Searching for the perfect place to dispersed camp near Mountain Home? The Dyrt provides you with a diverse selection of places to camp, from dispersed backcountry camping to boondocking, and everything in-between. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your Idaho excursion.
Overview: The Ice Springs Campground has 3 campsites on Fall Creek near the Anderson Ranch Reservoir. The reservoir is a popular destination for fishing, boating, waterskiing and riding personal watercraft. It is also has good smallmouth bass and kokanee fishing. This area had a major wildfire in 2012 and conditions may have altered. There is a nearby trailhead at Camp Creek, south, to the end of Forest Service (FS) road 128, which heads north past Dog Mountain, all the way to Horse Ranch Mountain, about 17 miles. A shorter hike can be done by setting up a shuttle at Bear Hole Trailhead, north on FS road 129.
Overview: Willow Creek Campground is located along the Middle Fork of the Boise River Forest Service (FS) road 268 and the north end of the Arrowrock Reservior. There are 9 campsites at the campground. A stay at the campground enables guests to enjoy all the beauty and recreation offered along the river and reservoir. 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 District on road conditions before heading out is recommended. Natural Features: Wildlife watchers may want to look for deer and elk. Waterfowl, eagles and osprey are attracted to the river. Recreation: There are several trails in the area including trail #189 beginning near Cottonwood Campground, leading to Bald Mountain Peak. 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. The Middle Fork Boise River and Arrowrock Reservoir offer excellent trout fishing and good swimming holes. Big game hunting is a popular activity in season.
Irish Point is situated on the north shore of Arrowrock Lake. The hills are sagebrush covered with a few pine trees in the valleys. The camping sites have mature trees for shade. This is fairly isolated as the access road is rough and slow. This camping area is a good example of what is available at several spots along the road except Irish Point has an outhouse toilet available.
Campsites: There are no developed camping sites here. People have camped here for many years because of the trees. There are stone fire rings but no tables.
Water: No water.
Garbage Services: No garbage service here.
Restroom: There is one older outhouse toilet here.
Handicap Accessible: This is not handicap accessible.
Pets: Pets should be on a leash, however, this is not practiced from our observations.
Recreation: The main attractions here are camping and fishing. I am sure bird and wildlife watching are also available. We saw many four wheelers and motorcycles in the camps as well.
Fishing: Fishing is available in Arrowrock Lake for trout, bass and crappie. There are some small streams in the area which would also have trout fishing.
Boating: There is a boat ramp a few miles away.
Wildlife: There are deer tracks everywhere but we did not actually see the deer. There are also elk and geese seen here.
Phone service: No phone, we also had no cell service on our ATT phones.
Nearby Services: No services closer than Spring Shores Marina 13 miles away, which has a convenience store for ice, gas, drinks, telephone and other supplies, even a sheriffs office.
RV Dumping Site: The nearest RV dumping station is at Boise, Idaho.
Location/Driving instructions: Take Highway 21 NE from Boise to Arrowrock Road(turn right) then Irish Point is 14 miles. This road is a slow gravel winding road.
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
Scout
Beautiful scenery, easy drive in for most vehicles and surprisingly good phone service. Had the place all to myself and got some really nice long exposure shots of the night sky.
Traveler
1st stop on our way to Moab. We were able to get our Nissan Frontier hauling a 6×10 trailer parked into the sight next to the Snake River. It was fairly level. Nice sunset viewing, not too buggy in early Oct. Lots of train noise thru the night, tho. Pit toilet was out of TP, luckily we had spare. We had an owl also visit the tree above us and serenaded us for a good 1/2 hr in the middle of the night (very cool). Overall, good stop for passing through.
TravelerWas worried about the weather when I pulled up at dusk during a storm but it passed south of me and I got to watch the lightening. It is remote without any services for miles in either direction off 20, so do check the weather and come prepared.
We had it to ourselves in mid September. Toilets had lots of TP and were clean. Saw some big scat (moose?).
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.
GuideSpent one night here on a long road trip. I was the only one there. Very easy to find. Felt safe, nice view of the river. The only negative was the trains going by at night. Quite loud.
TravelerNice level sites overlooking lake. Easy to get to. Lots of cows wandering around. Toilets were clean. We had the place to ourselves.
ScoutThere are vault toilets in two locations. No other facilities. Very few people. Where we stayed overnight, we didn't see anyone else. Lots of gnat-type flying bugs. Almost no mosquitos. Great views of the mountains around the lake and very quiet. Difficult to access the water as it is deep mud near the shoreline. Lots of grazing cattle nearby.
