Welcome back to Grand Adventure! In this episode we'll share five of our favorite
campgrounds in southern Idaho, ranging from a glacially-fed mountain lake to hot
springs, from a summer lakefront paradise to sand dunes, and even rock monoliths
along the historic California Trail. You don't want to miss this, so stick around!
If you're a Grand Adventurer, chances are that you recognize this scene from the
intro to each and every Grand Adventure video. We get asked about this
boondocking spot more than just about any other. It's near Sun Valley, Idaho,
which we covered back in episode 19. We'll link to episode 19 right here on the
screen in case you haven't seen it.
Because we've covered it previously, we won't return to our Sun Valley camp in
this episode of Grand Adventure. Instead, we'll share five of our favorite
campgrounds across southern Idaho, and we'll start out in the Sawtooth
Mountains north of Sun Valley.
Redfish Lake is located in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area at the base of
the Sawtooth Mountains in Custer County, south of Stanley. It's named for the
brilliant sockeye salmon that once returned from the Pacific Ocean in such
massive quantities that the lake shimmered red during spawning season. Now
though, only a small percentage of the wild sockeye succeed in making it
through the several hydroelectric dams along their route back to the lake to
spawn. Situated at 6,547 feet above sea
level, Redfish Lake is four-and-a-half miles
long and nearly three-quarters of a mile wide, with five National Forest Service
dry campgrounds along its shore.
We stayed in the Glacier View Campground, which offer 65 paved sites scattered
throughout three loops at $16 to $18 per night. Drinking water and flush toilets
are available in the campground, and a dump station with potable water is
located nearby at the entrance of the lake. A special shout-out to our friend
and fellow YouTuber TR Bowlin for providing these great photos of the
campsites. Check out TR's YouTube channel linked right here on your screen.
At the Redfish Lake Lodge, built in 1929 a short distance away in the lake's
northwest corner, there's a general store, marina and overnight accommodation. There
you may pick up a boat or canoe rental, fuel and shuttle service to popular
hiking trails at the far end of the lake.
Campsite reservations at Redfish Lake fill up quickly, but two of the lake's
campgrounds -- Sockeye and Mt. Heyburn -- are walk-up only for first-come,
first-served. Now let's head further west into Boise National Forest to the Pine
Flats Campground west of Lowman. There's really nothing special about the sites
themselves in this dry Forest Service campground squeezed between the North
Fork Payette River and the Banks-Lowman Road at 3,700 feet of elevation. Some
camp site pads are paved , and vault toilets, drinking water and trash
collection are provided for 15 bucks per night. Sites include the standard fire
ring and picnic table. There is no RV dump.
What makes this place special sits above the riverbank adjacent to the campground.
Here, hot springs spew water heated deep beneath the earth, and that water spills
down the rock facing the river and collects in small pools, perfect for
soaking. These natural hot springs are only about a half-mile walk from the
campsites of Pine Flats, making Pine Flats Campground a truly special place
indeed.
Both forks of the Payette River are popular with whitewater enthusiasts, and
there are a number of outfitters near the town of Banks offering guided
rafting trips for those camping in the area.
A bit further north on a thousand-acre peninsula jutting into beautiful Payette
Lake is the spectacular summer playground of Ponderosa State Park.
Camping is available within the park in four locations, but we stayed in the
Peninsula Campground which offers 113 campsites with
water and 30 amp electric hookups, fire rings, picnic tables, a dump station, and
three bath houses with hot showers and flush toilets.
We even spotted these two young fawns wandering through our campsite. The park
offers hiking and biking trails, guided walks with Park naturalists, and
evening campfire programs.
The charming four season lakeside resort town of McCall is only a mile and a half
down the road, too.
Our next favorite campground to share couldn't be more different than the
previous ones. Near the Snake River, southeast of Boise and south of Mountain
Home, is another Idaho State Park: Bruneau Dunes. This 4,800-acre preservation
area features large sand dunes and small spring-fed lakes. Campsites are gravel and
feature electric and water hookups. There's a dump station within the park,
and bath houses feature showers and flush toilets. This natural basin has
trapped and stacked flying sand for over 12,000 years.
Activities include sand boarding, fishing for bass and bluegill, bird watching,
hiking and swimming. No motorized vehicles are permitted on the dunes.
Nearby the Bruneau River has cut a 1200-foot deep canyon as it enters the Snake
River.
It's a good thing that campsites at Bruneau Dunes feature electric ,where it
could be brutally hot in the summer. In fact, it was well over 100 degrees
during our July visit. However, once the sun goes down, the sky lights up. With
little light pollution, Bruneau Dunes offers exceptional stargazing.
There's even an observatory within the park with a 25-inch Newtonian reflector
telescope for visitors to use. For our final stop in southern Idaho we're going
to head east to the City of Rocks National Reserve near Almo. California
Trail wagon trains of the 1840s and 1850s left the Raft River Valley and
traveled through the area and over Granite Pass into Nevada. The area's
historic and geological values, scenery, and opportunities for recreation led to
its designation as City of Rocks National Reserve in 1988. This unit of
the National Park System is managed cooperatively by the National Park
Service and the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.
There are 64 campsites in the C ity of Rocks Campground, although a few of them
are walk-in only. Sites are small, and are therefore best suited to tents and
camper vans. A few can accommodate small travel trailers and RV's up to 25 feet.
Names or initials of emigrants written in axle-grease are still visible
on Register Rock. Ruts from wagon wheels also can be seen in some of the rocks.
There's exceptional hiking in City of Rocks. However, the area is best known for its
climbing, with over a thousand trad and bolted sport routes available.
There's even more hiking and climbing in Castle Rock State Park immediately
adjacent to City of Rocks. Here at the Smoky Mountain Campground, 37 paved
campsites with water and electric are nestled among Idaho's largest pinyon
pine forest for $29 per night. Restrooms and showers are centrally located.
Southern Idaho offers a plethora of great camping locations in diverse
surroundings. Whether traveling through on I-84, or treating the region as a
destination in its own right, we hope that this video helps you plan your own
RV camping trip to southern Idaho. We've included helpful links in the video
description down below. If you liked this video, please give us a thumbs up! If
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Adventure! We'll see you soon!