National forests with campgrounds open year-round in Idaho
This story originally appeared on Outwander and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
National forests with campgrounds open year-round in Idaho
As winter settles in, camping opportunities become more limited in most parts of the United States. However, for much of the South—as well as RVers and ambitious cold-weather enthusiasts—camping season never ends. Throughout national forests across the U.S., year-round camping options are abundant, offering many amenities and accessibility options.
Outwander used Forest Service data from the Department of Agriculture to identify Idaho campgrounds in national forests available throughout the year, based on a national analysis. We looked at the number and names of available year-round campgrounds for each.
National parks, from Yellowstone and Grand Canyon to Acadia and Valley Forge, focus largely on preserving natural and historic resources. National forests, meanwhile, are managed for everything from recreation and resource preservation to grazing and wildlife.
With the overcrowding (especially in recent years) of visitors to national parks, national forests can offer a welcome respite for travelers seeking peace and solitude. Visitors should always check forest and campground websites before traveling in case of weather advisories or temporary closures.
Several national forests feature just one or two year-round campgrounds, while Idaho's Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest boasts 40. Depending on the adventure you're pursuing—whether snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or avoiding the white stuff altogether and opting for a trip south for warm-weather hiking—these campgrounds provide a range of settings to serve as home base during every kind of outdoor escape.
Keep reading to discover which national forests have year-round campgrounds in Idaho.
Salmon-Challis National Forest
- Number of year-round campgrounds: 1
- Campground names:
--- Meadow Lake Campground
Idaho Panhandle National Forests
- Number of year-round campgrounds: 3
- Campground names:
--- Robinson Lake Campground
--- Copper Creek Campground
--- Meadow Creek Campground
Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests
- Number of year-round campgrounds: 41
- Campground names:
--- French Gulch Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Halfway House Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Leggett Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Mackay Bar Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Mallard Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Meadow Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- O'Hara Saddle Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Orogrande Campground #1 and #2 (Weather dependent)
--- Orogrande Campground #3 and #4 (Weather dependent)
--- Orogrande Summit Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Oxbow Campsite (Weather dependent)
--- Red River Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Sam's Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Sing Lee Campground (Weather dependent)
--- South Fork Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Table Meadows Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Ten Mile (Weather dependent)
--- Trapper Creek Camp Area (Weather dependent)
--- Wildhorse Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Granite Springs Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Poet Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Fish Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Rocky Bluff Campground (Weather dependent)
--- North Fork Slate Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Spring Bar Campground (Weather dependent)
--- CCC Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Twenty-mile Bar Dispersed Site (Weather dependent)
--- Slide Creek Dispersed Site (Weather dependent)
--- Slims Camp (Weather dependent)
--- Race Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Bridge Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Castle Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Crooked River Campground #3 (Weather dependent)
--- Ditch Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Dixie Meadow Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Five Mile Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Knife Edge Campground and River Access (Weather dependent)
--- Weitas Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
--- White Sand Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Cedars Campground (Weather dependent)
--- Lolo Creek Campground (Weather dependent)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten, writing by Nicole Caldwell, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 28 states.
