Want to go dispersed camping near Payette? Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your Idaho excursion.
Mann Creek Campground is located near the Mann Creek Reservoir in the foothills of the West Central Mountains in western Idaho near the Payette National Forest. The reservoir is a popular boating and fishing destination. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.
The reservoir offers 283 surface-acres of water and five miles of shoreline, although the water level fluctuates seasonally. Visitors enjoy boating, canoeing, swimming and trout fishing.
Mann Creek Reservoir lies in the rolling and arid foothills of the Hitt Mountains. At an elevation of 3,300 feet, the area is hot and dry in the summer months. Large shade trees help block some of the intense sun, but shade is limited.
For facility specific information, please call (208) 549-4200.
$15 / night
BLM manages more than 267,000 acres of public lands in the Owyhee River Wilderness. The Owyhee Canyonlands is a huge and remote area of eastern Oregon, southwestern Idaho and northern Nevada. Hidden within this vast high desert plateau are deep canyons carved by the Owyhee, Bruneau and Jarbidge Rivers. The rivers of the Owyhee and Bruneau-Jarbidge systems offer something for nearly every level of boating experience. The Owyhee and Bruneau-Jarbidge river systems provide visitors with unsurpassed solitude in canyons of unique beauty and form.
This dispersed campground if access via Highway 71 out of Cambridge. Dispersed campground with an outhouse, fire rings and some tables. Places to tie stock are available. Trailhead - parking lot site.
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!
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.
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.
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!
Traveler
Lots of great spots as yoi river along the river, not necessarily the coordinates provided here. Epic fishing. :)
Guide
Nice oasis. Clean bathrooms and good sized sites. Even sites have the table and pit on the back side of your trailer. Lots of skeeters to take your spray. We also ran into a couple bull snakes.
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.
TravelerGreat place to stop on our drive from CA to ID. The other campground is just a few hundred yards up the road and it is a very park like gorgeous setting with restrooms. It was completely full on a weekday so we came to the primitive site. Wonderful. Level. Lots of respectful families Boondocking. We parked with our carryall trailer and our two vehicles and slept in our truck. What a gorgeous view and skies to wake up to. There’s a day use area further south that you can stop at on your way out for the restroom. If we go this way again, we will definitely stop here. Follow the directions, not the GPS coordinates. There is two roads to get in more creek and man creek. More creek will make you wish you had a sports bra on and a new suspension for your car when your finally get to pavement...
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.
LegendThis is a great campground near the reservoir. Lots of shade trees, almost a park like setting. Plenty of room to roam from this base camp. It does get pretty hot in the summer.
LegendThis is a great area. There is camping around the reservoir and at the near by campground. Up past the reservoir there are roads to ride ATV's. There is not a lot of shade and it gets hot in the summer. Spring and fall are really nice times of year here.
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!
TravelerLove how most of the areas that are dispersed sites are free! Many to choose from and right on the river!
GuideFirstly, dont follow your gps to the coordinates given here, if you follow it to the point on google maps you'll end up at one of the highest points in that valley (and you'll see my newly made "night one" site. If you want the site in the pictures, which was fairly quiet other than a few people checking if it was open, take the first right after the bridge and follow the trail down. Lots of trails, more people near the river but if you're into desert camping and want seclusion you'll want to get into the hills (towards google maps point) but hang a right at the top of the trail. Overall, pretty great place to getaway.
TravelerI’d go back here for sure nice person runs the place and the lots are big enough you don’t hear your neighbors.
TravelerHas designated campsites and primitive large campsites if you are willing to drive in a ways. Its a wonderful place to camp or just spend time fishing the day away.
No fire rings are in the primitive area so if you want fire and there is a ban your out of luck. Very limited shade
LegendIf you enjoy Fly Fishing for Brown Trout, this place is awesome. There is dispersed camping all along the river below the dam. It is very rugged, but there are amenities for camping. Just follow Owyhee Lake Rd along the river and you will find spaces to set up your tent or RV. It is a bit deserty, so beware of snakes. You will find quite a few places before the tunnel. There are some places for RVs after the tunnel as well. But there are quite a few places to set up tents. There are some J-Jons along the stretch of river with camping spots near them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Payette, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Payette, ID is Oasis Recreation Site with a 3.6-star rating from 11 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Payette, ID?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 dispersed camping locations near Payette, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
