Searching for the perfect place to dispersed camp near Nampa? Dispersed camping is an excellent way to get away from it all and to disconnect. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your Idaho excursion.
Dispersed camping. High clearance vehicle recommended. Please LNT.
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.
Within the national forests, the majority of land is open for “dispersed camping”, outside of developed campgrounds. These locations are usually wide spots off of forest roads, with no facilities provided, such as water, bathrooms or tables. Many people enjoy the solitude of camping away from developed campgrounds. Follow these guidelines to ensure that these areas can be enjoyed safely by you, and future generations.
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
Guide
Nice 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.
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.
Guide
It's an absolutely stunning location, but there are very few spots with any shade at all and it gets HOT out there. Depending on how rugged your vehicle is, spots are limited. No T-Mobile service. Oh, and the bugs are insane.
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
ScoutAll sites are on tent-stake-resistant river cobble, though some disguised with a thin layer of dirt, or a white layer of alkali or talc. Combined with the smell of dead fish, difficult fishing access (river level 2000+ cfs), frequent lack of shade, poison ivy, invasive plants, trash hither and yon, we yawned and went on. . .
ScoutThe views are beautiful, but some of the sites are less than to be desired. If you have a 4WD vehicle you should be just fine, but if you have a trailer or camper, that can really limit what spots you can get to. Also, people really need to learn how to not leave trash behind. There is no cell service so you really get to just enjoy the scenery.
TravelerThis place is absolutely beautiful and would be perfect if it weren't for people leaving so much trash behind. My wife and I spent a lot of time picking up countless bullet casing and other trash. We heard numerous birds in the area, such as killdeer, mourning doves and owls. We saw a few small bunnies, not sure of the kind. There's a lot of dispersed camping. We saw RVs, Vans and a few tents. It was very quiet and people usually only stayed a few nights. We were here for 9 days. The hot springs are off the road across the street from the sign. It was a little too hot for my liking but my wife enjoyed wading in it.
GuideBad roads, high tension wires crackled with electricity, and a lot of traffic on the main road.
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.
RangerOur site was located right off the road along the river. The views of the canyon were spectacular and our site was about a 5 minute walk along the road to Snively Hot Springs. Amazing backdrop for free dispersed camping. HOWEVER, the clientele around us wasn’t so idyllic. We were surrounded by loud campers that were partying and yelling well past 11 PM (most of the noise was coming from the hot springs). Cars were coming and going all night (Wednesday) so it was hard to get a peaceful night’s rest. To top it off, we witnessed our neighbor get into a verbal altercation with some interlopers who were fishing near his tent. He was very aggressive, threatening them with a large log and shouting expletive loaded threats at them….all in front of my 7 and 4 year old daughter. It was a bit freaky. I’d give the location 5 stars, the the experience 1 star. If you manage to hit it in a down time when you can get some solitude, this area would be hard to beat.
On a side note, we checked out the hot springs in the morning. They were cool, but again the experience was tainted by the amount of trash and litter around the fringes of the hot springs from partying the night before.
TravelerWas driving thru to seattle from the Midwest. My last stop! Easy to find. No signal and no fires allowed due to BLM land. Was a brisk 12° in mid/late November. A few campers. If you have an off road vehicle- it’s great to climb up some hills to find the perfect spot!
TravelerWas fairly trashed campground. Cleaned up two trash bags full of garbage. Random shoes, shell casing and mysterious empty glass containers.
Traveler
Lots of great spots as yoi river along the river, not necessarily the coordinates provided here. Epic fishing. :)
GuideFree camping among the sparsely located pine trees. Great views of the water and mountains. Vault toilet nearby.
GuideThese grounds had lots of room despite the amount of people camping.
I was able to setup a hammock and camp in a cluster of trees and also found some dry wood onsite to burn.
There was a hot spring nearby that was nice to soak in.
