Best Dispersed Camping near Swan Valley, ID

Hi Campers! 

We stopped in this part of the National Forest on our way to Yellowstone by way of Jackson Hole, WY. The access is off of HWY 191. You turn West onto Cliff Creek Rd/Forest Rd 30530 and follow Cliff Creek to many dispersed coming sites. 

This is open range so be aware that there are cattle grazing. Plus, it is of course bear country...so know how to stay safe! 

We stayed here one night so that we could get on the road again in the morning. We found a nice secluded site. It was pretty close to the creek (there are closer sites but they were taken already) and you could easily walk there to get into some fly fishing. 

Our photos are from driving and getting close to the camping area. When we got there it was pretty close to getting dark (just one photo from the site) and we left really early to get on the road. 

We'll stop here again if we're in the area! Can't beat free dispersed camping!

This is an awesome dispersed camping area near Grand Teton National Park. The perfect place to camp for solitude in a busy national park area, with awesome access to the town of Jackson, Shadow Mountain mountain bike trail, and free, dispersed camping.

Found on Google Maps Free dispersed camping in allowed areas.
There are a few fire rings and a pit toilet.
There were quite a few campers but was actually quiet.
Beautiful sunset over the Tetons.

If your wanting a place that overlooks the Grand Teton National Park this is your place. The views from campsites 1-15 are absolutely unreal and overlook Antelope Flats followed by the Grand Teton's. Some of the other campsites at Shadow Mountain are harder to navigate. Around Shadow Mountain there is about 8 miles worth of 4 wheeler trails that you can bike or walk where the other campsite locations are located. 

Shadow Mountain is part of the Bridger-Teton National Forest and from May 1- Labor Day you can stay a maximum of 5 days, the other dates you can stay up to 16 days. The camp ambassador has more detailed maps of the camping areas. This part of the national forest allows for FREE dispersed camping but only at assigned campsites. There is a camp ambassador on-site near sites 1-15 to help enforce the rules(this is a busier campsite in the summer as its very close to Jackson and lots of locals come out- kind of a party spot). There is a porta-potty on site on campsites 1-15 but no water or other amenities near other campsites. 

The road to get this location can be difficult but maneuverable as there are some large ruts in spots and larger river rock makes slower travel. It can be navigated by pretty much any car type or truck with trailer. If you have an RV it may be difficult to get to this location. 

Overall we highly recommend you check out this spot as the view is absolutely gorgeous. There is animal activity in the area Moose, Elk, Grizzly so use proper animal safety,"be bear aware." The camp ambassador mentioned a few weeks prior to our stay a grizzly attached a mom and her baby Moose near campsite 14! 

Check out our video review: https://youtu.be/8mVj1dxL5t4

Great spot on forest service road. Able to park right next to the creek. Lots of spots on the road with fire rings. Free dispersed camping with a great view of the mountains. Hiked to the top of the mountain on the left side coming in. Great views of the valley from the top. Our spot was spot on level, no need to unhook the TT from the truck.

This is a great location if you are exploring the Teton/Jackson area. It's a little far to camp here and then go to Yellowstone.

There are a lot of camping spots that are dispersed to choose from, but keep in mind that even with the low amount of reviews here it's a well known spot to locals.

We stayed here in June and finally found a spot after passing dozens of filled ones, only to see about half a dozen other vehicles drive by looking for somewhere to park.

This is true back-country camping, pack in and pack out. No potable water is available and no facilities so be prepared with all your needs before coming here. Also note that this is bear country so be prepared with food and smell management to limit attracting them in.

The Sunset over the Tetons was amazing and we would stay here again in the future.

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!

A bit of a drive and a rough road, but totally worth it! Off of antelope flat Rd, take a left at the dead end toward the national Forest land. Then you will veer left on the dirt road. There is a camping area at the base of the mountain but if you continue on up the mountain there are many, many dispersed camping pullouts. Beautiful views of the Tetons and excellent wildflowers. There are sites that have some shade and trees but several are pretty exposed. This is a very popular place on the weekends so make sure you get there early to set up camp (or avoid it if you like quite on a Saturday night). No water, no toilets, just a free place to camp with established fire rings! Dogs are welcome.

There were many options for camping in Grand Teton, but our choice was by far the most beautiful and remote.

We camped in Bridger-Teton National Forest when we were on our way out of the park, but it would be possible to stay here even while you are hiking and driving your way through the park itself (although you’d add a bit of driving into your day).

Dispersed camping is allowed in the National Forest, so as long as you drive out of the National Park and into the National Forest far enough, you can find a place to set up camp. We found a pull-off (on the right side of the road) that led down to a flat, gorgeous site with established fire rings and a perfect place for a tent. There was a road leading down to this spot, but we opted to park up top and hike down because of our limited 2-wheel drive vehicle. It was only a few hundred feet down.

