About this place
The Great Rift lies out on the Snake River Plain, in south-central Idaho. It is a crack in the earth about 53 miles long. Lava came up through it, and three lava fields lie along it: Craters of the Moon, Kings Bowl and Wapi. The last eruptions were only about 2,000 years ago.
The wildlife list here is long. Antelope, mule deer, coyotes and rabbits, plus 22 other kinds of mammal.
Birds do even better. Sage grouse, mourning doves and several sorts of raptor are among the 140 species recorded on the lava plain.
The facts
- Cost
- Camping fee not confirmed
- Type
- Open area. Camp anywhere within it
- Managed by
- Bureau of Land Management
Getting there
Out on the Snake River Plain in south-central Idaho, about 100 miles west of Pocatello and Idaho Falls. The main way in is US Highway 93, on the northwest side.
Coordinates 43.23861111, -113.4044444
Open in Google Maps Agency page
What is near here
A few more of our own spots are within reach of this one, along with some better-known places.
- Bear Den Butte Wilderness Study Area Directions
- Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve Directions
- Craters of the Moon National Monument Directions
- Smiley Mountain Directions
- Pioneer Mountain Directions
Every distance on this page is the driving distance. A short distance can still take a long time. The road may be closed for the season, covered in snow, or washed out. Many of these roads are dirt. Plan your route before you leave home. Out here there is often no phone signal to look it up on the way.
Nearest town and supplies
- Butte City, ID Directions
- Aberdeen, ID Directions
Aberdeen is big enough that you’d normally expect fuel and somewhere to buy food. Nobody from here has been to check, so don’t count on it if you’re running low.
Why “at least”: this route is hard to measure. We worked the drive out twice, with two separate mapping tools, and they gave different answers. That usually means there is no road close to the campsite, so the drive doubles back a long way. The figure above is the longer of the two. The real drive could be further still, so check the route before you set off.
Why the drive to town is usually twice what the map says — what we found measuring every campsite in this guide.
When it’s time to move on
On most public land you can camp for 14 days before you have to move on. Check this site’s own limit before you plan a long stay. When you move on, the Bureau of Land Management usually wants you at least 25 to 30 miles away. So the free campsites closest to you are the ones you cannot use.
Seven in this guide sit inside that 25 miles. The nearest one you could move to is Shale Butte Wilderness Study Area, Idaho — 31 miles in a straight line, but at least a 37 mile drive.
Why “at least”: there is no road right at this campsite, so the drive is hard to measure and the real one could be further. Check the route before you set off.
This guide covers five states and does not list every free campsite, so there may be something closer that we do not hold. Check this site’s own rule before you rely on it.
Have you been here?
Fees and access change, and the records do not always keep up. If you have been, tell us what you found.
Thank you, that is recorded. It helps the next person.
Add road notes for this site
The thing we cannot get from any government record is what the drive in is actually like. If you have done it, this is the most useful thing you can leave behind. We read everything before it appears, and we print a first name with it if you give one.
Thank you. A person will read it before it goes on the page.
Where this information comes from
The description on this page is ours. The facts in it, and the fee and facility details below it, come from the Bureau of Land Management’s own records, read in August 2026.