GuideI stayed here for about a week. My spot was a short distance from the water in an attempt to avoid the mosquitoes (didn't really work), but still really serene. It's about a 30 minute drive to stores in Mountain Home. I also appreciated that you're only on non paved roads for about 1/2 mile. Would definitely come back here.
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.
TravelerFairly easy access off US 20. There is open grazing so we did have cattle close to our campsite by morning. Tons of bugs but not many mosquitoes. Quiet and not many others. T-Mobile worked well. There was some in/out movement around 5:30 am but as an early riser I wasn't disturbed.
Traveler
Pretty little spot with pretty decent cell service. Lots of space for my dogs to run around. Could see other campers in the distance. Everyone had lots of room to themselves. I could see it becoming a little bit busier on the weekend. No facilities available at all, which is fine by me! Unfortunately people seem to leave trash around. There was a fire pit which I appreciated but greasy tends in the pit. There also trash bags and a few other things around. Overall, this did not majorly detract from the site. I would recommend bringing bug repellent or a thermacell to ward off bugs.
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
GuidePretty, small area with a boat launch. No services were open in April, but parking was available and free. There is enough Verizon cell signal to text, but not to stream.
GuideA great little spot off the road next to the reservoir. Has a bathroom and a few camping rings. Nothing special but a peaceful place.
GuideI was driving 84 east late night around 11 pm and found this place on app. I didn’t want to stay on a rest area that is only about 4 miles 84 east, it is quiet and small but only 2 other cars. There are only few spaces for tent. But I park in the dirt parking lot next to boat ramp and slept on my car. Next to snake river. Some noise because train rail at other side of the river
GuideBad roads, high tension wires crackled with electricity, and a lot of traffic on the main road.
GuideMy camper is 32' long. There is a small turnaround on the left fork. The dirt is "moon dust" and got stuck. See photos and video. Turn right there is a paved turn around area. TMobile is good for phone calls, internet was not good.
GuideNice open and secluded area with decent camping options. Pulled in around midnight and saw about 3 other cars but room enough for twice that. The lower area is not too far down a little dirt/gravel drive that ends next to the river. There’s a second more brushy road off to the left that ends in a secluded spot but no toilet. Decent vault toilet by the river, but didn’t see a water spigot for drinking water. Only thing is no at&t service, and the train tracks are across the river but it never blew its horn and was just a rare low rumble. With ear plugs I didn’t hear it at all. Would stay here again!
RangerThis is a clearly dispersed location. There is a single pit toilet. Camped right next to the lake. Lots of bugs being close to water but seemingly few mosquitoes
LegendEntering the park is beautiful! There’s a paved road with campsites you need a reservation for. Where the coordinates are on this map is about 30 minutes down a gravel road that looks ok, but is very rutted. I drive a cargo van and it shook everything to the point where I didn’t want to do 30 minutes of it. There are signs that say “no roadside camping next 7 miles”, but after mile marker 7, you’ll notice fire rings off the sides of the roads on both sides, including lake front. So I just want to make sure y’all know that you don’t actually have to drive all the way down to the dispersed spots to find camping. Other than that, it’s a gorgeous area. No Verizon service for me.
Traveler
A variety of free and dispersed sites, most of them with rock campfire rings, near a nice shallow creek. A fair amount of RV and ATV traffic but still feels pretty secluded. No bathrooms or anything like that but it's only a 3 minute drive from Idaho City.
GuideGreat little spot tucked away off the freeway and next to snake river! Not much space as far as camping goes. But there is an open lot area that says 10 day maximum. Also pit toilets by the boat launch. Didn’t stay cause I needed phone service to do work. Verizon and AT&T both did not work for me.
GuideDown a dirt road. This used to be a boat ramp, but it doesn't exist anymore. A few fire pits scattered around the hill and by the water. Vault toilet available. Great views of the mountains. No privacy other than some sage brush. No room for big rigs, 4wd not required.
TravelerWas fairly trashed campground. Cleaned up two trash bags full of garbage. Random shoes, shell casing and mysterious empty glass containers.
RangerThis is our 2nd stay at this campground but different season. The reservoir is low but the view is still gorgeous. We had the place to ourselves.
Good cell coverage (TMobile).
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Mountain Home, Idaho, where nature meets tranquility. This area offers a variety of spots for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Mountain Home, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Mountain Home, ID is Little Camas Reservoir with a 3.7-star rating from 12 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 18 dispersed camping locations near Mountain Home, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
