Searching for a tent camping spot near Melba? Find the best information on tent camping near Melba, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Melba, Idaho's most popular destinations.
$28 - $43 / night
This small campground is located in a partially restored 19th-century mining town. Please plan to bring your own water. Don't use the water running through the campground from Jordan Creek because it may contain mercury from prior mining activity in the area.
Dispersed camping. High clearance vehicle recommended. Please LNT.
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
$10 - $75 / night
Overview: A stay at Cottonwood Campground enables guests to enjoy all the beauty and recreation offered around the Middle Fork Boise River and Arrowrock Reservoir. The tiny campground hosts 3 campsites. Weather is usually good from mid-May through late September and is easily accessible by car in good weather, although the road is sometimes rough and the drive can be seemingly long. Checking with the Mountain Ranger District (208-587-7961) on road conditions before heading out is recommended. Natural Features: The campground is situated just north of the reservoir along Cottonwood Creek. There is at a switchback of Forest Service (FS) roads 268 and 377. It is located less than a mile along FS road 377. Wildlife watchers may want to look for deer and elk. Waterfowl, eagles and osprey are attracted to the river. Recreation: Cottonwood Trail begins nearby, leading to Bald Mountain. Check the Idaho City Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for trails in the area that are open to hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers and off-road vehicles. Click here for an Idaho OHV safety message. Arrowrock Reservoir is a premier fishing destination in southwest Idaho. It offers excellent trout fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout. There are also good swimming holes. Big game hunting is a popular activity in season. The Middle Fork Boise River is just north of the campground and also offers great fishing.
Traveler
Good site for rv camping but if you're tent camping there are probably better options depending on what you're looking for. The tent sites are super close together and there is alot of highway noise. If you're looking for a quick site with amenities this is good though. It has shade and thats a huge plus.
Legend
This campground is an oasis in the middle of the desert. It gets hot here in the summer. It has RV and camper parking along the Reservoir and a few tent sites. There is a big park/picnic area with several picnic tables and a designated swimming area. There is a boat launch right next to it so boating access from the campground is excellent! Great for families with RV's and campers, less great for tent camping.
Guide
Very nice campground. Well kept and very clean. They also have showers. The camp host was very nice and helpful. It offers both sites with hookups and tent sites as well.
Legend
This is one of the few overnight camp spots on the reservoir. It’s not always super clean. The garbage cans fill up quickly and sometimes over flow. Great day access for boats. Not a lot of shade for tent camping, so it can get warm in the summer.
Traveler
The drive here is gorgeous! rolling hills, rich farm land, grape vines 20ft high. At sunset it was magical.
GuideClean facilities.. , need a code to use them, Roads are dusty, if people would drive slow it would e nicer, Busy place, this is a flat rate place. No discounts but same price depending on length or stay, back i to river view spot, fishing if your up to it, have tent sites by the lake, staff is nice, very busy.. they have grass that is more grass than weeds..
ScoutBest little Campgound in the area! Sits right on the Snake River, large grassy area with lots of shade, Cabins, tent sites, limited full hookups, electric, covered picnic tables, small boat dock, 2 horseshoe pits excellent catfishing, supplied fire rings (you can buy wood there), they just added a TeePee! The host, Turk, and his wife, Meghan, are absolutely, by far the best camp hosts we've ever dealt with. Dogs are allowed. BEST SUNSETS EVER!
Legend
This RV Camping Site is AWESOME! They do allow tent camping and have cabins. They have full hookups for RV's as well. There is a lower rate for "back-ins" to the Boise River Greenbelt. They also have a higher rate for Pull Through Sites for RVs. There is so much to do in the area. Biking, hiking, walking along the Boise River. There is also some great fishing on the Boise River. This location is centered for city goers, snow skiers, white water rafters and anglers. We visited some nice restaurants within a short drive of the campgrounds. We rode our bikes along the trails, upstream and downstream. The campgrounds also rent bikes for those that don't have their own :-) You will not be disappointed with this campground if you want to get to know Boise, Idaho.
Guide
Sites are next to the river and have amazing views of the surrounding terrain.
Trash cans are located at each designated site as well as a level area to set up.
