Looking for tent camping near Lowman? Finding a place to camp in Idaho with your tent has never been easier. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
ALERT - The Swirly Canyon segment of the South Fork Payette River stretch offers opportunities for camping and fishing in a scenic mountain area. The BLM's South Fork Recreation Site is an undeveloped camping spot along the river.
Redfish Inlet Trailhead
Shafer Butte is located atop the scenic Boise Ridge Mountains, near Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Visitors enjoy hiking and biking on various trails in the surrounding area, and simply relaxing and taking in the area's beautiful views.
Popular activities in the area include hiking and mountain biking, the Mores Mountain Trail begins in the campground. This 2-mile interpretive nature trail is family friendly.
Shafer Butte offers scenic views of Deer Point, Mores Mountain and Shafer Butte summits, as well as the expansive valley below. The campground is situated among Douglas fir and aspen trees, which offer partial shade in most sites. Wildlife and summer wildflowers are abundant in the area.
Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area is close by and offers more hiking and biking trails, as well as other summer activities, check out this link for more information http://bogusbasin.org. The Ridge to River trail system is near by as well, check out this link for more information http://www.ridgetorivers.org
$50 / night
A nice small campground in the trees along Bench Creek near Highway 21. Fishing in the stream and nearby Bull Trout Lake. Trail adjacent to the campground, heading southeast to Stanley Lake. Each of the 5 sites have picnic tables and fire rings with cooking grills. Amenities within the campground include a vault toilet. No drinking water is provided on site, and this small campground accommodates smaller trailers and motorhomes up to 30 feet long.
Overview: Bald Mountain Campground is near Idaho City, Idaho. The Campground has 4 campsites in a secluded, forested area. A trail from campground goes east to the Middle Fork of the Boise River. A second trail goes from the Thorn Creek Butte Lookout south of the campground and follows Cottonwood Creek south.
Legend
Camped in site #15 on Sept 27, 2024. Paid $10 with senior pass. Nothing remarkable about the campground itself, but the trails leading out of the campground are really good. There is access to the Salmon River at the end of the campground road for bank/fly fishing; caught a nice rainbow trout. Sites along the river appear larger than those backing up to the hill. The river side sites are open sky, good for solar recharging and Starlink. The sites across the road have partial shade. There were a few pull-thrus; otherwise, back-ins. Campground is popular for OHV enthusiasts and hikers. Most sites are close to the dusty campground road. Vault toilet was not quite clean, although it was at the end of the summer season. There is a hand water pump. Site 15 is a small, almost level site with a pea gravel surface; it appeared to have a tent pad at the rear. This site has a table and metal fire ring. There is road noise from highway 75 across the river. It was very busy here during our stay, probably because forest service campgrounds west of Stanley were closed due to wildfires. There were a lot of drive-bys on the campground road. Nearby travel trailers with large noisy families kind of ruined the ambiance of this small campground; did not respect quiet hours. Campground probably okay for an overnight stay, fly fishing on the Salmon River or for accessing the trailheads. Overall, I did not enjoy camping here. I did, however, enjoyed hiking and fishing here. I am not likely to camp here again.
ScoutJust off the asphalt on a gravel road. Very dusty and noisy on the weekends. Can be busy because a lot people park in there to float the river.
Guide
Loved this spot! Parked our tow behind camper right on the beach. It is very muddy so don’t get too close to the shore, we had to help two vehicles get out of the mud. Also very buggy which is why is lost a star
Guide
I enjoyed my 2 night stay here. I pitched a tent however it was quite windy due to it being an open area so just stake your tent down well. I had a spot right beside the salmon river and was able to access this campsite via my Honda Accord vehicle.
Traveler
My husband and I came to this spot with our 28ft trailer, luckily we were able to squeeze in. Lots of spots to choose from too. The campsites were clean and very peaceful place to camp for a few nights.
GuideThis was a great stay. I found a place to pitch a tent right beside the river. There seemed to be plenty of spots some vacant at times. It was close to Highway 75 but did get some traffic noise but the river drowned most of it out. Would stay here again!
Guide
Site 10 is right on the river.
Scout
Sites are well spaces apart. A quit spot.
