Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Wendell? Find the best information on tent camping near Wendell, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Wendell, Idaho's most popular destinations.
This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. 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.
Third Fork Trailhead Picnic and Campground area is composed of 5 individual units and an accessible vault toilet. This area is suitable for motor homes and trailers and best suited for day use. Barrier free stock loading is available. Amenities include toilets and an accessible transfer station. Third Fork Trail (#004) is an easy multi-use trail that accesses an extensive trail system including Wahlstrom Hollow (#38) and Rim View Trails (#235), the latter a hiking/horse trail over moderate terrain. Rim View Trail is 9.5 miles long and runs from Buckskin Ridge to the confluence of Third and Fourth Forks of Rock Creek; it is open to foot and horse travel only. There is an approximate gain of 1900 ft. from the third Fork Trailhead end of the trail on Buckskin Ridge as it generally follows a gentle moderate grade of 8%. The trail crosses several live streams and for the most part goes through areas covered with sub-alpine fir and aspen trees. Excellent views of Rock Creek abound as the trail traverses the canyon rim along the west side of Rock Creek. During the winter, there is great skiing on the Rock Creek Trail, just south of this campground. Opening off the head of Rock Creek are 4 cross-country ski trails ranging in length from 1.2 to 8.1 miles; three of the trails are groomed and signed.
Pioneer Campground, which is situated next to Soldier Mountain Ski Area, is a developed campground composed of 5 units on Soldier Creek. The campground can be reserved in its entirety for groups of up to 50 people. The amphitheater and adjacent picnic area can be used for group events. Campground amenities include picnic tables, fire rings, drinking water and a restroom. The South Fork and North Fork of Soldier Creek trails begin along Forest Road 093 and join a major network of trails in the Soldier Mountains.
Bear Gulch Campground is a developed campground composed of 8 individual units and 1 group unit near the Shoshone Wildlife Pond. The area is suitable for trailer and tent camping. This area is accessible for a season that varies usually between May and October. Campground amenities include toilets and the facilities are handicapped accessible. A short trail from the campground goes to the pond which is fenced to provide habitat for bird and wildlife species; fishing is available in the creek and pond. For equestrians, there is a barrier-free stock loading ramp and corral near the campground. The area is a winter play area from December through March.
Father and Sons Campground and Picnic Area is a developed campground located near Cottonwood Ridge. The campground is composed of 12 individual units and 1 group units that can accommodate a total of 100 people. The campground is suitable for trailer and tent camping. This area is accessible for a season that varies usually between June and September. Campground amenities include toilets. The area is attractive for exploration on an ATV or a mountain bike. Fishing opportunities can be found nearby at Big Cottonwood Creek.
Located 20 miles northwest of Fairfield through Cow Creek Reservoir on Road No. 055, the campground offers 3 single camping units, and 1 multi-family unit. Corrals, mangers and barrier free stock loading ramps are available along with restrooms. No water is available. The trailhead for the North Fork Lime Creek Trail No. 044 is located at the north end of the campground and connects with the Virginia Gulch Trail No. 037.
Traveler
Showed up late October around 6. It’s quiet, just out of town and there are toilets places I guess (didn’t use) and a fire pit by my site. Didn’t use either. Cold (34* last night) rainy, super windy, but felt safe and free is great 😊
Ranger
Paid$15/night for a site right by the Snake River,#13. Pit toilets and trashcans. Sites have picnic tables and fire rings and are spaced out fairly well. Quiet. Houses are visible on the opposite side of the river. ------>>Don't go in the east entrance due to 11ft bridge over the road.
Traveler
This place is beautiful! We arrived on a Monday morning around 9am. Before driving down the hill we got out and walked it to make sure we could make it. We’re driving a one ton GMC with Artic Fox truck camper. We made it down no problem. We stayed for 2 nights and only one night was there another camper who decided to stay up high and not make the drive down. We few cars came and went. But what surprised me the most, is that nobody who drove down, went to see the waterfall which is probably the best part! So, if you visit, find a trail anywhere to the right of the Cauldron Linn sign and follow it. There are many and most of them lead to the waterfalls eventually. My husband was nervous about the drive out but we made it out with no issues!