There is cell reception in case you are interested but the wifi was poor.
The fire pits are locked during fire season.
Unfortunately, my site was a victim of irresponsible campers who left trash and urinated near the tent site. Obviously not the campground’s fault but something to be aware of.
$5 fee with dropbox. 3 night max (within 30 day period.)
GuideApprox, 10-12 Grassy Tent sites, with shady trees, on a small 6 acre lake with entertaining ducks that do not beg for food. Lol. Lots of RV sites with full hook ups, including, 105 long term users. The showers and toilets were clean with lots of hot water. Laundry room with 6 washers and 6 dryers. A little road noise from l-84. 2 miles from shopping and fuel. Friendly staff. Surprisingly good, as this was our first “private” campground we’ve ever stayed at. $27.00, including tax, per day.
Legend
Locust Park is a small campground with both RV and tent sites. Its next to the river and the CJ Strike dam. It's located in the high desert and gets hot in the summer. There are some shade trees but its still the desert. The grassy area is actually really nice turf. There is a vault toilet but no potable water or electric hook ups. There is parking for boat trailers. This is not a place I would go just to camp, but its great if you have a boat or want to fish.
Legend
The Cove Campground is similar, except it is on the west end of The Narrows, a favorite place for fishermen. There are RV camping sites as well as Tent sites. Each site has an firepit and picnic table. Pets are permitted but must be on a leash. We even put our pets in our kayaks when we went out fishing. Make sure you call the BLM for lake conditions, especially if camping during the winter months. The lake can freeze over during the winter. We went in January, but we still had water to fish on. There are outhouses there for camping use.
Legend
Just south of Kuna, Swan Falls is a nice quiet place for tent or RV camping. RV should be smaller than 27'. We have a 27' Travel Trailer pulled with an extended long bed Chevy Silverado. We were able to get into the last or furthest campsite up stream. north of the dam. We were able to launch our kayaks for fishing and paddling for a couple of days. It is dry camping with no hookups. No reservations, so it's on a first come first serve basis. Our site had a fire pit but no picnic table. Fishing was awesome. I caught quite a few smallies, but they were on the smaller side. Still fun to catch. There were a few smaller sites for tent camping along the river. There are a few more sites below the dam as well. All dry camping. The drive down from the top is pretty steep. Ensure your vehicle is powerful enough to pull your rig back up the grade ;-)
Scout
I have lived here full-time for over 3 years. It is beautiful, quiet, calm, and very safe for children and families. The rates are some of the cheapest around the country, and there is a group site for picnicking with a fire pit. There are tent sites with fire pits as well as RV spots and truck campers are always welcome as well. 24/7 free showers, and laundry @1.25. there is a phone number to call if you get in after business hours or you can just fill out a sheet and find a spot for the night and hook up. Owners are very laid back, and welcoming. We all rely on the old school honor system around here.
TravelerThis summer we tried Rivers Edge Rv Park for the first time and had a great experience. On our drive up to Pacific Northwest in early August we did tent camping here and in late September we tried the cabins along the river. Wonderful quiet location, good hosts and amazing sunsets on the Snake River. If you stay in the cabins, just a note that this is a place where you need to bring your own bedding and kitchen items, however there is a hot plate and sink, plus a microwave. The ladder steps up to the bedroom was an adventure in itself😛 No bathrooms in the cabin, but there is a community bathroom and shower. One star off because the bathroom really does need to be updated. Shower was a bit grungy. But for everything great about this place, I know we will be back!
Traveler
Spring Break gave us a unique 2019 quiet camping at the military cabins. A bit chilly when the wind picks up so dress warm and remember to pack extra layers and hand warmers. Fishing was great as we were the only people at the cabins. MHAFB rental cabins also rents boats. The cabins are a step above tent camping with wooden platform beds and bunks. Plan to be inside only to sleep as there is not much room. Bathroom is behind the cabins. A metal gate separates military from public facilities. Just beyond is a fish cleaning station and docks. Inside the gate is a flimsy floating pier. Plenty of places to park a chair and cast a line. Except to catch something. You may need to get creative to clean it, so think ahead or throw it back. If you are looking for a break from daily life, bonding or reconnecting as a family this is a cheap way to disconnect. Plan to pack in everything including sleeping bags. No heat or ac so plan for layers in spring because it gets chilly at night. Bring fly paper in late spring through fall. Mosquito repellent is also a must.
