonderfully cool and shaded while the developed sites were more exposed

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2019

    North Fork Campground - St. Charles Canyon

    Beautiful Scenery in Idaho Mountains

    This beautiful campground lies close to the end of St Charles Canyon near the Minnetonka Cave.  It has 2 sections one of which is mainly for rvs and the 2nd which is for tents and camper Van's.  The RV spots seemed kind of close but the tent sites had ample room along with metal fire rings and picnic tables.  There was a vault toilet up near the rvs  and down by the tent sites

  • A
    Sep. 25, 2020

    Scout Mountain Campground

    Beautiful basic camping in Furs and Pines

    Beautiful campground set high up in the Caribou National Forest. The campground is around 13 miles up a mountain from Pocatello- it took us roughly 30 minutes driving up curvy mountain roads to get up to the top. Be advised, our gps tried to route us off a dirt road half way up, but you just stay on the paved road all the way up. We got site 20, I’m not sure which loop, as the loops were kind of hard to determine. It was next to bathrooms and across from water and a group campsite which looked like it’d be awesome if you were in a group (site 19.) Beautiful in the pines and furs. You can’t see from the road but many of the tent pads are behind the tables and fire rings. The tent pads aren’t huge- Our tent pad wasn’t big enough for our 6 person REI tent so we pitched right behind our car on the parking pad, which was considerably larger. We were only staying for one night on a Thursday and it was very quiet with only a handful of other campers, but I saw reserve tags on most camp sites in our loop for the weekend. No showers, vault toilets. Drinking water. We tent camp so I didn’t see if there were any electric sites, ours was not. We saw cows, moose, birds and deer on the mountain. Wish we could have stayed an extra night to hike around the area.

  • Abner H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 16, 2025

    North Bingham County Park

    Nice Quiet Park - $45/night for Non Resident

    The park is nice and clean, appears to be recently paved or resurfaced.  The spots are relatively level. Restrooms are clean and nice shower is large.  The 12 pull through sites have 20/30/50 Amp outlets and potable water and each has its own picnic table.  The dump station is just past the sites there is a seprate potable water fill 50' from the dump station which has its own hoses and water for flushing tanks.  

    There are two areas of grass designated as tent sites with in ground fire rings and there is one shared elevated charcoal grill.

    As of July 2025 the nightly rate is $25/night for Bingham County Residents and $45/night for Non-Residents.  There are envelopes for payment (cash or check only) at the front gate and inside the envelope is an information sheet with the bathroom codes.

    - AT&T Service is 3 bars and bounces between 5G+ and LTE my speedtest showed 10.38 Mbps Download

    - Starlink is partially obstructed in all of the pull throughs with ~15 outages greater than 2s in 15 minutes but has download speeds of 157.93 Mbps when not obstructed.

    - T-Mobile is 3 bars of 5G and my speediest showed 310.58 Mbps download speed.

  • P H.
    Jun. 23, 2020

    Devils Creek RV Park

    Close quarters but friendly faces

    This is an older campground, and space near reservoirs is a hot commodity. The RV park host was very friendly and accommodating. Very clean campground with a nice boat dock and plenty of spaces to get down near the reservoir and fish.

    Warning - Some of the spaces felt like extremely close quarters especially with slide outs. The picture below shows one of the older full utility locations. Some units may not have much room to slide out without contacting the utility boxes. Some units offer great shade and an awning next to a shared fire pit, shared picnic table. Some units have a really nice shared grass area between trailers. Also several people here are seasonal campers with monthly rates. This can make finding a space a little more challenging. Call ahead and make sure to get reservations so you can get a spot.

    Lot size seems inconsistent between spaces as some feel very cramped and some of the high number units without utilities had larger spaces between them, almost appearing as an extra space between two units people were using for pet/kid play areas.

    Dogs are to be kept on leashes, but people should consider short leashes/tie lines as it is easy for pets to cross into adjacent units depending upon where they are staked. Make sure to plan ahead for power adapters. Only one 30amp service so if your planning to run AC, plan to be the first in or coordinate with your neighbor.


