Boise National Forest

Dispersed camping is generally allowed
On national forest and grassland, camping outside developed campgrounds is generally permitted unless an area is posted closed or a local order says otherwise. Stay on existing surfaces, camp away from water and trailheads, and check the forest's current orders before you go — fire restrictions change through the season.
Rules change with fire season and local order. Checked 2026-08-05. Confirm on the managing office’s official page
- Area
- 3,948 sq mi
- Managed by
- Forest Service
- Campgrounds
- 88
- Longest rig
- 100 ft
Where the land is, and what fits
The official Forest Service boundary with every campground we hold inside it. Tell it how long your rig is and the map keeps only what takes it — public land rarely matches the shape people picture, and neither does what you can actually get into.
Official unit boundary · USDA Forest Service · 88 campgrounds shown
- Amanita Campgroundto 40 ft · 11 sitesMid-May – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Atlanta Guard Station - Rental CabinEnd of May – End of September · Reservations accepted
- Bad Bear Campgroundto 40 ft · 6 sitesMid May – Mid October · First-come, first-served
- Badger Creek CampgroundEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Bald Mountain CampgroundJuly – September · First-come, first-served
- Barber Flat Rental CabinEnd of May – End of September · Reservations accepted
- Barney's CampgroundMid-June – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Bear Valley CampgroundMid June – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Beaver Creek Rental CabinReservations accepted
- Bender Creek TrailheadSeason not published
- Big Eddy CampgroundMid-May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Big Roaring River Lake CampgroundMid-July – End of September (unless closed by snow) · First-come, first-served
- Big Trinity Lake - Rental CabinsReservations accepted
- Big Trinity Lake CampgroundMid-July – End of October (unless closed by snow) · First-come, first-served
- Black Rock Campgroundto 99 ft · 11 sitesMid-May – Mid-October · First-come, first-served
- Boiling Springs CampgroundMid-May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Boiling Springs Rental CabinReservations accepted
- Bonneville Campgroundto 100 ft · 22 sites · Pull-throughEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Buck Mountain CampgroundBeginning of June – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Bull Trout Lake Campground & Group sitesMid-June – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Canyon Creek CampgroundMid-May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Cartwright Ridge CampgroundMid-May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Castle Creek CampgroundEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Cold Springs Campground (Group ONLY )Mid-May – End of September · Reservations accepted
- Cottonwood CampgroundEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Cozy Cove Campgroundto 100 ft · 16 sites · Pull-throughMid-June – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Curlew Creek CampgroundEnd of May (snow dependent) – End of September (snow dependent) · First-come, first-served
- Deadwood CampgroundEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Deadwood Lookout Rental CabinReservations accepted
- Deer Flat CampgroundJune – September · First-come, first-served
- Deer Park Guard Station - Rental CabinEnd of May – End of September · Reservations accepted
- Dog Creek CampgroundMid-May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Eastside Campground (Group ONLY)Mid-May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Edna Creek CampgroundMid-May – Mid-October · First-come, first-served
- Elk Creek Guard Station - Rental CabinsReservations accepted
- Elks Flat Campground and Group sitesMid-May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Evans Creek CampgroundEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Fir Creek CampgroundMid-June – End of September · First-come, first-served
- French Creek Campgroundto 45 ft · 21 sitesMid-May – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Golden Gate CampgroundMid-May – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Graham Guard Station - Rental CabinBeginning of July – End of September · Reservations accepted
- Grayback Campground and Group sitesMid-May – Mid-October · First-come, first-served
- Hardscrabble CampgroundBeginning of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Hayfork Campground (Group Only)Mid-May – Mid-October · First-come, first-served
- Helende Campgroundto 65 ft · 10 sitesEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Hollywood CampgroundMid-May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Hot Springs Campground and Group sitesBeginning of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Hower's Campgroundto 45 ft · 10 sites · Pull-throughMid-June – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Ice Hole CampgroundMid-May – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Ice Springs CampgroundMid-May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Johnson Creek Guard Station - Rental CabinReservations accepted
- Little Roaring River Lake CampgroundMid-July – End of October (unless closed by snow) · First-come, first-served
- Mountain View Campgroundto 70 ft · 15 sites · Pull-throughEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Ninemeyer CampgroundJune – October · First-come, first-served
- Park Creek Campground and Group sitesEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Peace Valley Campground (Group ONLY)End of May – End of September · Reservations accepted
- Penn Basin CampgroundBeginning of June – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Penny Springs CampgroundMid-May – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Picnic Point CampgroundMid-May – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Pine CampgroundEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Pine Flats CampgroundEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Power Plant CampgroundMid-May – Mid-October · First-come, first-served
- Queens River CampgroundMid-May – Mid-October · First-come, first-served
- Rainbow Point Campgroundto 45 ft · 12 sites · Pull-throughMid-May – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Rattlesnake Campground and Group sitesMId-May – End of September · Reservations accepted
- Riverside Campground (Idaho City)Mid-May – Mid-October · First-come, first-served
- Riverside Campground (Lowman)Mid June – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Shady Pines CampgroundMid-May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Shafer Butte Campground and Group sitesMid-June – End of September (snow dependent) · First-come, first-served
- Shoreline Campground and Group sitesMid-May – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Silver Creek Campground and Group sitesEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- South Fork Salmon River CampgroundMid-May – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Spillway CampgroundEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Stolle Meadows Guard Station - Rental CabinReservations accepted
- Summit Lake CampgroundBeginning of June – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Swinging Bridge Campgroundto 40 ft · 7 sitesMid-May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Tailwaters CampgroundEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Ten Mile Campgroundto 71 ft · 15 sites · Pull-throughMid-May – Mid-October · First-come, first-served
- Third Fork Guard Station - Rental CabinReservations accepted
- Tie Creek CampgroundBeginning of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Trout Creek CampgroundBeginning of June – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
- Troutdale CampgroundEnd of May – End of September · First-come, first-served
- Warm Lake Campgroundto 60 ft · 13 sites · Pull-throughMid-May – Mid-Sepember · First-come, first-served
- Warm Springs Guard Station - Rental CabinReservations accepted
- Whoop Um Up Campground (Equestrian)Mid-May – Mid-October · First-come, first-served
- Willow Creek Campground (Idaho City)Mid-May – Mid-October · First-come, first-served
- Willow Creek Campground (Mountain Home)First-come, first-served
- Yellow Pine CampgroundMid-May – Mid-September · First-come, first-served
Boise National Forest
Boise National Forest is a National Forest covering 2,203,703 acres (8,918.07 km2) of the U.S. state of Idaho. Created on July 1, 1908, from part of Sawtooth National Forest, it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service as five units: the Cascade, Emmett, Idaho City, Lowman, and Mountain Home ranger districts.
Extract from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Agency description not published.
Byways through this country
Places worth pulling over
Drive to Boise the long way
Byway plans the road in, not just the destination — real places along the way, weighted to what you like, with nothing invented.