Looking for the best Mountain Home tent camping? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Mountain Home. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Mountain Home, Idaho's most popular destinations.
The Elk Creek Boat Ramp provides access to Anderson Ranch Reservoir, just north of the dam. In 2013, portions of Elk Creek Boat Ramp site received extreme storm damage. Portions of the parking area, both cement boat ramp and wooden docks were damaged. Temporary repairs were completed, which has allowed public access to continue using the site. A contractor and Forest Staff are scheduled to begin repair on September 9, 2015 the repair will consist of removal of damaged facilities, and pouring of new ramp, dock anchors and abutment. Repair work was finished approximately October 19, 2015. The Ramp re-opened 10-20-2015. Once the work is completed, additional time is needed to allow for curing of the concrete.
Overview: Castle Creek Campground is located on the west shore of Anderson Ranch Reservoir. It is accessed from State Highway 20. Excellent fishing in the lake for bass and salmon. There is a boat ramp at the Fall Creek campground.
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.
Willow Creek Campground is a small site composed of 3 camping units. Campground amenities include picnic tables, fire rings and a restroom. The campground is approximately 1 mile south of the Willow Creek Transfer Camp & Willow Creek Trail No. 019 trailhead located north of the transfer camp.
Tailwaters Campground is accessed from State Highway 20. There are three campsites and plenty of opportunities to fish for trout and bass. The Campground is located on the west shore of Anderson Ranch Reservoir. The Tailwaters boat ramp is within the campground provides access for rafts, motorized and non-motorized boats. Be advised: There is an Elmore county ordinanace restricting any motorized equipment on the Lower South Fork Boise River.
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
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.
Scout
Rented a cabin in April/May as it was expected to be rainy & chilly! Surprisingly, the weather warmed up a bit so it was just windy & chilly at night.
The only bad thing was (and it's not the park's fault) that Mountain Home AFB decided to do JET maneuvers at 1, 2, and 3 AM , causing a night's sleep to be non-existent!
Will definately be back during warmer weather for TENT camping, hopefully on a weekend so the observatory will be open! Currently, it's only open on Friday & Saturday! I was there earlier in the week!
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.
Guide
Tent sites and rv sites available!
Tent sites are on a nice large green patch of grass. Park right next to your tent.
The bathrooms are locked for paying campers only and have a sink, shower and toilet. Very clean and nice.
There is also a locked washroom for paying campers to use as well.
The owners live on site and are very friendly and are happy to help with questions!
Very decently priced when all you need is somewhere to set up your tent for the night and get up and go in the morning. Would also be great for staying longer!
Located in the town of Glenn’s ferry but still far enough away from public so you don’t feel like you’re camping in town.
Restuarants, gas stations and a few convenience stores within a 10 minute drive of the campground.
Interesting history is available to see close to the campground as well. Learn about the Oregon trail!
Legend
This is not my ideal place to camp. No where to tent camp but there is camper and RV camping in what I would describe as "parking lot style". That said, if your goal is accessing the water, the boat ramp is right across the dam and this is a glorious place for boating.
Legend
This is one of the smaller campgrounds on the reservoir. This campground does not have a restroom, most of the others near by do. Great access to the water but not really great for hiking. This campground is best for campers or small RV's, you could tent camp her but it would not be my first choice in places to go.
GuideWell, that wasn’t fun. If anyone is planning on tent camping here, I would highly suggest going somewhere else. The dunes are awesome, but wow were the sites a let down. The fields had no grass and minimal shade. I ended up sleeping in my car but with the heat, needed the windows down. That’s when I entered mosquito hell and spent the night swatting skeeters all night. For an rv, sure good spot but tent campers beware.
GuideGood overnight place for tent camping. The showers were the main reason we booked for the night. They were clean, a little small but good water pressure. The hosts were nice and helpful. The highway was loud, but something you could get used to. The sheep also made a lot of noise but that was more cute than annoying. Overall it was a good stay and served our purposes.
