Stanton Crossing, near Bellevue, Idaho, is a free camping spot that offers a straightforward experience for those looking to unwind. With a mix of tent and RV sites, it’s a decent place to pull over for a night or two, especially if you’re traveling through the area.

The campground is right by the Big Wood River, providing easy access for a quick dip or letting your dog splash around. Visitors have mentioned the abundance of trees, which offer some shade, but be prepared for a bit of road noise since it’s close to the highway. As one camper noted, “It was a nice break after spending the last few nights at Walmart's.”

Amenities are pretty basic here. There are pit toilets available, but you’ll need to pack out your trash since there are no garbage cans. Some campers appreciated the spaciousness of the area, with plenty of room for larger rigs, making it easy to find a suitable spot. 

If you’re looking for a simple, no-frills camping experience, Stanton Crossing fits the bill. Just remember to bring your own water and firewood, and you’ll be set for a night under the stars.

Stanton Crossing

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Bellevue

The Best Camping Near Bellevue, Idaho

Camp ground was clean and nice! River runs close and plenty of shade! The only complaint is it is right next to a busy road so you get to listen to semi trucks drive by all night. 

Clean but traffic...

This campground was a nice break after spending the last few nights at Walmart's. Yes, you can hear road noise but still quieter than the city! There were a lot of level spots to chose from and the trees were a welcomed sight in the 90 degree heat. 

Not too bad!

We only stayed for one night. We have a 36ft travel Trailer and we're able to maneuver it very well. The campground road is gravelly and circles most of the small campground so you can look for a good spot. There is one pit toilet, but we didn't use it. We didn't use our computers but was able to get Amazon prime and watch a movie without glitches. Cell service was good (we have Verizon). There is a gas station and small grocery  store 20 miles from the site so you are not totally removed from civilization. When we were there (in late April) it was quiet and not much traffic, this is a great place to stay for a few nights or more. Since this is a free campsite, it is not maintained but worth the stay. 

Plenty of room for large rigs

This was a great spot to park and camp on our way through. River for a dog swim and multiple spots. Only complaint was it was hard to spot the entrance at night.

Great spot for an overnight spot

This campground sits right off of Hwy 20 along the Big Wood River. It is a dispersed campground with varying degrees of levelness and sizes. No real privacy here despite being surrounded by trees, mostly aspens which were starting to change color in September and give the place a little bit of a peaceful atmosphere. There were a few campers there with trailers when we were there that seemed to keep to themselves and only one of the trailers looked a little rundown and sketchy. 

  

There is river access which is nice and easy. There is road noise as it sits fairly close to the highway. 

  

There are pit toilets and a few of the “sites” have stone pits but fire restrictions are in effect so no fires at this time. There are no garbage cans or dumpsters so pack in and pack out. Also there were no water spigots that we found, so filter from the river or bring water. Overall this is a dusty fairly noisy stop good for a night. I wouldn’t make it a destination but if you’re tired of driving and need a place to crash it’s free and easily accessed. 

  

There is a 10 day limit on camping within a 30 day period. Weak Verizon, good ATT and no TMobile cell reception.

Dusty and Noisy 

This was a great free spot. Even had a great camp host. She came over to see if we needed help when we pulled in. We found an open spot for our solar but there were also shady spots. 

Free campsite

I was excited to pull in, but didn’t feel safe. This is a pretty good-sized area and lots of cars and rvs. I drove through and saw several open spaces, but I didn’t feel great about the neighbors. I have nothing to back this up, but my gut. I pulled into one of the few shady spots to camp overnight and leave in the morning. But, I decided to move on after about 20 minutes. 
You can hear a creek from the site and tons of bugs that come with water. 

Pretty crowded for a Sunday

We stopped here for the night while visiting Craters of the Moon. A convenient stop with a good amount of camping spots and free!

Photos of Stanton Crossing

Real photos from real campers