Guide
Small campsite with well-spaced sites. Pretty good Verizon signal. Close to the road but not noisy. Close to Idaho City, which has awesome little spots. Shady, no morning sun. The real treasure is the nearby hot springs resort, The Springs at Idaho City. This is not a big kiddie swimming pool, rather it is a lovely, serene spot and by far one of the nicest in Idaho. They even serve IPA poolside!
ScoutTraveling across the state and we looked for a place to roll into later in the evening. Called this campground to see if there were any spots available and talked to a very nice woman on the phone who was able to get us in a tent spot immediately. We got there at about 10:30 and she met us out front and showed us our spot. Only a few tent spots but they were offset a little from the campers. Nice showers and had 24h bathroom access. Free WiFi all the way in our tent which was pretty awesome! Right off the highway which was convenient but could be a minus if the noise bothers you. Overall great experience!
Scout
Less than an hour from downtown Boise. Beautiful, scenic views, off the main road so it's mostly quiet. Tent only, but nicely maintained tent pads, fire rings and picnic tables. Perfect place to teach young ones the joy of camping; campground is open, mostly flat and easy to keep your eyes the tykes. One of the most enjoyable drives, ever.
Guide
We stayed at Snake River RV Park in Idaho Falls, Idaho in September 2021. This park is a FHU pull-thru site and also has back-in sites. Our site was flat and level and a snap to set up our fifth wheel. It was windy and dusty during our stay. There was a nice pool and lots of grassy areas to walk our dogs. If you would like to see videos on this park and others, please visit our YouTube channel: Jeff & Steff’s Excellent Adventure.
GuideThis is primarily an RV park, with monthly rates. It is very well manicured and maintained.
There is however a nice tenting area with plenty of shade and grass. This is separate from the RVs and you might be the only one in the tent area. There was only one other group during our stay of a few days. Leave your vehicle in the parking area and walk to your site.
It's a good place to stop if you're on your way through, or visiting in the area. Much nicer than anything else in the area.
Scout
Great dry campground. Pads are fairly level. No water, power or sewer. Dump Station right there at the dam though. Idaho Power and Owyhee County Sheriff patrolling multiple times during the day this past weekend (4/5/19-4/7/19). Idaho Power does a great job of maintaining the grounds and keeping them clean. Just wish the people visiting there thought the same and would pick up after their fur babies. Dog poop all over the common area grass.
All in all a great place to spend a couple of days!
Legend
If you enjoy Fly Fishing for Brown Trout, this place is awesome. There is dispersed camping all along the river below the dam. It is very rugged, but there are amenities for camping. Just follow Owyhee Lake Rd along the river and you will find spaces to set up your tent or RV. It is a bit deserty, so beware of snakes. You will find quite a few places before the tunnel. There are some places for RVs after the tunnel as well. But there are quite a few places to set up tents. There are some J-Jons along the stretch of river with camping spots near them.
Legend
This is pretty much a parking lot behind a gas station near the Idaho/Oregon border.
GuideDyrt found this gem of a free waterfront site while passing through SW Idaho. It stretches along the river and there’s some neat historical power station buildings to explore and nice green park to picnic by the river. Sunsets down in the canyon are amazing.
GuideIf you're needing a quick getaway for the weekend but cant go too far from Boise/Meridian, Swan Falls is the place for you! Both the idaho power side and further down the gravel road gives you numerous options for camping. Dam makes for great fishing too!
RangerThis campground is a little oasis on the Idaho-Oregon border close to I84. The owners take gre@t pride in maintaining this site. We stopped for a night while traveling through. We would definitely stay here again.
Tent camping near Melba, Idaho offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying various amenities and activities. With several well-reviewed campgrounds in the area, you'll find the perfect spot to set up your tent and unwind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Melba, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Melba, ID is Swan Falls - Idaho Power with a 3.9-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Melba, ID?
TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Melba, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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