Best Tent Camping near Ririe, ID

Camping on the banks on the banks of the Warm River, which actually is quite cold, can’t get much better than this! There are several options here- tent camping in a tent only walk in area along the river banks and under some pretty good hammocking trees (best sites are #12, 13, 16, and 8 because they have some space from neighbors and are right on the river); RV sites with what looks like at least electric hook ups (best sites for river views and/or privacy are #2, 4, 6, 19); from what neighbors say is pretty good fishing; and an awesome alternative to camping at Mesa Falls if that campground is full. Walk down the road and cross the river to check out a protected area of the river where the fish are HUGE and you can stand with your toes in the river while you feed them bits of bread. The sites all have the usual picnic tables and firepits, with nice level tent pads, clean vault toilets, and firewood for sale from the campground host. The only two downsides are no showers and the campground is wedged between the road and the river, so there is quite a bit of road noise in the day which fortunately dies down once dark sets in. At that point the river covers the road noise (also helpful in the morning). The campground is close to a lot of hiking trails, but there are no trailheads in the campground (so I guess that makes three bummers). All in all, a cool place to camp.

The camp spots are well maintained and its easy to get to. The road in is very winding but is completely paved now.

Seems like it’s more established for trailer camping but we did tent camping and it was great. I would camp here again.

We've stayed here twice in the same tent site because we loved it. Very fun wood park for the kids, and the lake access is included in the camping reservation. Our site had running water and a nearby creek. Great place!

This campground was cramped and all the tent sites are practically on top of each other. We also had a bad run (three days) of loud neighbors that made is unbearable and forced us to leave the campground.

In Swan Valley the name of the game is fly fishing. This small campground is also a fly fishing outfitter and shop. While l was just passing through and I am not a fisherwoman, it seemed to offer pretty good services if that is your thing. I pulled in after hours but fortunately the owner’s dog alerted her to my presence and she was willing to open the office to rent me a tent site for the evening. There are 3ish tent sites(one was being worked on), about a half dozen pull thru RV sites, and 3 or 4 cabins for rent. There is a central bathhouse with two full bathrooms in a trailer for everyone to share. The bathhouse rooms are electronically accessed with codes the host gives you on check in. They were really nice and clean, like bathrooms in a typical modern home, except that one had the water heater tank in it and both had space heaters on the floor to plug in(fire hazard??). The tent site I chose was at the back of the campground so I didn’t have much highway noise, and fell asleep to the sound of the nearby horses grazing. Next door on the other side is a municipal building that appears to be the home base for the sheriff. The view of the back of the office/fly shop is not very picturesque, with boats and atv’s and odds and ends laying about. There are nice trees providing shade, but there is no real privacy between sites, tents, or cabins. The grass was quite lush, so I am wondering when the sprinkler system comes on. This place works as a layover or for someone who will take advantage of the fly fishing services, but not much else.

I stumbled across this campground while driving Mesa Falls scenic by-way. This campground has 27 sites, both tent, RV and a group site right along the Warm River. It also has a day use area. This campground had new vaulted toilets but no showers. Within the campground was the trailhead for The railroad grade trail (great for mountain biking) which I was told use to take train passenger to Yellowstone’s old faithful. Tubing was very popular and the campers next to us insisted that we borrow their tubes so we could try it out for ourselves, very refreshing during our hot August stay.

I snagged the last tent site #21 across the bridge in the northern half of the campground. This large secluded tent site up on the hill had a very small tent pad, fire pit and picnic table and enough room to put up my hammock. This site is next to two double sites. Unfortunately during the 5 nights I stayed some of the RVers close to us ran their generators beyond the 10pm curfew and one RVer felt the need to pull out his noisy leaf blower and blow leafs and dirt everywhere.

There is tons of things to see and do in the area, Mesa Falls, Island Park… but the hidden gem is the close proximity (less than 25 miles) to Yellowstone National Park - Bechler Ranger Station. Bechler Ranger Station is in the far SW corner of Yellowstone National Park. This area has more streams, creeks, lakes and waterfalls than any other area in Yellowstone. There is a historic Soldier Station there that is about 100 years old and there are lots of hiking trails to beautiful waterfalls. You can see cave falls right from the parking lots. I would definitely return to this campground next time I am in the area.

Unfortunately it was raining the whole night we showed up. However there was a covered pavilion, with a fridge, and 2 walls. We were able to stay dry under the pavilion and cook our food on the stove we bought. We were tent camping which offers plenty of picnic tables and nice green grass. There are plenty of areas from for RV camping along with hookups. There's also a boat ramp.

Now the bad, as we were getting ready to go to bed, the sprinklers came on. Thankfully we had springbar tents that were able to take the rain as well as the sprinklers. We tried waking the camp host to turn them off. Didn't work. We just waited it out and we were fine.

The campsite firepits, and pavillions with fridges, basketball courts, a boat doc, and bathrooms (clean, with no nasty smell, and hand blower dryers).

Free. Coordinates: 44.09981,-111.17306. Camped here on Sept 21, 2024. Set back and above busy Forest Road 582 which heads toward Cave Falls; no issues with dust from forest road. Site is also referred to as Lower Creek Road Campground. Large site, should easily accommodate 3 rigs. A few spots are level. Up on a small hill above Rock Creek. Can't see the creek, but you can hear it. Dirt surface. Tent camping possible. Surrounded by tall trees, but open sky above. Site has a bear box and a rock fire ring. There is also an old lean-to near the fire ring. The access track is pot-holed; may be muddy. No hiking trails. No T-Mobile nor AT&T cell service. It's a nice site; nothing special. Good for a quiet overnight stay if visiting Cave Falls.