Guide
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.
Guide
My wife and I were forced to make last minute changes to our camping trip this year(thanks to the Wapiti 2024 fire in Stanley) and Dog Creek was the only campground available on the dates we had set aside. We had been up to Pine once before but had never explored past the town.
The campground itself is quiet and away from the main road but it is directly parallel to the South Fork of the Boise River. There are a TON of ponderosa pines and other various pine trees so the campground looks small because of the dense tree cover. From the main road, the main drive is a fairly narrow paved dirt/gravel road and not bumpy at all so most vehicles shouldn’t have an issue with it.
The camp sites themselves are a little close to each other but you’re not shoulder to shoulder or directly on top of each other. The camp host greeted us upon our arrival, filled us in on the fire restrictions and said to let him know if we needed anything.
We had reserved sites 10 and 11 but in reality, they might as well call it a group site because there is no separation between the two, you even share a"driveway”. There were fire rings, tent pads(at some sites) and picnic tables, along with shepherds hooks for hanging trash off of the ground. There were also metal tables at every site that we think are intended for camp stoves.(The picnic tables are wood)The fire rings were well cared for(none damaged that we saw and they all had adjustable grills)….but our fire ring was very close to the bushes which was a little sketchy.
This campground is nice and quiet and full of trees. But unfortunately, for us, that’s where the appeal ends. In order to get to the actual Dog Creek from the campground, you have to hope that sites 2 and 5 are not occupied and even then, the creek isn’t super exciting. It’s pretty but it’s a climb down into a ravine of sorts and it’s not deep enough to lay in and there aren’t any places to setup chairs to just enjoy it. The water flowing through the creek is clean and it is pretty to look at, but that’s about all it’s good for.
As for other things to do at the campground, there isn’t much. There are no hiking trails as far as we could tell, but if you go across the street to the river, you can actually enjoy your stay, assuming the banks of the river aren’t packed with dispersed campers and their ATV’s.
The campground does have water spigots and the water tasted fine. The restrooms(vault toilets) were impeccable in terms of cleanliness. Some of the nicest Forest Service campground restrooms we’ve used and the camp host does an awesome job of keeping them clean and bug free.
Speaking of bugs, we didn’t see many mosquitoes but we did see a good amount of bees, wasps and yellow jackets and there were traps setup throughout the campground so bring an epi pen if you’re allergic to any of them.
We lost cell service just after the reservoir (T-Mobile) but my satellite communicator worked fairly well at the campground.
There are dumpsters to take your trash just inside the entrance to the campground, which is a little annoying as you have to walk quite a ways to dump it, but there were also no critters hanging around the sites.
Dog Creek campground is the type of campground where you setup your camper or RV and leave for the day to do other things. Whether it’s boating at Anderson Ranch, taking the ATV’s up into the mountains or try to find hiking trails. The campground itself is very pretty BUT it doesn’t offer much in terms of things to do while there. However, if you are looking for some peace and quiet, with very little noise from the outside world, it’s great.
GuideNice lil spot to relax . Really rough road is the only bad part
Traveler
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.
Scout
This campground has potential that is not being exploited. Lovely spot beside the Payette River but that’s about it. Water and 30/50 hookups but too few trees, ery little to do without driving a distance. Close to white water rafting outfitters.
TravelerWe stayed at this campground initially because it was right at the trailhead for the hike to Goat Lake. We got there around 5 and there were still plenty of sites available. It was pretty buggy, but it’s right next to a creek, so that’s what you expect. It was quiet and the sound of the creek made it easy to sleep after a long day.
Ranger
Spend 6 nights here while exploring Stanley, the sawtooths, and Boise National Forest. Big sites, beautiful lake, and very private. Really enjoyed our stay here.
Traveler
Great spot to escape 55 traffic jams! It has great fishing, and river beach access. Has a bathroom. Picnic tables. Only draw back would be road noise but if that doesn't bother you then 5 stars for a dispersed site!
ScoutWe were excited about this find, the location was perfect for riding sxs right outside of round valley.
We unfortunately, could not fit our rig in the gate. It was tight and could not make the turn with a long box truck and 30ft camper.
I did not like that the spots were so close together and not very private.