Legend
This campground is bigger than many on the reservoir. There is enough room for groups if you get there early. Like most of the campgrounds on this road, you have a hill on one side and the reservoir on the other. This campground is good for campers and some RV's but not so good for tent camping. Camping here means you are looking for water access, which is great, at this site.
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.
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.
LegendWe originally planned to camp at Three Island state park, based on the positive Dyrt reviews, but when we arrived there, the posted fee for sites was $34, which we found too expensive for our mere purpose of sleeping and then hitting the road again. We remembered a sign on the way to the park that read "Camping - RV + Tents. Less $$$ than state park." So we figured, heck, let's just go there. We read quickly online that the prices for tent sites are $15. Perfect! We arrive at 11pm, which yes, it's late, BUT the office sign was blinking "OPEN." So we thought no problem. We ring the camp host. He sounds grumpy but arrives a couple minutes later. He is definitely grumpy. He tells me they do accept credit card and it will be $25. I ask for clarification given the listed price online. He says "New policy as of 6 days ago. I'm sick of people arriving late at all hours." Fair enough...but turn off the "Open" sign. I agree to pay it, we're exhausted at this point, and at least the campground has showers.
Some pros: very close to highway
Some cons: very close to the highway and a train track.
The tenting experience: we listening all night to the sound of bug zappers, hourly train whistles, and speeding cars. See the video for reference. The tent sites were flat at least. A basic grill but no picnic table provided. It is probably convenient to have the wifi and laundry on-site, but we wouldn't know because we left as soon as we could after a near sleepless night.
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.)
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 ;-)
Traveler
We spend two days this July. Staff was friendly and informative. Don’t forget a mask if your going during Covid times. (Office requires it). Facilities are clean and nice. The small pool was great for the kiddos. We tent camped and where lucky to get the pick of the spots. The tent area has two covered areas with power. While we where there they’re where about. 7 tents with probably room for about 4 more. The group fire pit is also large and nice. One family in our group brought their RV and had a nice spot and hooks up where all working. We are considered locals so we didn’t make the trek the Anderson reservoir since we know all about it but if your not local make the short drive to enjoy some boating or swimming. The put put course want not available since it was getting worked on but was getting a overhaul so next time should be great. They have a community building but it was closed due to CoVid19. All in all it was a great weekend and spot.
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
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This is our second stay here since new ownership. First trip was June 2022 and October 2922. Both trips we had an awesome time. Just in a few months this place has made some very nice improvements and still has amazing views surrounding the camp ground. After staying a few places in the area over this past summer, Trinity View Resort for us is our top pic and will be spending a lot more time here in the future. Both trips we had our E-Bikes and took some amazing rides through the valleys and mountains and still haven't explored all the areas available here.
Cell service is good here. We have Verizon hot spot that worked perfectly and AT&T cell phones have good signal as well,
There are different options for all kinds of campers from, Full hook ups ( Big rig friendly) to tent camping. On site RV rentals and cabins are also available.
Lots of fun stuff to do here for the whole family or even groups.
The people here are friendly and respectful to other campers as well as super friendly staff and owners. Very friendly to work with and communication with changes if need depending availability.
This resort is well on its way to be one of the best camp resorts in this area. Well worth the trip for sure.
TravelerA membership RV camp 23 miles north of Mountain Home, Idaho. An oasis of trees in the middle of sage brush on the middle of nowhere. Located just inside Boise National Forest. The pool was closed but I'm sure it would have been very nice. If we lived in a nearby city like Boise I would buy a reasonably priced membership without batting an I. We reserved thru our RPI membership. $10 a night for us. I'm in love with Fort Running Bear.
Scout
Mountain Home RV Resort is a picturesque park with over 280 spots split between a more established shaded spots and newer less shaded area. There are many long term residents yet given the number of available spots this does not present a problem. Shower and laundry facilities are plentiful and clean. There is no charge to use the shower and the cost of washers and driers is nominal. I would defiantly stay here again.
LegendSenior discount, Dark Skies, Observatory, Tallest Dune in N.A., definitely worth a night or two.
