Best Tent Camping near Pocatello, ID

We stayed at Mary’s once and that’s all we will ever stay. The site #7 was right on the river, and just too close to #6 & #8...Yes they did have showers and bathrooms and that’s the 2nd star but the tent campsites super narrow. Now I don’t know how the RV sites are but the tent sites below were nothing to really brag about to friends and family. As we saw people float down the river, we were not allowed to get into the river from our campsite which was right in the river. Let’s just say We’ve been there, done it, and no need to return..

Beautiful campground set high up in the Caribou National Forest. The campground is around 13 miles up a mountain from Pocatello- it took us roughly 30 minutes driving up curvy mountain roads to get up to the top. Be advised, our gps tried to route us off a dirt road half way up, but you just stay on the paved road all the way up. We got site 20, I’m not sure which loop, as the loops were kind of hard to determine. It was next to bathrooms and across from water and a group campsite which looked like it’d be awesome if you were in a group (site 19.) Beautiful in the pines and furs. You can’t see from the road but many of the tent pads are behind the tables and fire rings. The tent pads aren’t huge- Our tent pad wasn’t big enough for our 6 person REI tent so we pitched right behind our car on the parking pad, which was considerably larger. We were only staying for one night on a Thursday and it was very quiet with only a handful of other campers, but I saw reserve tags on most camp sites in our loop for the weekend. No showers, vault toilets. Drinking water. We tent camp so I didn’t see if there were any electric sites, ours was not. We saw cows, moose, birds and deer on the mountain. Wish we could have stayed an extra night to hike around the area.

Easy getaway as we're from Pocatello. It was hot, but we had a great time. The camp hosts were very helpful and super friendly. Bathrooms and showers were close and clean. Lots to do with the visitor center, hiking trails, the Snake River, and historical sites like Register Rock and Oregon Trail sites. We had a camp trailer. Water and electrical hookups were great and the dump station is fairly close. We'd come back again when it's not so hot.

This is a surprise off the 84 in Idaho so if you are looking for a campground off the main freeway this is it it's got a dump station it's got rv camping tent camping it is got a great history and it's got a section of the original organ trail that you can check out and if you're into birding definitely a place to go and you can fish the river upstairs that go down to it and it's just got Frisbee golf course as well so I definitely recommend it

Our 1st camping experience here was good. The site we got was one nice and a good size. We had a view from f the river down towards the lower loop which was closed due to weather. Pros were good location, close to the bathrooms/showers which were kept clean at all times. The camp host was super polite. Overall it was a nice 1st time trip . Cons were we could hear some traffic from the freeway,other than that we will go back and try the lower tent camping..

This free campground has about 10 sites to choose from, mostly RV but occasionally tent camping. There is a bathroom, no luxury showers or a store to buy firewood or items. It’s about a 10min or less drive to Lava Hot Springs in case you need supply. This campground is right next to the river, has a small waterfall and beautiful scenery all around. The road is extremely bumpy so if your have a low car or trailer be careful. The pros of this is its free. 1st come 1st serve, nice, quiet area. The cons, no shower, hook ups, store and the train that runs by Lava Hot Springs can be heard.

Cold winter months and you need to get away? Wow we rented a cabin three times this last winter. Great little cabins with bathrooms the hot pools were 100 feet away and a heated swimming pool. In the summer time the pool is nice and cold and there are water slides. There is RV and tent sites as well as group sites and 3 small cabins, 3 medium cabins and three large cabins/houses. They also have several yurts. This year they also have covered wagons you can stay in(cute idea on a tent cabin). The staff is friendly and courteous. There is a small cafe and store. There is a restaurant that has a great sirloin dinner if you call ahead to make dinner reservations. Over all a great place to camp summer or winter.

About 12 miles off I 15 outside of pocatello Idaho, paved road all the way , I have a transit van and a 16 ‘ trailer and had plenty of room! The camp spots are pretty separated . They have toilet buildings every so often and the camp spots have picnic table, charcoal grill and fire pits!

One of the best things about this national forest is its close proximity to Pocatello, so if you are from around the area it is a great place to day trip or camp for a weekend, Many of the spots are forest service spots, and are free for up to 14 days, PLEASE PACK IN PACK OUT!!! sadly there is so much trash scattered throughout the forest its sad that people take advantage of our private lands

We stayed 3 nights in site 24. It was late June in the midst of a record breaking heat wave. We did have shade in the afternoon which helped tremendously. Our site had views of the Snake River.. There is a really informative visitor center. A couple of easy walking trails along the original Oregon Trail. Fishing access parking is generous an not close to the campground which we liked. There are a few cabins here.. There is disc golf, too. Pro note: Jim Dandy Brewery in Pocatello has really good beer

We would definitely stop again.

PROS:

• Easy access to the interstate
• Host and Visitor Center worker were extremely nice
• All sites have E/W
• Sites were private, generous and clean
• A lot of the sites have great views of the Snake River and canyon wall
• Great historic area on the Oregon Trail
• Disc golf
• Easy access to the River at the sperate boat launch area 1 mile away
• Day use area away from campground
• Bathhouse on both upper and lower loop. Showers. (Very dated, but clean)
• Hubby said to mention there are ample Pokémon opportunities.
• There are a couple of cabins with great views.

CONS:

• Not a lot of shade
• Closest shopping is American Falls which is very limited. Pocatello is about 40 min away but has great breweries, food, Gander RV (large retail store) and large town stores.
• Bathhouse is dates and has heavy oxidation in the shower which makes them appear dirty, but they are not.
• If in the upper loop, you do hear the Interstate noise. Not in the lower loop at all.

We would definitely stay again

This site is right above the snake River so you can hear the water, wonderful way to fall asleep! You are in the High Desert of Idaho so this site is amongst sagebrush but has good shade trees also. When I was there I could start a tent but this ground does tend to get pretty hard during dry season so staking may be a bit more difficult.

There are actually 2 sites you can pitch a tent or park a vehicle. There is also a firepit. I got really good cell reception. There are fun trails to explore with beautiful scenery. This would also be a great spot if you like to pole fish. You can walk to the river and cast in! This spot os about 8 miles to the American Falls Dam where you can kayak, SUP, fish, and picnic

The directions were spot on. I recommend a vehicle with relatively high clearance. It os closer to the interstate than you would expect so you can hear vehicles but was super quiet at night

There are little tent pads for the sites with pick nick tables and a metal fire ring. It would be tight for a large RV, but for a small camper or tent, it is perfect. There are some great trails that can be hiked directly from the campground too. I suggest checking out Old Tom Mountain which was apparently named after a mountain lion that used to wander the area. It's also the third most prominent peak in the Bannock Range and is the highest in the northern end.

Those of you that are traveling koas are the best for you I hate koa campin that is for wimps getting your ass out In a tent now is real camping