Traveler
weather permitting and as long as there's not too much snow in the winter which is pretty unlikely because they do try to keep it cleared however if a snowstorm comes through it could be a day or two before somebody could get to it. this is an Old Stage Stop where they would leave feed up on top of the rocks and other supplies to keep them away from animals in Indians the location I have shared is the location of the old hotel. look to your right as you pull in and you can't miss the remains. also be careful there are a couple very deep Water Wells that at times can surprise you if they are not covered. should be covered by a old car hood which should remain there. please be respectful. one other well down by the creek. the hotel was built years after buy a couple and their child. Indians killed the wife and child in an attack. up the roadways not very far at all you will find a small road to the right with just a turnout. you will find two grave markers as well. You will have noticed a road to the west up into the Rocks. this is not an RV road but a good road to walk or take a horse, motorcycle, or ATV up. even a pickup should do fine part of the way up but as soon as you see it veer to the right beware! if that corner incline is wet it is clay and you will sink to your eyeballs! a few hundred more yards and you are in the center of the rocks. look closely and you will find the remains of a rock corral where they kept their horses. this spot is disputed with some other local people who live in the area. some confuse it with the boulder down by the creek but my metal detector tells me otherwise and so does the Corral. also you will noticed a marshy area that you passed. this was the well where they got their water. they had a house somewhere near. also if you are a real explorer and historian buff like myself you will find just about four or five hundred more yards to the South a pile of rocks with a single fence post standing in the center of it. I believe this is a grave site. only wish I knew more..
TravelerTurn on the dirt road left just as you are nearing the Oregon State Line. If you crossed over the line, turn around. Coming from Oregon Entering Idaho, Turn right just after you cross the state line. I have been in this campground with a car and a small RV but you better know what you are doing! This may not be for most campers but if you are a desert rat like myself, who loves to get AWAY FROM ALL, You will be very pleased! If you are a concrete camper, you'd best avoid this spot, Also, if you're just curious and have a high clearance vehicle and the ground is dry, you'll do just fine. This is a great get away! When it's hot, Rattle Snakes could be around. Most won't come out until the bugs do so be aware! Not sure the fishing is good or not but this is very private. you will most likely have the place to yourself. Arrowheads can be found on occasion as well so keep your eyes open!
TravelerRode in on my GS fully packed and as previously reviewed it was a bumpy road from the dam but not difficult. I was the only one here but the neighboring site had a couple people. Very quiet location. Happy I didn’t stop at hotel as it was getting near dark as I rode in and wasn’t sure what to expect. If I’m ever passing through Boise again I’ll be stopping back here for the layover. Also, a toilet was available. That was unexpected.
GuideWe drove way past Lucky Peak Res until we saw trees. There are 2 pull offs here with lots of spots to camp. There are lots of firepits around the area and water access. Cool spot.
ScoutParked little below the coordinates and spent the night by the Snively hot springs. Not as gross as the reviews lead on. Very happy with this find.
ScoutSuper great spot that is close to town - pro's and con's are already covered and i agree - especially packing out more than you pack in as trash spoils the appeal. Driving a large bed camper isn't so bad but is slower for sure and the narrow spots can be sketchy with multi-vehicle with trailers meeting there. I like the shoulder seasons best - wish i had a boat to add additional fun. Your results might vary but I've had nothing but fun in the area.
TravelerThis was a super fun spot to go play in the water for the day. Only thing I would change is the fact that there is no shade. The weather wasn’t great so while camping at night, it was crazy windy which was rough haha. Also, there were people blasting loud music until super late, but otherwise this is a nice spot.
TravelerAwesome place! Like some of the others said, drive in could be a bit sketchy it you’re towing or have a large vehicle - but we passed plenty of boats/RV’s, just have to go slow. There’s multiple spaces and if you’re not too specific about being near the water, you can have some decent privacy.
GuideWe 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.
GuidePulled off here after driving all the way to Indian Creek before realizing the River Road doesn't go all the way through. Its a nice little spot on the river, very secluded to the point where you cant see your fire from the road (we checked). Decent amount of shade for the desert, but from about 1pm-3pm you're going to have to make your own shade, it gets super hot during the summer. Definitely bring your own wood, everything around the area is either too green or too small to have any sort of decent fire. Camp now has a nice little trail to the river, plenty of fish in the area. Great little dispersed site for a desert getaway. Please pick up your trash if you do use the site!
Camping near Nampa, Idaho, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a cozy spot to pitch a tent or a place to park your RV, there are options that cater to different needs.
Camping in Nampa, Idaho, has its ups and downs, but with the right preparation, you can enjoy a great outdoor experience!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Nampa, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Nampa, ID is Morley Nelson Snake River Dispersed Campsites with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Nampa, ID?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 dispersed camping locations near Nampa, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