Our son was stationed at Mountain Home AFB and deployed in the Iraqi war, Enduring Freedom. We did not have the chance to visit as a result. While in Idaho, we swung by the base and then headed to Bruneau Dunes SP at his recommendation. It was not what we expected. I won’t lie. It’s a desert folks … well, more accurate, high plains. But what a cool place. The sites are basic & not a lot of shade to be found. But the bathhouse is emaculate. Great showers to wash off the sand from climbing the dunes. Even if you aren’t staying at the campground, you can shower for $3. If you are interested in astronomy or astronomy photography, this is a great place. The observatory wasn’t open the day we were there. I didn’t get meet the host, but heard great things. The dump station is large. AT&T service, spotty.
ScoutNestled in the small town of Mountain Home, Idaho, it's a great park for overnight or longer. There are a couple of drawbacks, but the amenities outweigh any. First: Being located in town, there is some traffic noise on weekday mornings as the neighborhoods surrounding the park heads out to work. Our wood picnic table has seen plenty of use and should be updated to more modern models before too long. There are some other questions in the back of my mind but I don't know the park that well yet to comment.
Now for the amenities: We pulled in on a Sunday and the office was closed. There is a 'host' that met us as we arrived. Robin greeted us, led us to our site and got our utilities ready for use. He brought our paperwork to the site, pointed out the facilities, and was genuinely friendly and personable. The office building has restrooms inside with shower facilities and is very clean. There is a laundry room available. The sites are hard-packed dirt or similar, and long (accomodating large RVs). They're spacious and shaded. Not good for solar, but not needed as shore power is available. We were able to set up our small dog pen and still have plenty of room for outdoor lounging. My RV is a 40' 5th Wheel.
LegendThe campground is not why you go here. The sites are very basic, sandy, close together however, if you like sightseeing and exploring this place is unique and interesting. The sand dune is huge and weird to see in the middle of this farmland. Not another one for hundreds of miles. That, and the stars at night are really mind blowing.
We visited in the winter. the campground was all but empty, maybe 4 campers all weekend. The forecast was for 28 degrees Saturday night and my thermometer read 8 degrees in the morning. The RV did fine and didn't freeze up. Whether you come here in winter or summer, be prepared! Bring everything you'll need including water, food, warm and/or cool clothing depending on season. It's out there a ways! The little town of Bruneau (10 minutes away) is not too far away, but they don't have much in the way of supplies or groceries. Mountain Home has everything - about 30 minutes away.
This is an interesting and fun place for a day or two. Wouldn't stay longer than that. The $30 we paid for a full hookup trailer site was a bit on the high side in my opinion, but everything is going up, so it's somewhat a common price.
LegendUPDATED 2021: This place continues to provide excellent service and clean, spacious sites. Propane is a reasonable price ($2.70/gal as of 3/21). One awesome discovery I made this time around was a trailhead that starts behind Walmart and extends for about 2.5 miles towards Legacy Park. If you’re a runner or walker... give it a shot!
Everything about this RV Park is well-planned and fluid. From the arrival greeting to the spaces themselves, the facilities and the landscaping... it’s all warm and welcoming. They take great care of this park. The spaces are level, the grass between spots is large and manicured, and all the facilities are clean. We didn’t use the restrooms or showers but were told they’re in excellent condition. The sites are very easy to access and the picnic benches are spotless... which is borderline weird. There is a dog run, heated pool and spa, laundry, tetherball and more. Mountain Home RV Park is about 1 hour from Twin Falls and 45 min from Boise. In between both cities are tons of opportunity for outdoor adventure. Less than a mile from you RV spot is a Walmart and a Pilot station. They have propane refilling on site at the park. We would have stayed here for a month if we had the time. We will definitely return.
Guide
This campground has its pros and cons, depending on what kind of camping you like to do.
If you have a camp trailer, toy hauler or RV, this campground is definitely more designed for that type of crowd. When my wife and I visited during Labor Day weekend this year, we were the ONLY tent campers and we were downright miserable. All sites are gravel driveways so great for trailer campers, not great for tents. But each site does have a picnic table and fire pit with grate.