This is a back country site that requires advance reservation. Use of bear canisters is required for all back country travel, you can check them out when you pick up your permit at the ranger station. DO NOT hang food here. No open fires. This was night 2 of a 4 day loop. Please use only very clean camping and be very bear aware. The moraine is beautiful, water flowing everywhere in late July (filter your water) and so so many wildflowers. Tent sites are established, flat and outlined, one bear box is located in very thick overgrowth and difficult to open but usable. We saw black tailed deer near the waterfall, and one ran through camp in the night, no sleeping after that. 

Heaven on Earth. Lake Solitude is just up the trail from here.

Juniper is an excellent campground located on the Ririe reservoir and recreation area . The campground consists of 3 loops all have large level sites with platforms for tents and full hookups at only $30.00. The entire area is dotted with huge junipers that offer good cover and seclusion. The fishing at “Blacktail is good for Rainbows and perch - highly recommended. The area is out in the middle of nowhere and was only 1/4 full . A great spot to reach Idaho Falls or the Grand Tetons , and Jackson Wy .

Campground Review: Wow! What an adventure! In January I applied for an advanced permit for August 18-19 backcountry camping at the Moraines for a Grand Teton Summit trip. For back county camping in GTNP you must have a permit. 1/3 are available for advanced purchase for $45/night and the remainder are first come first serve at the Ranger Station for $35/night. If you plan on camping over a weekend I recommend advanced purchase, but then you are at the mercy of the weather. We had to pick up our back country camping permit from the Jenny Lake Ranger Station prior to departure. They go over the backcountry rules in detail and provide you with a bear-proof canister if you don’t have one.

Rated 3 stars because it is difficult to get to and can be challenging to actually find a tent spot once you get to the Moraines camping zone. 5 stars based on the views! They are incredible!! The Moraines Camping Zone is above tree line at 10,800 ft elevation. It’s amongst a boulder field. And it can be very windy. I would consider this the ideal camping zone of the 5 zones along Garnet Canyon if you are planning a Grand Teton summit. Campsites can be identified by a smooth tent site amongst the boulder field. Fires are not allowed and there are no amenities. There is running water nearby they will require filtration.

Product Review: Gregory Jade 63  liter pack https://www.gregorypacks.com/packs-bags/backpacking-packs/jade-63-1115JAD63.html?dwvar\_1115JAD63\_color=Ethereal%20Grey&cgidmaster=jade#start=1  

This pack was perfect for this trip! I was trying to cut weight as the trek up Garnet Canyon is rugged. This pack is one of the lightest options with this capacity on the market! It is 3.51 pounds. It is very comfortable, by far the most comfortable fitting pack I have used. And comfort is super important in the backcountry. The back mesh panel helped ventilate my back. I loaded this pack to its maximum 40 pound capacity. I had all the backcountry gear as well as climbing gear and a 60 m rope. I still felt stable as I crossed varied terrain. The large boulder fields had me nervous in a few spots and I considered removing my pack to cross, but made it unscathed. The materials used in the pack are very durable. Not a single tear or visible abrasions, quite dirty post trip, but no permanent scars! The hip belt pockets were great! They were easy to access while wearing and there is plenty of room for phone, snacks, chapstick, and any other small items you need handy. The stretch mesh water bottle pockets are huge and are an awesome feature the way the have dual openings. It was easy to access my Nalgene bottle when I used the forward facing opening. However as I was crossing a boulder field and needed to bend way forward it did fall out. I placed it in the upright opening when crossing terrain that required less then upright posture.
The drawstring opening is huge and there is also a u-shaped zippered access to the main compartment on the front of the pack. I made sure items like my water filter and first aid kit were right there for easy access if/when needed. The stretch mesh panel on the back of the pack was an easy stow for my rain gear if needed in a hurry. The top compartment houses the rain cover for the pack and also has a lot of room for storing small items. There are straps galore for holding trekking poles, securing climbing rope, even a sunglass QuickStow that I used often as my glasses were on and off all day long. It was nice knowing they were secure and not going to fall off the top of my head. Post trip, yes I was sore and exhausted, but no rubbing or discomfort caused by the Jade pack! Very impressed with this product and can’t wait for my next backpacking adventure!

Very well maintained campground. Stayed here for a few nights in mid-Sept 2024; no fees - end of summer season. Summer time fee is $17. Mix of pull-thru and back-in sites. Some sites are in the open; others are set back into thick forest. Campground accommodates tent campers, hammock campers, van campers, car campers, truck campers. One camper managed get his big travel trailer into a campsite. Large sites, good spacing between them. Clean vault toilets in different parts of the campground. Water was still turned on during our stay. Usually has a host, but not during my stay. Campsites are level on a gravel surface with a newish table, metal fire ring and a tent pad. Area is popular with hikers. Good trails from the campground. No T-Mobile nor AT&T cell service. The forest road accessing the campground is in good shape; access is from the Idaho side of the Tetons. Stayed in site #2 with a campervan; pull-thru site with a tent pad. A lush forest was directly behind this site. Loved camping here. Look forward to returning.

Stayed 3 nights here in reservable loop A. Extremely clean, modern, and quiet. About 20 minutes from Idaho Falls.