- Boise National Forest
The best camping in Boise National Forest, ID
81% (42)
Camper favorites near Boise National Forest
Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.
Snag sold-out campsites.
Get notified the instant a national park campsite becomes available, for free.
See the best spots in one place.
Explore 500K+ public lands, RV resorts, and private sites you won't find anywhere else.
Book with confidence.
Read millions of real reviews from campers like you—so you know what to expect.Stories from the community
J
Jim
October 2025
21 ft Class B
With pets
Very convenient to all of downtown Boise and the river
See more
L
Lauren
October 2025
34 ft travel trailer
With kids
We loved staying here! Beautiful grounds with room for the kids to play. Terri and her family were so friendly and accommodating. We got in very late and she still came out to help us get settled and gave us great recommendations for what to do the next day. A great place to stop and stay a couple days!
See moreM
Marga
October 2025
16 ft campervan
With pets
Bill’s property and the surrounds are great and the location is truly fabulous! Plentiful parks and open spaces adjacent and nearby. It’s an easy walk to the best of Old Boise, downtown, museums, and the zoo, but still far enough out of the fray to enjoy returning home to a quiet nest on a Saturday night.
See moreH
Hallie
October 2025
28 ft campervan
With pets
Great location. Walkable to food and nightlife. Easy to walk our dogs, too.
See moreJ
Jim
October 2025
21 ft Class B
I've stayed there often and it is always a pleasure. The immediate walking distance/access to all of downtown Boise makes it a real pleasure.
See moreD
David
October 2025
24 ft Class B
Second stay here. Amazing location right in town. You can walk to almost anything. Site is clean and flat with fresh water.
See moreJ
Jay
September 2025
21 ft pop-up camper
With pets
A great safe location very close to downtown. Have stayed here several times and have never had a problem. Very easy to walk to downtown and Boise State for the football game. We’ll be back!
See more
D
Daniel
September 2025
28 ft travel trailer
With kids
Great time. Large flat area fit two campers with no issues. If tent camping you can get right down by the river. Hope to be back soon!
See more
J
Jason
September 2025
Weekend Trip to Slippery Gulch
We loved staying here! Walk out the front door and, my gosh, the view! Inside was clean, lots of little extras like books and hot chocolate and oatmeal. Easy to work with and everything went smoothly!
See more
Calvin
September 2025
19 ft campervan
With pets
Exactly what we expected. A convenient parking spot walkable to downtown and parks. Thanks!
See more
Christine
September 2025
20 ft campervan
With pets
My dog Jax and I stayed in Bill’s lot. I felt safe as a single woman traveling alone. The location was perfect, in walking distance to many amazing restaurants and pubs, and close to Julia Davis Park which has access to the Boise River Greenbelt. Perfect stop after a long drive.
See moreJ
James
September 2025
60 ft travel trailer
Group trip
Enjoyed our stay host easy to communicate with even had firewood waiting for us.
See more
C
Cassy
September 2025
Weekend Trip to Wildedge Ranch Yurt
We loved staying here! It was so beautiful and peaceful and exactly what we were looking for. The yurt had everything we needed to feel comfortable! The AC and internet were great perks for such a remote spot. Wade provided super helpful instructions and was quick to reply when we had a question. We can’t wait to return!
See moreR
Ryan
September 2025
25 ft pop-up camper
With kids
Cool spot on the river to hangout. It would be nice to have a bit cleaner access to the river for people that are not as light on thir feet!
See moreA
Abe
August 2025
1 night at Slippery Gulch
Really lovely cabin, would recommend! My two friends and I stayed there for a night and had a comfortable stay.
See more
E
Elaine
August 2025
Tent
Our stay was wonderful. The orchard was filled with fresh fruit , that was absolutely delicious..
Terri and her husband were awesome . We even got to enjoy a great bottle of wine that Terri offered up. The property was very well kept. Even though the tent site was close to the county road we still felt safe and comfortable. We even got a helpful hand from the resident dog to set up our tent. Highly recommend Terri-land . Look forward to staying there again.
See more
B
Beth
August 2025
Weekend Trip to 300 feet off Payette river Puma RV
This was a great, comfy RV to stay in for a weekend getaway!
See more
T
Tia
August 2025
Tent
With pets
Proximity to the river was wonderful and our dog loved having a swim! The tent spot had ample shade and perfect trees for our hammock too! As others commented, you can hear the road traffic but it was never bothersome. The site was great for our small family celebration!!
See more
G
Gabrielle
August 2025
3 nights at Cozy and POSH-est Yurt
The yurt was super clean and had everything you could need! Maybe bring some chairs to sit outside to look at the stars, but otherwise amazing! Wish we could have stayed longer and explored more. Just know everything is a minimum hour drive except Idaho city. Will not regret staying here!
See moreJ
Jay
August 2025
20 ft pop-up camper
Great location in downtown Boise. Fairly quiet for city camping and very safe. Great area for walking the dog! We’ve stayed here probably 6 times now and never had any issues. Great price too.
See moreTop public campgrounds in the park
Stay at a public campground in Boise National Forest
Top-rated campgrounds
The best camping in Boise National Forest, ID guide
Overview
About
You could say Boise National Forest is in the tri-forest area. It is surrounded on all sides by Payette, Salmon-Challis, and Sawtooth National Forests, it is situated conveniently close to both urban fun in Boise, and limitless wilderness adventures everywhere else. Alpine tundra is dotted with evergreen forest in the green rolling hills here, topped with snow, and anchored by sparkling valley waterways. The Payette River is great for rafting, while Banks Beach and Beehive Bend are just some of the prime access points on the forest’s 250 lakes and reservoirs (Arrowrock Reservoir has surprisingly primo salmon fishing for central Idaho).