For starters, there’s very little shade. There are trees in a number of the reservable spots and the shade in those spots is pretty good throughout the day. But if you reserve a spot that is not near shade, you will cook. If you want/need shade, look at site #4, this one pretty much has shade the whole day.
As for closeness to your neighbors, it depends on which site you reserved. The ones closest to the water felt shoulder to shoulder but you do have immediate water access. Those furthest from the water were more spread out and didn’t feel like you were on top of each other.
There is potable water in this campground and it tastes good enough to drink. There are quite a few spigots throughout. However, watch out for bugs! We didn’t have much problems with mosquitoes but the flies were EVERYWHERE! I’m not sure if we just happened to be there during a bad weekend but we could not escape them in two and half days. No matter how many citronella candles we lit or how much bug spray we put on, the flies were beyond annoying. Had we been able to light campfires, the bugs might not have been as bad but because of wildfire threat, campfires were prohibited.
The restrooms were ok. Clean for the most part but nothing exiting. Vault toilets. There are also dumpsters for trash.
As for cell service, it was spotty at best, depending on your carrier. We are on T-Mobile and we had one bar, sometimes two but more often than not, we had no service. But if you have Verizon or AT&T, you will probably have better luck.
The camp host does a few laps around the campground but we didn’t speak to them.
If you bring dogs, make sure they are on their leash at all times. We brought our dogs and made sure they were leashed and there are signs EVERYWHERE saying “leash your dogs” but some people with other dogs didn’t think that rule applied to them.
As for things to do, this campground is right on the Bruneau arm of CJ Strike so having a boat is basically a necessity. Whether that’s water skiing, wakeboarding, fishing or any other type of watersports.
However, if you DO NOT have a boat, are not into water sports and not into fishing, skip this campground. There are no hiking trails or really anything else to do. There is NO swimming area at this campground. This is basically a parking spot close to the water. There is a marina and boat trailer parking separate from the sites, so you have plenty of room if you are bringing a boat and RV. Near the marina is a fishing dock with pole holders that’s pretty nice as well. But if you come here with kids and you don’t have a boat, be prepared for a lot of “I’m bored!”
Bird watchers will have a good variety of birds to look at. We saw falcons, Kildare and a few cranes. But for those hoping for a free airshow, courtesy of Mountain Home AFB, you are out of luck. I was hoping that being directly south of the AFB, we would see/hear some of the jets fly over but we didn’t see or hear one the entire weekend we were here. That’s not the fault of the campground though but it would have been nice to have SOMETHING to look at instead of just cooking in the sun.
Essentially great for boaters and fishing. Literally nothing else.
LegendFort Running Bear RV Park, Idaho
If you like the middle of nowhere, you will like Fort Running Bear RV Park. It is approximately 32 miles to the middle of nowhere, the last three are on a dirt road. You are driving through scrub country with no trees and hills in the distance. Then you see a copse of trees in the distance. That is where you end up. This is an older campground, private and family run. There is a shower house attached to the swimming pool and a laundry room. The sites have room around them for tents, bikes, etc; a covered picnic table , most have shade and fire rings. There are full hookup sites and basic sites. When we visited the wind was wiping through the area. The owners are personable and friendly, the campground is well maintained. The shower house ...clean and a little old. This would be a nice place to spend a quiet weekend or time with the family. It would not make sense to use this campground for a base camp due to the distance from anywhere.
ScoutThe owners are super friendly and onsite. The campground spots are spacious, well maintained and there is a large open grass area. Leashed pets are welcome and mine loves the grass.
The camp spots have fire rings.
I get a tent spot for my rooftop tent and they have flushing toilets, showers, kitchen and laundry onsite.
Well worth the $15 rate!
Mountain Home, Idaho, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for adventure and relaxation in nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mountain Home, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mountain Home, ID is Swan Falls - Idaho Power with a 3.9-star rating from 15 reviews.
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