Searching for the perfect place to dispersed camp near Soda Springs? Find the best information on dispersed campgrounds near Soda Springs, including photos, reviews, and tips. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your Idaho excursion.
Camping on public lands away from developed recreation facilities is referred to as dispersed camping. Most of the remainder of public lands are open to dispersed camping, as long as it does not conflict with other authorized uses or in areas posted "closed to camping," or in some way adversely affects wildlife species or natural resources. Dispersed camping is allowed on public land for a period not to exceed 14 days within a 28 consecutive day period. The 28 day period begins when a camper initially occupies a specific location on public lands. The 14 day limit may be reached either through a number of separate visits or through 14 days of continuous overnight occupation during the 28 day period. After the 14th day of occupation, the camper must move outside of a 25 mile radius of the previous location until the 29th day since the initial occupation. The purpose of this special rule is to prevent damage to sensitive resources caused by continual use of any particular areas. In addition, campers must not leave any personal property unattended for more than 10 days (12 months in Alaska).
Diamond Creek Guard Station is located 30 miles east of Soda Springs, Idaho. The current building was constructed in the early 1990 ??s as a snowmobile warming hut. The cabin is accessible by car in warmer months and by snowmobile in winter. The cabin provides a few conveniences; however, guests should be prepared to bring the supplies and equipment they need to make their stay more comfortable.
The Bear Canyon OHV Trail is about two miles north of the guard station . Hikers and mountain bikers will also find trails nearby. The area surrounding the cabin is a playground for snowmobilers and skiers in the winter months. Anglers can fish in nearby Diamond Creek. The surrounding area also attracts big game and game bird hunters.
The cabin sits in a meadow at an elevation of 6,900 feet surrounded by the peaks of Dry Ridge and the Webster sub-range in southeastern Idaho. Stands of aspen and lodgepole pine dot the landscape. Wildlife in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest includes black bears, wolves, elk, moose, mule deer, bison, grizzly bears , mountain lions and pronghorn.
$35 / night
The Blackrock Canyon is associated with the Chinese Peak – Blackrock Rock Trail System, providing non-motorized and motorized users over 40 miles of trails to utilize for OHV, equestrian, mountain biking and hiking. This site is equipped with sheltered picnic tables, fire rings, vaulted restrooms and 2 trailhead parking lots. Additionally, there is an ATV loading/unloading ramp at the lower lot. Site and trail rules and regulations are posted at the trailheads. The site is closed to shooting year around.
Palisades Reservoir is in a scenic valley with forested hillsides rising from the water to the towering snowcapped mountains which form the background. The reservoir has about 70 miles of shoreline and six access roads have been built. Public use facilities include five campgrounds, five picnic areas, and six boat ramps. Two boat clubs have facilities on the reservoir and private cabins have been constructed under permit from the Forest Service. Fishing, motorized and non-motorized boating are all popular activities on the reservoir.
Guide
We have tried many dispersed camping spots now and this is by far the best one we’ve visited. Easy access to lake swimming, free WiFi at the brewery and many spots to choose from. Nice July temperatures. Would definitely come back!
Legend
This is BLM land. Black canyon is also used for ATVs during the summer months so there is that type of traffic i and users present. We are visiting just before Thanksgiving in November and it's quite quiet here I will add more detail after staying a couple of nights.
Guide
Where this pin is serves more as a day use area with camping spots highly used and trashed. However there is better dispersed camping along this road.
Legend
Coordinates: 42.78898,-110.68746. Free. Camped here Sept 17, 2024. One of several dispersed campsites along Greys River Road (Forest Road 10138). Large dispersed site, set back from forest road; no concerns with dust coming into the site from passing vehicles. Should comfortably accommodate 3 or 4 rigs. Clean rock fire ring. Mostly level, dirt surface. Easy access from forest road. Open site surrounded by trees. Next to Grey's River; easy access for bank fishing. There is a set of trees that may accommodate hammock camping. Tent camping also possible. Area can get muddy after rain. Solar recharging possible in middle of afternoon. No T-Mobile nor AT&T cell service. Loved this spot.
Guide
We stayed in early June so the creek was gushing with water and it was nice to sleep to the sound of running water. We dispersed camped in our trucks. It was a great area for an overnight stop on our way to Yellowstone from Salt Lake City. Town was only about 5-10 minutes away but we felt very isolated and area was private.