Hikers will find 500 trails, including some that lead to 360-panoramic views at fire lookouts. The ambitious should try 10,000-foot high Trinity Mountain, while more liesurely trekkers will get just as good a view at Silver Creek. As if that’s not all enough to keep you busy, there are also endless mountain biking trails, including a scenic route along Shafer Butte.
Boise National Forest has over 70 campgrounds ripe for picking (or camping). Book a night at the Deadwood Lookout Recreation Cabin for an unforgettable experience. At this former fire lookout on Deadwood Mountain, you can hike one of the nearby trails or soak in the surroundings.
81%
42 ratings · 12 reviews
January 2023
In 1915 my great grandfather Joseph Oren Couch was deer hunting up the gladiator trail and near the salmon river. He carved his name, the name of the camp, and the date on a young cottonwood tree. He gave the camp the name “big buck camp”. How’s that for a story. 😁❤️ Couch summit, Idaho was also named after him. Lots of fun stories are written down about his early adventures and I don’t know who would really enjoy them, because sadly I’ve never been to Idaho- yet Happy 2023!
Suzycelentano@yahoo.com
S
Suzy C.
2 years on Hipcamp
July 2022
A great little campground alongside Warm Springs Creek, with a lower loop for RVs, an upper loop that will accommodate tents plus smaller RVs in a few sites, and four walk-in tents sites. There are about 15 shallow soaking pools at the springs to choose from, ranging in temperature from cool to parboil (do not walk your dogs up there, as scalding water runs over the trail in places!), and a bath tub in a shack at the end of a 1/4 mile walk upstream. A short, steep trail will take you up to the Warm Springs Airstrip and trailhead for a pretty hike. There is a fair amount of day traffic to the hot springs parking area, so sites nearest the road can be dusty. The long-time hosts are very friendly.
N
Nancy D.
3 years on Hipcamp
August 2020
I was there this weekend and have been there before. This is a great place to go for the day but, I can no longer recommend spending the night there. While we were there, someone had set up a drinking party hut and we called the people in charge of campsite and they never answered. We had to call the police to come in and shut the party down after 11 in the evening.
Tammy J.
5 years on Hipcamp
Not recommend
· August 2019
Was going to camp here, but after 5 min I left. Maybe I just hit it on a bad day but, way to many day people there, with no respect for the campers. EX: Folks walking thru campsite that were occupied. There is literally no shade, very dusty. I went to another CG even though I paid for a spot here, I could not even find the host to tell them I was leaving.
S
Susan G.
6 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· November 2018
Hot springs are great, go on a winter morning to avoid crowds.
Megan M.
7 years on Hipcamp
January 2018
This was by far the best hidden gem! Campgrounds were packed and we stumbled upon this place in our desperate search. The kids had a great time testing all the hot springs.
Michelle L.
9 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· November 2017
This campsite is right on the highway, but you can’t beat the views. The traffic is few and far between, and didnt bother me, and my campsite was next to the road. The campground has a water pump and vault toilet. Highly recommended for a quiet getaway.
K
Kyle T.
8 years on Hipcamp
August 2017
Stayed in walk-in site number 10 which on the ledge with the best view of the canyon might be the most liberating spot. And it was one of the closest to the car so easy access. Toliets were very clean, air was fresh, and neighbors were friendly. It's pretty quiet up there, and only a 40 minute drive from Boise. The trail is very close and you have to pay to part. Self-service station at the top if you don't have reservations already. You have views of Bogus Mountain, which, a short drive away has mounting biking, wall climbing, summer tubing, and tampoline bungee jump. That's also your only place to eat if you don't pack your own.
Mark S.
10 years on Hipcamp
June 2017
Bad Bear is a nice little campsite outside of Idaho City. The sites are good size with adequate privacy. There is lots of tree cover for shade during those warm summer days, and a babbling brook at the back of the campground. Each site had a picnic table, fire ring, and there is a well for water and a vault toilet. We enjoyed our stay here, mostly because there wasn't anyone else camping in the campground when we were there in mid-July! Score!
Anna W.
8 years on Hipcamp
August 2016
Perfect little camping spot not far from Boise! The fire pit setup is great for cooking over the fire too. Somewhat private camp sites too. Would definitely recommend this campground over the surrounding locations!
Lindsay N.
9 years on Hipcamp
July 2016
Great family spot!! Campsite is a short walk from the parking lot so plan on packing it in :) No water available but there are vault toilets. Sites are partially shaded, w/ pinic tables & firepits w/grills. Great view of the stars from camp, and a short walk to the day use area early in the a.m. will give you a sunrise view to remember!! 1 mi interpretive trail is a great family hike with a cool rock outcrop about 1/2 way. Additional trails provide further opportunities to explore :) Close to Bogus and all their summer trails have to offer, as well.
E
Erin T.
9 years on Hipcamp
July 2015
There's a picture of a lake associated with this campground, there is no water in the area. Great mountain biking from lower lodge of ski area, see local trail guide. Excellent hiking as well. During the summer months there is a BBQ from something like 11-7PM.
G
Ghetto C.
10 years on Hipcamp