Month: May 2020

The Blue Lake Trailhead is a two-acre site with restroom and hitching racks.

Directions

GPS Coordinates

Latitude 44° 25′ 6.3840″ N

Longitude 116° 7′ 55.1280″ W

Bender Creek Trailhead – is a signed site with a restroom, loading/unloading ramp for ATVs, registration box and visitor information.  This is one of the trailheads in the Danskin OHV area. 

The trailhead marks one of the major entrances to the #300 Trails of the Danskin Trail System.  I

All trailheads have space for parking.

Directions

GPS Coordinates

Latitude 43° 31′ 41.1240″ N

Longitude 115° 52′ 8.8680″ W

Grandjean Campground – This campground is managed by Sawtooth National Forest – Stanley Ranger Station – 208-774-3000.

It is a first come, first serve basis only.  NO RESERVATIONS.

Because of the proximity of the campground to the Boise National Forest Lowman District, many forest vistors do not know that the Sawtooth National Forest manages the campground.  Please refer all calls to the Stanley Ranger Station.

 

The Idaho Centennial Trail heads south along the Payette River, ultimately reaching a lush alpine paradise filled with lakes. Once in the lake area, you can complete the loop back to Grandjean. Fishing in the South Fork of the Payette. Sawtooth Lodge and swimming pool is one mile away. Natural hot springs 1.5 miles away. Horse trips out of the Sawtooth Lodge. Ten sites for horse campers. Campground is located in an old growth ponderosa pine forest.

Nearby Activities

• Auto touring
• Camping
• Hiking
• Horseback riding
• Hunting
• Picnicking
• Wildlife viewing
• Swimming

Directions

GPS Coordinates

Latitude 44° 8′ 25.4400″ N

Longitude 115° 9′ 9.8280″ W

Overview:

Due to a wildfire, there are no amenities at the campground. 

Currently there are no developed campfire rings therefore when Stage 1 fire restrictions area in effect, no fires are permitted.

A stay at Ninemeyer Campground enables guests to enjoy all the beauty and recreation offered along the (Middle Fork Boise River Road) Forest Service (FS) Road 268. 

Weather is usually good from mid-May through late September and is easily accessible by car in good weather, although the road is sometimes rough and the drive can be seemingly long.  Checking with the Idaho City Ranger District (208-392-6681) on road conditions before heading out is recommended.

Natural Features:

The campground is situated along the river and wildlife watchers may want to look for deer and elk. Waterfowl, eagles and osprey are attracted to the river.

Recreation:

There are several trails in the area.  Check the Idaho City Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for trails that are open to hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers and off-road vehicles.

Click here for an Idaho OHV safety message.

The Middle Fork Boise River offers excellent rainbow & cutthroat trout fishing and good swimming holes. Big game hunting is a popular activity in season.

Nearby Activities

• Auto touring
• Camping
• Hunting
• Picnicking
• Wildlife viewing

Directions

From Boise, Idaho, travel State Highway 21 north to the turnoff of the Arrowrock Reservoir. 

Proceed east along Forest Service (FS) Road 268 (Middle Fork Boise River Road) approximately 38 miles.

You will travel past the Arrowrock Dam and several other campgrounds before arriving at Neinmeyer Campground.  

FS Road 268 is very narrow and may be rough. Use caution when driving to your site.

GPS Coordinates

Latitude 43° 45′ 21.2760″ N

Longitude 115° 34′ 6.6000″ W

Overview: 

Summit Lake Campground is a quiet retreat and a short distance from Warm Lake.

The campground offers 3 campsites and the small but lovely Summit Lake is a treat.  Visitors enjoy hiking around the lake in hopes of spotting the variety of wildlife including bears, deer, elk, fox, grouse, eagles, osprey, grosbeaks, and whooping cranes that live in the area.

Natural Features:

The campground is situated in a scenic pine forest, which provides partial shade in the campground. Lunch Creek runs alongside the campground and summer wildflowers are abundant.

Recreation:

The campground is near Johnson Creek and offering great fishing opportunities for cutthroat, rainbow, lake and bull trout.

Billy Rice Swim Beach is a short drive from the campground toward Warm Lake. It is on the north side of the lake and is a fun place to go for an afternoon picnic and swim.

The surrounding area near Warm Lake offers great hiking, mountain biking, horseback and off-road vehicle riding, and hunting. Check on the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) of the Cascade District for specific riding areas.

The WeWuKiye (Wa Wu Kia) Trail No. 252 was recently built and can be accessed at Shoreline Campground. It is popular for hiking and mountain biking.

 

Nearby Activities

• Auto touring
• Camping
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Picnicking
• Wildlife viewing

Directions

From Boise, Idaho, travel north on State Highway 55 approximately 80 miles to Cascade, Idaho.

From Cascade, Idaho, travel north on State Highway 55 only a short distance to the turnoff at the (Warm Lake road) Forest Highway 22. 

Proceed along Forest Highway 22 northeast approximately 25 miles.

When you arrive at the Warm Lake area, Forest Highway 22 will become Forest Service (FS) Road 579. 

Continue east along FS Road 579, approximately 8 miles to Summit Lake Campground.

GPS Coordinates

Latitude 44° 38′ 42.1080″ N

Longitude 115° 35′ 8.1960″ W

Overview:

Spillway Campground is a small campground with 3 campsites along Anderson Ranch Reservoir.  The reservoir is a popular destination for fishing, boating, waterskiing and riding personal watercraft. 

There is excellent fishing in the reservoir for smallmouth bass and kokanee. Also try your luck at fly fishing just below the dam for a trout!

Rafting access is at Reclamation Village, just south of the campground.