RangerIf this is Grey’s River Dispersed Camping then this is where we were trying to stay. Some free spots along river, kind of on long bumpy gravel road. Didn’t end up staying. We were able to see lots of kayakers on the river and trails to hike.
GuideLots of space available for dispersed camping . Beautiful views and great location in town but still away from all road noise. ATT and Verizon service good .
Guide
This is about a quarter mile before the Bridger day use site. Two dispersed camping sites. No access to the river but there is a nice view of the canyon and you can walk down to the day use area and use the bathroom and river access.
Scout
May 2024 - This is a good stopping point for those who are passing through. There is a Flying J truck stop on the opposite side of I-15. They have fuel, propane, dump station ($10) and water. The road into dispersed camping is full of pot holes so go slow with a Class A RV or if you have low clearance. The noise from the freeway is minimal. I would stay here again.
ScoutBeautiful setting and great beer. I recommend their Heyzeus. Boondocking at its best. Bugs were not bad at all the night we were there.
TravelerOur first time boondocking in a camper van and we may be spoiled for life! Had a spot right on the water, with an brewery 100 yards away. The people were great, the brews were tasty and the sunset was stunning. 10/10
Guide
As I was driving over Salt River Pass I noticed a small dirt road on the side of the highway. Upon checking Google Maps Satellite View, I could see that the road ended in a campsite, so I decided to scout it. The road is HEAVILY rutted, and would be impassible for a regular car, but it was easy to pass in my Sprinter Van. The campsite is STUNNING, in a field of wildflowers, RIGHT near the highway, but totally isolated and private.
GuideNot a place we’d stay for long, but perfect for an overnight stop. Virtually no signage, but there is a BLM road marker just past the old brick pilings. Road is potholed, but drivable w/o 4x4. I believe there were 2 pull throughs and several fairly level dispersed sites. You’ll hear highway drone but not enough to keep you up. One spot down the turn around loop looked like a long time resident but didn’t have any issues.
Guide(October 5th, 2023) Camped in the backyard of a brewery! Got here after dark and it wasn’t totally clear where to find the camp spots, but after some exploring we got to the best site (43.1666131, -111.0380217). Great beer (and bathrooms) were just a quick walk away!
GuideBlackrock Canyon BLM Pocatello, ID 8/4/22 DO NOT trust APP coordinates 42.8145, -112.3307 : Campendium 6/20/22 42.8146,-112.3307 : The Dyrt 6/30/22, 42.8142, -112.3306 : FREE Roam / 2019 These coordinates all lead to a reasonably level, fenced dirt parking lot on the left with a vault toilet and concrete walkway going across the road to a covered picnic/stream area. We were very excited. This is NOT the BLM camping area.... or rather more likely, 'no longer' is? There are 3 new looking signs stating Day Use Only, No Overnight Camping. However there is still a signboard by the toilet with the typical BLM rules/regs & 14 day limit? What's a gal to do? So I called the BLM office listed on the sign to clear up the conflicting sign info. Yep, the aforementioned parking lot is NOT FOR OVERNIGHTCAMPING - again, signs are shiney, no weathering, so this may be a new development? We were told there are 2 BLM camping areas. #1 is ACROSS from the aforementioned parking lot... big DEEPLY graveled area on the right as you come in that steeply slopes down to the picnic table area (our autolevel just laughed at us no matter what we did or where we positioned). #2 is about 1/4m further up where the road loops back on itself, and also has a vault toilet (no concrete walkway). This is a medium parking area inside the loop. Looked doable until we noticed the berm hiding under the grass. At 34' backed in, we'd have either lost the under carriage spare tire, or had our big butt sitting on the ground. So this too was a big nope for us. There is a pullout on the way to the 2nd area, but currently has a 'road closed' sign on it, and another pull out just before the 1st parking area. We could have squeezed into this one, but by this point we were wore out & the thought of all the dust ... just nope. We moved on. This is a GORGEOUS area, if you're a smaller footprint, and can get level. Verizon & ATT both usable but not very strong. Road in is a little washboard and hilly, but doable. I15 underpass ... we're 13'8" on truck & cleared both with no issues. Definitely recommend dropping your rig in the parking lot and scouting out this area 1st.