Greg was very nice though and willing to give us a refund. Still haven’t seen the refund come through yet.
Traveler
Got to Stanley area around 6pm on a Friday. Drove to Stanley Lake and Iron Creek but everything was full. Decided to drive down Rd 653 then to Rd 633 to see if there was anything open and found a good spot about 2 miles in from hwy 21. I passed quite a few people but spots are pretty far apart and the only people I could see from my campsite were all the way across the valley. Only animals I saw were some antelope, ground squirrels, and cows. Pretty wildflowers all around too. It was a good place to stop for the night!
Scout
they have absolutely destroyed what we use to love..they put sand in every camping spot with railroad ties and huge spikes make sure you like sand in your shoes and in your tents and campers.. the placement of the fire pitts make it where you cant sit around the fire ..carry a flashlight at all times so you dont trip over the ties that they have placed …they took family sites big enough for 10 people and made them so close you can actually hear the next site breathing in their sleep..the camp host by the Name of Tod Had a nasty additude towards my wife when we had first woke up at 8:00 am hounding us about money..sorry we got there at 3:00 in the morning we were going to stay for 14 days and left in 3 they made nature into a aparment style camp ground i guess thats what happends when greed takes over..we have never had problems before ..camp hosts were great and now they need blue and red lights on top of their wheelers..now you look out your front window used to see the lake and mountains now you see the top of some ones tents…way to go IFAG..
Traveler
We drove in on a late Thursday night, June 27th, to find the entire campground packed, and even struggled to find a dispersed camping site nearby. It's a great spot, but for it being a Thursday night, expected to find a bit more available.
Scout
I called (no one answered @4:45pm)... then we drove because it was on our way... and there was no one. The restaurant was closed... it is 6:15pm.. maybe they aren't open past 6?
Scout
We’ve been here twice now. First 2021 and again June 2024. Campground is well kept. Showers and facilities clean. Minutes from Donnelly Idaho for “the things you forgot”. Great views coming back again for sure.
Guide
Quick 1 night stay. Nice river access. Pretty quiet.
ScoutIf you get one of the site overlooking the sawtooths count yourself lucky
Traveler
There are many sites up until the dead-end about 1.5 miles from the pay campground. I camped up on the stream. Great boondocking was here for a week. The road is in great shape. A couple of big rocks here and there. Plenty of places to do a 3-point turnaround with any rig.
No cell coverage. Got ok starlink between trees.
Scout
Well, guess the review below should have been posted after we checked out. Why? We went for a walk and upon our return at 9pm we were greeted by the management advising us we needed to immediately depart. If we didn't we were told we'd be trespassing and.... This is a first for us. A bit surprising as we are both retired health care professionals(surgeon and MPH). Plus, we have volunteered as camp hosts in both state parks and a KOA. Not a good experience. We are in a 38' Class A, and we're assigned site 17. The"guide' took us to our site. He had the people in the next site move their car so we could pull through and back in. Then he directed my husband pull through an area where there was a dead tree with the branches cut off, but still with the trunk and large limbs present. The top of our RV got caught under a protruding branch, scraping the top edge of the coach. The guide shared this was his first week and he didn't understand why they assigned us this site. He got his manager to come look at our coach and the site. The manager said he would have parked us differently, and they are not responsible for the damage. We asked for a different site, and the approach was better. Still very tight. Not a great way to start the visit and very disappointed in the management. Leaving early and likely won't be back or recommend this park to others. We camped at Boise Riverside RV Park in a Motorhome
GuideThere are many group sites and single sites. Many sites own a corner turn. Also your entire campsite will be visible to every car passing. There are other sites on the other side of the road that are more private. Be wary the road is very dangerous getting in. Take it slow.
Some people park their trailers at lake front but beware of the dune sand , you might get stuck.
I love being able to jump into the lake and ride my bike along the lake.
T
Tent camping near Lowman, Idaho offers a blend of stunning natural beauty and a variety of outdoor activities, making it an ideal destination for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lowman, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lowman, ID is Boise National Forest Whoop-em-up Equestrian Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Lowman, ID?
TheDyrt.com has all 70 tent camping locations near Lowman, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