Traveler
1st stop on our way to Moab. We were able to get our Nissan Frontier hauling a 6×10 trailer parked into the sight next to the Snake River. It was fairly level. Nice sunset viewing, not too buggy in early Oct. Lots of train noise thru the night, tho. Pit toilet was out of TP, luckily we had spare. We had an owl also visit the tree above us and serenaded us for a good 1/2 hr in the middle of the night (very cool). Overall, good stop for passing through.
Scout
Would definitely recommend this spot. 21$ dry and I think 40 full. Nice big grass areas with a few trees. Probably really hot in summer but we were there in fall. Careful of the sprinklers they come on early. Nice big clean showers/bathrooms( family style).
Traveler
Absolutely overrun with flies.
ScoutIn the summer when the area is busier I think we would have love this more. Happy we were able to find free camping in this area. It’s a recreation area, so when we arrived we saw some in the distance fishing and another person bike riding. We were the only ones camping, and there was some unknown activities of others who came and went that we were unsure of. We would have felt better if someone else was camping somewhere. Nothing happened though and it was a cool spot. Definitely think when other campers are around this would be a great spot!
ScoutThere is a picnic table, fire pit, and pit toilet. T-mobile service had a few bars.
GuideIt’s hard to believe this place is free. Nicer than some National Forest campgrounds with the same amenities. Pit toilets and that’s it. The toilets were clean and the one by our site even had a light on! It was a quiet stay and convenient to see Shoshone Falls, and resupply at Costco or Walmart just to the north in Jerome. Don’t skip the scenic overlooks at the bridge on highway 93, beautiful views, and we even watched a couple base jumpers there
LegendFairly quiet with occassional car racing by. Very close to city of twin falls. Has vault restrooms and firepits at the sites.
LegendUncrowded. Fire pits and bbq. Clean and well stocked Pit toilets. Lots of space between sites. Lake front. Fish jumping. Few bugs. Quiet. Bright lights on the dam. Full LTE service
Scout
A nice place to stay for the night. The owner was very helpful and easygoing. We enjoyed our dinner under the pines and watched the sunset.
ScoutBeautiful camp site super easy to access, we got by fine without 4WD. Unfortunately people have kind of trashed some of the sites there was broken glass and lots of other litter
Scout
The campground was very nice. The only negative is the ground and grass areas are pitted with holes from gophers. If tent camping bring a good ground cover to put tent on
TravelerNice layout, large spots, friendly people, useful signage about the surrounding area, and two clean well maintained pit toilets (one even had a night light). This spot is wonderfully close to town, feels very safe and convenient. Highly recommend this spot to anyone passing through!
TravelerThis is a very beautiful area to camp out in. Not far off the river with places to drive right up to the edge of the water (with the right vehicle). Wildlife was very active; lots of mosquitoes and bats at night. Dirt road leading to the area has some pretty rough spots and some washboarding, but it’s all doable. The road that actually takes you down into the canyon has a steep sharp downhill turn with large rocks, depressions, and soft silt. I managed to get down in my Ford Transit Connect (pretty sketchy), but I had to try a couple times before I could make it back up and out the next day. So BE AWARE: gravity can probably help you down without getting stuck, but remember that you will have to get back up, and if your vehicle is 2wd and particularly heavy or low or is bad with hills, it may not be a breeze. (Maybe I’m just being dramatic though lol) I probably won’t risk it again, the stress was too much for my poor nerves.
ScoutIt is literally hidden out in the hay and corn fields. The road down into the canyon is ok for small trailers, vans, trucks. The water was out so the bank was a dusty desert and at the waters edge was a thick swampy mess with gross stinky mud foam…. So swimming was out of the question. We found a pull in area under a cluster of trees that was perfectly serene. Will definitely go back. Large black beetles are bad there and bugs as expected. Nothing to cause a big issue, we brought a bug zapper and net enclosed canopy!