ScoutGPS correct, no signage and just off highway West. Small 60x40 yard gravel/dirt lot a quarter mile up improved road with some potholes. Was traveling late from Idaho to SLC and was a good stopping point. Can hear the highway still but quiet enough and secluded. No amenities whatsoever but there are some weathered petroglyphs to see. As an option there is a formal rest area off the highway a few miles south.
Guide
Number of dispersed sites along the waters edge. The spots are spread out nicely.
Leading up to the water is a bit muddy but overall great place. Not much shade.
Scout
About 10 dispersed spots right next to the water/right off the road but holy shit it’s VERY ACTIVE TRAIN TRACKS about 50 yards from these spots. A train every 1-2 hours that blows its horn the whole night so not very peaceful
LegendThis area used to be a state park but the state abandoned it and removed all their facilities. It is now under BLM jurisdiction. It's got a good gravel road leading into it off Merrill road. Just take the exit for McCammon and turn right twice, entering the gravel road at the brown lava stone walls. The gravel covered road is in pretty good shape with minor potholes. The gravel section goes in about a mile and a half. We camped at the very end of that gravel section. Road continues - just dirt and mud and the potholes get really bad. Beautiful views easy access to the highway. We got three bars of Verizon out of five total bars. No freeway noise. There was only one other rig in the area when we visited November 24th the day before thanksgiving.
RangerInitially did Harvest Hosts to stay at Melvin and got a nice spot, but wound up venturing over to the dispersed area. There are tons of places to go—some a little sketchy if you have a larger rig.
Scout
Tons of land, tons of campsites.. but most are "occupied" by empty trailers with no other vehicles or people around. There's empty cars parked on top of fire pits, no tents or any sort of life nearby. Felt strange.
This road is rough and very bumpy. Didn't feel comfortable "taking over" a campsite with things already parked there. Wouldn't recommend coming here.
ScoutGreat for a one-nighter. At least ten campsites that were no sweat to get to in my Forester. Highway noise, sage brush, and not much else.
GuideFairly well maintained and freeway close. 10-12 campsites that are pretty level. Beautiful view on both sides. A great place for a night on the road.
GuideAbsolutely beautiful location off highway 89. A popular place especially for ohv-ers. Lots of places to park but most of them seemed to be “claimed” (tents or trailers with no vehicles) for the upcoming weekend. That is the only reason for the loss of one star. We were there on a Thursday night just for and one night stop-and-go, so any of those claimed spots we could have used had they not been there.
There is a creek that flows back and forth around the area, we had that for our soundtrack as we slept.
At about mile 2 from the turn-off, there is a cattle guard and clear signs that the road is public but the land is not. It is possible that there is another cattle guard further up and more dispersed passed it as we saw more rvs head up and not turn around and come back, but we did not investigate that.
Well worth the trip in the search for a spot though. It was an amazing stay.
ScoutBeautiful place to camp. The water is shallow and surrounded by mountains. You have to wade through mud to get to the water (which is also muddy). You can also still hear the highway traffic, but not bad. We visited in August, so the fires made the area hazy. The up sides: lots of space and privacy. Camp sites are super far apart in comparison to others. Fire pits are available and drift wood is everywhere. Some spots have trees for hammocks. Pet friendly and lots of bird watching.
GuideAfter a long drive this place was perfect. This location is very close the freeway exit. We got lucky to find a pretty leveled pull through site. It looked liked there were only about 10 sites in total. The road in was unpaved but not too rough. Some cars drove past during our stay faster than that we thought was correct. The views to the mountain were awesome. We had some cows come and visit our site early the morning we were leaving. Not sure about why they are free roaming but we liked having them visit.
Scout
Easy access from Lava with about 10 designated spots, most with room for two vehicles and one(?) pull through spot that fit my truck/30foot TT. Most had either a metal fire ring or picnic table or both. Pretty enough area, but right off the road and even closer to a train that passed through multiple times at night.
Pulled in at 10:30 pm Saturday night July Fourth weekend and was able to snag the last spot so very clutch!
NOTE - Google satellite photos are NOT accurate, the area is fenced off and sites are limited, no longer the free for all it appears to have been
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Soda Springs, Idaho, where nature meets tranquility. This area offers a variety of spots for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle and immerse themselves in the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Soda Springs, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Soda Springs, ID is Indian Rocks - Dispersed Camping with a 4.1-star rating from 13 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 22 dispersed camping locations near Soda Springs, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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