About this place
People come here to camp, to fish for trout and to put a boat on the Snake River. The site is part developed. There are fire rings, and not much else. You can walk down to the water and cast from the bank.
The town nearby has a story. In 1925 the whole of American Falls, about 3 miles away, was moved to make way for the dam and the reservoir behind it. It was the first town in the United States to be moved entirely. Only the big concrete grain elevator was too heavy to shift. It still stands out in the reservoir.
The facts
- Cost
- Camping fee not confirmed
- Stay limit
- 14 days
- Type
- Specific campsite
- Managed by
- Bureau of Land Management
Getting there
About 3 miles southwest of American Falls, on the north side of the Snake River.
Coordinates 42.71, -112.9508333
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.
- Massacre Rocks State Park Directions
- California National Historic Trail | Idaho Directions
- Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge Directions
- Sublett Range High Point Directions
- China Cup Butte ISA Wilderness Study Area 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
- American Falls, ID Directions
American Falls 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 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
You can camp here for 14 days. After that you have to move on, and 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.
Two in this guide sit inside that 25 miles. The nearest one you could move to is China Cup Butte ISA Wilderness Study Area, Idaho — 40 miles in a straight line, but a 56 mile drive.
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; opened and read by a person on 2026-08-27.