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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.
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.
Traveler
Perfect for an overnight stop during a long drive. The access road also serves residential property some distance away so is well maintained. The primitive camping spots are close enough to the highway to make it a quick drive but far enough away to buffer most noise from passing traffic. Even though the landscape seems sparse there was very active wildlife during our stay, with many species of birds throughout the night and a chorus of coyotes at one point. The water level was really low, which would probably inhibit launching larger water craft, but the reservoir still provided a peaceful atmosphere. There definitely isn't any nearby wood for fires so people do need to bring in their own.
Guide
Free camping among the sparsely located pine trees. Great views of the water and mountains. Vault toilet nearby.
Guide
We camped at Irish Point at Arrowhead's designated dispersed camping area. The road around the reservoir is pretty tight, though that doesn't discourage long trailers and toy haulers. We're pretty self-contained so didn't miss any usual camp ground amenities. Our neighbors were sparse and quiet and we enjoyed the peace of this area.
LegendThis is a nice area for dispersed camping. No water in the reservoir at this time (early September). Very few other people around, even on labor day weekend, and the area was so quiet and serene.
We stayed along the western side of the reservoir, and there's are little loops you can take in off of 160 to find a spot. The path was relatively narrow and our class c made it fine, but you could hear the sides brushing along the sage.
Watch for wasps, especially around the bathroom. We didn't see any wildlife, but heard coyotes in the night.
It was hard to find a level spot, so we just ended up moving next to the bathroom since we were only there for the night.
Good cell service with all 3 carriers.
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.
Guide
I 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.
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.
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
Guide
Nice 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!
TravelerSo hot and no shade. If it were not close to the water you may not have a way to beat the heat. It was beyond crowded and hard to find a secluded spot to camp away from others. Only pro is its close to town and you can swim, fish, and boat.
Scout
I thought it was beautiful here. There are places to barbecue and have a fire and there is a river right below the camp sites. Very quiet.
GuideThis is a very simple campsite with access to the reservoir. There isn't much shade. If the lake holds water for a couple of years, the fishing can be great.
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.
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.
GuideArrowrock Reservoir is a decent place to camp. The drive there is long and slow-going along a washboard dirt road, but the best part is that this spot is usually uncrowded, which is nice when you are looking for some quiet solitude. It's a steep hike down to the water in the reservoir, but not too bad. The camp sites are nice and have some pine trees, but other than that, the landscape is very desert-y.
TravelerWe camped here in June 2020. There are clean vault toilets but not much else. The reservoir was practically empty. There were not picnic tables and the roads off the main road were not maintained. It was hard to tell if there were campsites there at all, but there were fire rings so we pulled in next to one and set up. One other camper came in later and set up down by the lake, but otherwise it was really quiet. Nice place to get away from everyone during a pandemic.
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
RangerThis is an old fashion site where everything is really old but still usable. This has been used by many campers over the years. You can tell from the wear on the site. The picnic table has a lot of names carved in. The bright side to this site is that it is free.
GuideEasy to get to, no marked spots, tent or small to mid RV. Pit toilet on site. No boat launch but easy enough for small craft or floaties. Sloped, not much level spots. Nice views and easy bank fishing.
Details: No site boundaries, easily crowds No trash or water Long drive to services Slow drive in if towing medium or large trailer No tables Minimal rock fire rings Long drive to town, bring plenty of stuff Free stat, 14 day limit, rangers may stop by and say hi, if you’re lucky they’ll clean and restock the toilet. Don’t count on being lucky
GuideMe and boyfriend enjoy going here in the fall and spring to get away from the city for a day or two. There is hiking right across the street. Mt Heinen which is a very strenous hike. Its over 9 miles(up and back) and over a 3,000 ft gain so be prepared if you try to tackle this summit. Anyways, the campground has some fire pits but no picnic tables. There are a few trees for shade. One part of this campground that confuses me is that there use to be a small outhouse in summer of 2018 but when I came in 2019 in march and April there was not one? When we come in the fall and spring theres no one other than us there. In the summer it does get quite a few people there. Also it gets super hot in the summertime so be sure to bring plenty of water. Good thing is you can take a dip in the cold reservoir to cool off. There's no trash services so pack it in and pack it out. A lot of people come here to party and leave trash around so i make it a point to pick it up. Please don't be those people to ruin a beautiful free spot. 💚
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.
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?).
TravelerNice level sites overlooking lake. Easy to get to. Lots of cows wandering around. Toilets were clean. We had the place to ourselves.
ScoutBeautiful 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.
TravelerSimple camp ground not much to it at all really which is kind of nice. It’s on the edge of the lake so could potentially have good fishing. Not many trees at all so bring your own wood or stove. RV spots and tent spots.
RangerSo happy we pulled off the road to stay here despite waking up to snow. Beautiful area with a view of the reservoir below. Very quiet.
Sites marked with fire rings. No other signage seen. There is one pit toilet.
Decent cell coverage. Road heading into the campground was accessible by a 2WD vehicle.
ScoutDidn’t end up staying since the water was so low.
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
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Mountain Home, ID is Little Camas Reservoir with a 3.7-star rating from 13 reviews.
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