Camping in dispersed areas are the perfect way to feel alone, even in popular areas like Grand Teton and Jackson Hole.

During our time in the park in May, we still found plenty to do: our highlights included the view from Signal Mountain, early mornings at Schwabacher’s Landing, photos along Mormon Row, hiking to Toggart Lake, and kayaking along Snake River.

You can read much more about our five days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Grand Teton)

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.

This is the perfect dispersed camping area for when you forget to book a campsite in advance and every other option nearby Yellowstone/Tetons is on a closed road 😂 Bear box provided, fire pits in some areas, several campsites available

We stayed at site 10 on Forest Service road 30290. No markings on the road. Good gravel road until you hit National Forest. There is a very large gravel parking lot area for big rigs. We have a 24’ toyhauler. We stayed right and followed the road down until a T, then went left. And came across site 10. It already had a camper in it and had plenty of space. The current occupants were not keen on sharing but took our name and number if they were going to leave. We shortly got a text saying we could stay. They ended up leaving that day while we were out. Everyday since then other people have squished into our site. Every time we leave, we come back to more people. There is space but several people seam to share one spot. I guess it’s ok, but it is kinda weird people don’t even ask. It’s hard because we boondock for space and because we have a dog. But everyone is friendly so we decided may as well make friends. Fingers crossed nobody blocks us in.

We drove around for 3.5 hours looking for a campsite for a last minute trip to Grand Teton over Labor Day. This was the ONLY place we could find that had any camping spots left, and even then we had to drive pretty far back into the woods to get there. "Spread" creek dispersed campground is a very accurate name! Many of the camping spots were enormous- big enough for several campers or tents- and there was a LOT of driving space between each site, so you really feel secluded.

We were lucky to find an open spot. There are 14 campsites dispersed down a four mile long gravel road. Part of the National Forest. Great views of the Tetons from several sites. We made it to the end of the road in our 38’ motorhome with tow vehicle attached. Just drive slow. Kids had a blast playing along Spread Creek. Tons of mosquitoes, so bring lots of bug spray. Had AT&T cell service and Verizon. Probably my favorite spot to camp on our recent trip, other than those darn mosquitoes.

Imagine camping under the Grand Tetons... for FREE. This campsite is part of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. You go down some long gravel roads to the entrance, where there are some campsites at the base of the mountain. There is a road that goes up the mountain- which is pretty rough. You probably don’t need 4 wheel drive to get up, but a higher clearance would make it less stressful. I still have no idea how my Honda Civic made it up... but she did. The views were worth the stress. The Tetons were right there, right across the valley from us. Gorgeous. Absolutely amazing views. All around.

WARNING Although this is National Forest this area is designated camping only!! There are only a handful of sites at the base and along the road. The rangers are super strict about this as well. We had a Ranger come up to us (right before dark) and tell us we weren’t in a designated campsite. She was super kind about it, and thankfully the folks next to us at a designated spot let us join them! So make sure to get there early folks!!! So worth it!

Nice Dispersed Camping. Doesn’t have Grand views of the Tetons but has nice grassy level areas and spots by the creek. If you run stuck there are big grassy sites in the back that could easily accommodate multiple campsites. Some rough road but you’ll be fine with an SUV/truck. Bring bug spray!

In the Bridger Tetons National Forest, thus offering some sensational FREE campsites. Remarkable views of the Tetons at both lower and upper sites. Directions are easy and available online. Bathrooms available near parking spaces at the lower spots. Following the road up the hill leads to more sites. The road is rough, but our manual Honda Civic squeaked up there. There are not many sites available, SO GET THERE EARLY. People will try to cram into little flat spaces, but the forest rangers WILL show up and tell you to leave if you aren’t in a designated campsite.

saw these reviews and was so worried when we showed up at 8pm to climb these crap roads, low and behold we found the BEST campsite SOMEHOW not taken. check out our views in the pics! so worth it. stayed an extra night just because.

it’s quiet, lovely, and clean. spots are super big and spread out, very different than other dispersed camping.

Easy access to sites 1-13a for most rigs Teton views from sites 1-4 and 10. Sites 5-9 near creek. No turn around until sites 10-13. Great option for free camping but very popular

Lots 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 .

We camped just before this road and got a spot that was private off the road. Lots of dispersed camping off the main road in the bridgerton- Teton Forrest.

Shadow Mountain dispersed camping is just a few miles across the way from the Moose, Wyoming, entrance to Grand Teton National Park. I've stayed here several times at different sites and always had a memorable experience. There are great views and relative seclusion wherever you find a place to camp. Bring your own water and plan to dispose of your waste. All the spots I've been to had cell reception, as well. The road is doable (depending on weather) with smaller cars with careful driving. Higher clearance may be more ideal. The best part is that it is free.

Awesome spot. Primitive camping, but neighbors are far apart. You can only Camp in designated spots, road is very rough to campsites but well worth it.