ScoutWonderful place for free camping, even better than some dirt but with 20bucks over....
Scout
Delightful creekside free campsites! Turn at the BLM sign and take a little gravel road to several free creekside spots! There are at least two pit toilets, one at a spot with two picnic tables, each has a great shade, fire pit, and a place for a camp stove! One has a flat raised gravel spot for a tent, which was good because we actually saw a couple mice. The second pit toilet was further down the road at a more separated spot, it looked like it was ADA accessible and also had a picnic table, etc. Close enough to Carey to get gas/ice. Only giving it 4 stars because of the mice (pack out your own trash guys! It isn’t hard!) and the complete lack of trees, the covers over the picnic tables did proved shade, but it still got crazy hot.
Legend
We followed our GPS plus there is great signage leading you to the Y Knot Winery, which is the same route to go to Three Island Crossing State Park. The state park is adjacent to the winery campground(CG). You first come to the older CG across from the winery building, which is better suited for smaller rigs. We were in the newer CG a little further up the road in pull-through site 26 with FHUs. As we had a reservation with an assigned site number, we went straight to our site, set up, and then walked back over to the winery to register. The sites have an interesting layout as they are long, yet the front and back of site not really defined. You have to adjust your rig on the gravel pad to fit your rig to the utilities towards the back of the site. You then ensure that either side of your rig isn’t too far on the gravel road. The CG is bare bones with no picnic tables, fire pits, nor WiFi(saw a review for$6 Wifi but didn’t see any networks in the new area). It was no issue for us as we were enjoying the winery and golf course. Since the CG is new, the trees have not matured and you have no problem with satellite. We got one bar on Verizon. Their water pressure is high so you will need a reducer. We got an end cap site and enjoyed the large yard. The CG info states there’s a pet area, but there’s no sign or fenced in area. The pet area is a grassy area along the golf course side of the CG according to the map. There was no road noise, but there was a distant train or two during the night. There’s a lot to like about this CG: nice sites, wine tasting, decent food, and a fun golf course.
Guide
We stayed a week in July, and the green trees in the pictures are all dead skeletons now with no shade at all. There is a constant smell of a combination of septic and farm compost. The one advantage was an onsite parts store and repair shop.
GuideSpent one night here on a long road trip. I was the only one there. Very easy to find. Felt safe, nice view of the river. The only negative was the trains going by at night. Quite loud.
TravelerBeautiful spots and surrounding area. We sadly had to turn around because of a sketchy looking encampment. We did report to BLM so hopefully this spot will be more approachable in the future!
GuideWe camped in the Trout loop and had a great time here. Got here on a Friday afternoon and there were only a few spots left, so I’d recommend going earlier if you can.
We landed a spot right on the water (Snake River). The river here is calm enough to paddle board on. We spent lots of time on the water and even paddled across to some rocks and did a little cliff jumping (they aren’t too high).
There’s an outhouse and it was honestly the cleanest outhouse I’ve ever used. Super impressed with that.
It was warm this time of year and our spot was nice and shady. Would definitely recommend visiting. It’s $15/night
GuidePulled up here last minute at about 2am for some quick sleep, the view I woke up to was incredible. Drive through pretty farmland to get there, easy to navigate.
TravelerTent camped here in site 6. Felt safe the entire night and the campground featured bathrooms, which was a plus. Definitely targeted more towards RVs and camper style set-ups, but good night regardless minus some weather and wind!
GuideWe were really excited to stay here. The water and area is beautiful. There are 2 great shady spots right on the water. Unfortunately it looks like 2 guys are living down there and let’s say they don’t look like the friendliest for a couple of reasons. My boyfriend and I immediately got a bad vibe and decided it was best not to stay.
Camping near Wendell, Idaho, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and unique experiences. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a quiet retreat, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Wendell, Idaho, offers a variety of experiences, from historical sites to natural beauty. Whether you're in an RV or tent, there's something for everyone!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Wendell, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Wendell, ID is Steer Basin Campground with a 3.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Wendell, ID?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Wendell, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