Nearby Activities

• Auto touring
• Boating
• Camping
• Hiking
• Hunting
• Picnicking

Directions

From Mountain Home, Idaho travel northeast 21 miles along State Highway 20 to the Forest Service road 134 turnoff. 

Take the Forest Service road 134 north approximately 6 miles to the Anderson Ranch Dam and Spillway Campground is a stone’s throw from the Dam.

GPS Coordinates

Latitude 43° 21′ 26.0640″ N

Longitude 115° 26′ 50.8920″ W

Overview: 

Set within the beautiful Trinity Recreation area, the Big Roaring River Lake Campground has12 campsites in a dense lodgepole forest on the river.

The Trailhead to the north follows the Upper Roaring River and the Trailhead to the south accesses the William H. Pogue National Recreation Trail and the Lava Mountain Trail.

Both trails are open to two-wheeled ATVs, horses, bikes, and people. The Lava Mountain Trail itself passes three lovely lakes on its way south to Lava Mountain.

Fishing in the river or in Big Roaring River Lake for rainbow trout. Hand-carry boat launch for canoes and other small craft.

Several Campgrounds in there area offer a quiet retreat in a beautiful high alpine landscape.

The Trinity Recreation area has a limited season due to late snow melt, but campgrounds they are accessible by car.

Natural Features:

Campgrounds are located in a dense lodgepole pine forest close to the East Fork Roaring River at an elevation of 7,900 feet. They're nestled among four subalpine lakes: Big Roaring River Lake, Little Roaring River Lake, Big Trinity Lake and Little Trinity Lake. The peaks of the Boise Mountains surround the cabins, and Trinity Mountain, the tallest in the range at 9,700 feet, is just to the south.

Snow can make this area inaccessible until early July, but soon afterward, the land is blanketed by colorful summer wildflowers. This area is a haven for elk and deer, but wildlife watchers may also spot an occasional black bear.

Recreation:

Hikers can access the 4-mile Rainbow Basin Trail System from Big Trinity Lake. The William H. Pogue National Recreation Trail and Lava Mountain Trail are for off-road vehicle enthusiasts, mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders. Both of these trails can be accessed near Big Roaring River Lake. The Little Roaring River Trail at Little Roaring River Lake is also open to mountain bike, off-road vehicles and hiking. Click here for an Idaho OHV Safety Message.

Anglers can fish in any of the nearby lakes for rainbow and cutthroat trout. The lakes are also ideal for exploring by canoe or kayak.

Nearby Attractions:

The summit of Trinity Mountain is the highest drivable point in Idaho, although the road may be blocked by snow until early July. A short, steep hike takes visitors to the lookout tower for panoramic views of several subalpine lakes and other mountains in the Boise Range.

Nearby Activities

• Auto touring
• Biking
• Camping
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Horseback riding
• Wildlife viewing

Directions

From Boise, Idaho travel east along Interstate 84 (I-84) to Mountain Home, Idaho.

At the I-84 and State Highway 20 junction, take Highway 20 east for 35 miles to the Pine/Featherville turnoff.

Travel north on Forest Highway 61 for 29 miles to Forest Service (FS) road 172.

Proceed 15 miles northwest to FS road 129.

Continue 3 miles to the Guard Station junction.

The roadway is paved up to the junction of FS road 172. FS Road 172 is native material (dirt) and trailer traffic is not recommended. There are signs noting each of the junctions.

GPS Coordinates

Latitude 43° 37′ 14.2320″ N

Longitude 115° 26′ 37.3200″ W

Overview:

A stay at Badger Creek Campground enables guests to enjoy all the beauty and recreation offered around the Middle Fork Boise River (Forest Service road 268).  Arrowrock Reservoir is just west of the campground and one of the premiere destinations for fishing, boating and waterskiing in southern Idaho.

Weather is usually good from mid-May through late September and is easily accessible by car in good weather, although the road is sometimes rough and the drive can be seemingly long.  Checking with the Idaho City Ranger District (208-392-6681) on road conditions before heading out is recommended.

Natural Features:

The campground has 5 campsites situated along the river. Wildlife watchers may want to look for deer and elk. Waterfowl, eagles and osprey are attracted to the river.

Recreation:

Corral Creek trail #129 and the William Pogue National Recreation trail #122 are just north of the campground.

Check the Idaho City Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for trails in the area that are open to hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers and off-road vehicles. Click here for an Idaho OHV safety message.

The Middle Fork Boise River offers excellent rainbow & cutthroat trout fishing and good swimming holes. Big game hunting is a popular activity in season.

Nearby Activities

• Auto touring
• Camping
• Hiking
• Hunting
• Picnicking
• Swimming

Directions

From Boise, Idaho travel north on State Highway 21 to Forest Service (FS) Road 268 (also called Middle Fork Boise River Road) turn-off.

Travel along FS Road 268 road along the scenic Arrowrock Reservoir approximately 25 miles.

You will travel past the Arrowrock Dam and several other campgrounds.

Use caution FS Road 268 is narrow and can be rough.  The Campground will be a few miles beyond the Willow Creek Campground.

GPS Coordinates

Latitude 43° 39′ 43.8480″ N

Longitude 115° 42′ 42.1200″ W

Visit the Lowman Ranger District and explore the Deadwood Reservoir or Bear Valley for camping and fishing fun. The scenic drive from Boise along the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway can be accessed at Banks along Idaho State Highway 55. 

The route offers many opportunities to view wildlife especially in the winter months. Temperatures in the summer on the District range into the upper 90s, and are generally dry.

There are many recreation opportunities in the area ranging from roadside hot springs to backcountry travel and white water kayaking. Winter activities include a visit to the hot springs, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and winter wildlife viewing.