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
$50 / 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.
Legend
Free. Coordinates: 43.43811,-117.11743. Camped here at the end of Sept, 2024. Located at the southern end of Succor Creek State Natural Area, close to the boundary with BLM land. 1/10th of a mile from Succor Creek Road. Access from Succor Creek Road is okay; rocky and eroded in a few places on an uphill drive. The site is located on a loop where the access track ends at a livestock fenced. You pass another large dispersed site on the way up. The dirt site is not quite level. Lots of cow patties. Surrounded by grass and sagebrush. Site has a rock fire ring. Open to sky, no shade; solar recharging and Starlink possible. It may be possible to set up a tent in the grass. There is a view of Succor Creek canyon. Fantastic views of surrounding mountains. No hiking trails, but one can explore that area beyond the fence and get additional views of the canyon and creek. No cell service. Very remote location. Except for a few cows and coyotes, very quiet area. I loved this spot!
Scout
I grew up in this little tiny town at RV Park has come along ways not familiar with the owners or the new ones but I have stayed there many times growing up. It’s like a little slice of heaven.
Scout
Has come a long ways in the last 10 years. Could still be part of the solution that part of the problem.
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
Ranger
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!!!
RangerThis little park is really decent. Nice sites, lots of choices. But the weird part is the owners aren’t around. No one’s around. Gotta problem? You’re totally on your own. Check out the sewer connection before you commit. I couldn’t use mine and I’d already unhooked. No dump available so I pulled into another site and used it before I left. They did have good wifi. Just noticed they have a beautiful website. Where I was located I couldn’t use the internet so called. They sent me a short text reply. It all worked out.
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.
ScoutTraveling through Idaho and made this reservation online just an hour before arrival. Very simple to reserve.
We have a 38' 5th wheel pulled with a dually pickup. It was a tight fit, but after we were parked, it was awesome. We were in space #5. After unhooking, we did park the pickup across the lane in space they have for extra vehicles. Hook ups were simple. Although the sewer pipe at our site was a little high, so we had to really use risers under our drain pipe to get it to that level. Other sites seemed ground level.
When we left the next morning, we did have to pull out the "entrance" lane, as the angle of the space and smaller area, we couldn't turn sharp enough for the exit lane.
We could watch the sunset over the Snake River from out campsite. No bugs and lots of shade. Quiet campground.......except the duck hunters on other properties.
We didn't use the restrooms, etc. there.
They have very nice metal fire pits and a decent picnic table at each site. If you needed to stay in a cabin, they looked very nice. The larger one with the bathroom, was a beautiful site.
The price was great, especially for full hookups. I wish we could have stayed more than one night.
We would definitely stay there again.
Scout
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.
Guide
Well shaded sites with a clean bathroom, shower combo. There’s only the one bathroom but we didn’t have to wait for anyone to use it. It was quiet except for an occasional public service siren which wasn’t too loud. We felt safe staying there even though it was in a residential area The only thing that was missing was a picnic table
Scout
After a couple dry creek beds there’s a less developed path that goes up a hill. There’s some old headstones from the 1800’s, (yes really) and a stone fire ring. Smooth dirt and very isolated
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.
Scout
Once you get past the 7 miles with no camping, there are a large amount of campsites. The road is pretty washboard and there was some traffic noise in the morning . There was a moderate amount of trash on the beach that I camped at. But, overall a good campsite.
ScoutThe cabin we reserved for two nights was such a disappointment, becasue of the time we arrived we forced ourselves to stay one night. The floors were not clean and sleeping on the bed provided was like sleeping on a pie tin. it crinkled and cracked everytinme you moved. The cabin door you could not lock and the bathroom was unbelievably dirty. The shower was more like a drip.
Guide
I've been a full-timer for several years now and have stayed in many parks. This is by far the cleanest, nicest park I have ever seen. The sites are wide, spacious and clean. Lush green grass and shady mature trees at every site. All concrete pads. Private bathrooms with showers! The dog park is stunning. The roads are paved and there's not a single piece of gravel in sight! You really have to see this place to believe it. It's like a little neighborhood!
TravelerWe parked right beside the river, and it was absolutely gorgeous. However, I don't recommend taking a car on this road. It's definitely an ATV road as it's very rough.
ScoutWe stayed 2 nights. The neighbors next to us drank all day and all night. There is supposed to be a noise curfew. It wasn't enforced. It was horrible. When they were asked to quiet down. They said nope and proceeded to say I hope you enjoy us and our parties.
The bathrooms... horror movie material! Showers, I'm pretty sure have never been cleaned. There was large mice or rat feces every where. Spiders in the showers. No water pressure. I have seen dirty bathrooms as I own my own cleaning business. This bathroom took dirty, disgusting to a whole née level
Guide
Stopped here for a night on the way to the Tetons. Short walk to the confluence of the Snake and Boise River.
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
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!
Guide
I reside approximately five miles from this campground and frequently visit. I've camped there back when it was merely dirt campsites. I'm providing some updated photos for future campers, 13 sites first come first serve. There's a large area at the road's end for turning around, though the approach to the gated campsites is somewhat rough; thus, campers with higher clearance are advised. If space permits, you can also park your camper in the main lot by the river's edge for the same fee. This area is fully paved and equipped with picnic tables and vault toilets, but it may get crowded with day users. Once you head towards the improved campsites, you're essentially committed to entering, but turning around is possible. Additionally, there's an excellent hiking trail leading to Halverson Lake not far in, forming a 3.9-mile loop. For a more extensive hike, follow the river trail to discover old stone mini huts—some are intact enough to enter, while others are just rubble, yet they're all intriguing to explore. It's believed they once served as shelters for trappers.
Guide
There is an established campground near the very end of the road. It was full on a mid-May weekend. Plenty of camping at pullouts along the dirt road. Really beautiful area for hiking and many folks fishing and boating.
TravelerNice grass for dogs to roll in, excellent bathrooms and showers, horseshoes, pool, dog park. Decent distance between shady sites. Second time staying here for 1 night while traveling.
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.