Guide to Lava Hot Springs

Tent campsites near Lava Hot Springs, Idaho cluster in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and surrounding Bureau of Land Management areas. The region's terrain ranges from 5,000 to 8,000 feet elevation with dramatic temperature swings between day and night, even in summer months. Multiple campgrounds operate on limited seasonal schedules due to snowfall and access restrictions, with several providing specific tent-only areas separate from RV sections.

What to do

River access fishing spots: Secluded Maple Creek River Bottoms offers private tent camping with personal fire pits just six minutes from local amenities. According to Ashley F., it's a "private oasis in the woods" with "lots of trees and perfect place to relax around your fire-pit."

Hot springs exploration: Maple Grove Hot Springs combines tent camping with natural thermal soaking. Jordan H. reports, "Camping gets you access to the hot springs from check in until 4pm the next day. There's running water in the bathhouse with a toilet and shower. There's yoga classes included in the price as well."

Group activities: Dry Canyon Campground accommodates larger gatherings with communal facilities. Alan B. noted the campground "had plenty of place for activities and many picnic tables close to a large cement fire place. There were also plenty types of sheep nearby!"

What campers like

Wilderness isolation: North Fork Overflow appeals to campers seeking remote backcountry experiences. Bobbie H. describes it as "back in the mountains a couple hours from civilization. makes you thankful for the idaho wilderness."

River proximity: Morgans Bridge Campground features tent sites positioned directly alongside water. One camper notes it's "Right next to the river. Would be a nice fall get away spot," while mentioning the area has "Very little shade" but offers "Plenty of picnic tables including an ADA table."

Volunteer opportunities: Some camping areas offer work-exchange programs. At Maple Grove Hot Springs, they "offer volunteer days as well where you can camp and soak in exchange for volunteer work," according to a satisfied camper.

What you should know

Water availability: Many primitive tent sites around Lava Hot Springs lack potable water. At Dry Canyon Campground, a visitor warns "there's no water there" despite the other amenities, making self-supplied water essential.

Access challenges: Some campgrounds have problematic access issues. At Cutthroat Trout Campground, Samuel H. encountered significant problems: "This place is in the middle of nowhere with no cell service. I drove all the way out here only to find the gate to someone's ranch with a no trespassing sign."

Terrain conditions: Tent placement requires careful consideration at several sites. Morgans Bridge includes "Two walk in only camp spots, expect rough ground," according to a recent visitor.

Rule changes: Verify current regulations before planning. Trenner Park recently implemented policy changes as noted by Donner N.: "They recently changed the rules to be day camping only. It's an area that is visited a lot by locals but a pleasant spot."

Tips for camping with families

Accessibility options: Some tent areas feature ADA-compliant facilities. Trenner Park offers "bathroom available and a handicap access dock" making it suitable for families with accessibility needs.

Weather preparedness: Pack for temperature fluctuations when tent camping with children in this region. Cold Springs Campground receives positive reviews for its beauty, but Austin H. notes one significant drawback: "The only down side is the narrow roads," which can complicate family arrivals and departures.

Food options: Several campgrounds offer convenient food solutions. Jordan H. mentions Maple Grove Hot Springs "has a nice little shop with snacks and gifts. They sell tinfoil dinners too if you want to really relax."

Tips from RVers

Size restrictions: RVers should note length limitations at most tent-focused campgrounds. Morgans Bridge provides "3 RV slips for smaller rigs ~30'" but primarily caters to tent campers with walk-in sites.

Seasonal planning: RV campers report better experiences during shoulder seasons. According to visitor feedback, fall camping near Lava Hot Springs offers reduced competition for limited RV spaces combined with moderate temperatures ideal for enjoying nearby thermal features.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lava Hot Springs, ID?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lava Hot Springs, ID is Cold Springs Campground with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Lava Hot Springs, ID?

TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Lava Hot Springs, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.