Fish Creek Road Dispersed Camping
Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Write a Review Fish Creek Rd. Island Park, ID 83429 208-558-7301 208-524-7500 Official WebsiteGPS: 44.4851, -111.2818
Overview of Fish Creek Road Dispersed Camping
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads.
Learn more: Boondocking 101
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by effyroqz on 9/10/2021
Longest RV Reported: 45 feet
Reported by Rick on 7/21/2017
Pad Type dirt
Open Seasonally Yes
Elevation 6,397 ft / 1,949 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
Discover a smarter way to RV with Roadtrippers
All your Campendium favorites and more are now in Roadtrippers.
Q&A - Ask the Community about Fish Creek Road Dispersed Camping
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. (208) 558-7301
Campendium users haven't asked any questions about Fish Creek Road Dispersed Camping
Reviews of Fish Creek Road Dispersed Camping 12 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 8 Users
Last reported 8/23/2024
Confirmed by 6 Users
Last reported 7/16/2021
Confirmed by 1 User
Last reported 5/23/2021
“Lots of bear activity ”
Reviewed 8/23/2024
Overall Rating
We’ve been camping in that area for years, but in the last couple years, the amount of grizzlies in the area have increased greatly. We’ve had one come near our campsite on 2 separate trips now. Both in the daytime. Another time we had to take our dog out after dark to go potty and there was one about 100 yards from our campsite. We bl... more
We’ve been camping in that area for years, but in the last couple years, the amount of grizzlies in the area have increased greatly. We’ve had one come near our campsite on 2 separate trips now. Both in the daytime. Another time we had to take our dog out after dark to go potty and there was one about 100 yards from our campsite. We blew our airhorn three times and it didn’t even phase it, in fact it started to come closer.
If you’re going to camp in that area, keep all food locked up, keep pets and children within sight and don’t go wandering around after dark. Be sure to carry bear spray on you at all times. I personally wouldn’t camp there without a weapon. Not the semi safe place it used to be…Safer to stay closer to town
| Access | |
| Location | |
| Cleanliness | |
| Site Quality | |
| Noise |
Verizon 5G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Quiet and Peaceful ”
Reviewed 9/10/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | N/A |
Overall Rating
This was my first free camping experience and I was pleasantly surprised with the location and overall space. I was visiting Yellowstone from Atlanta and had already spent a few nights at the park and needed a more budget friendly option. This location had a great variety of dispersed camping spots but very few campers. From what I cou... more
This was my first free camping experience and I was pleasantly surprised with the location and overall space. I was visiting Yellowstone from Atlanta and had already spent a few nights at the park and needed a more budget friendly option. This location had a great variety of dispersed camping spots but very few campers. From what I could tell, I was one of 5 different camping groups. I was solo so it was comforting to know there were other groups out there. However, It seems to be mostly RVs and I was the only one with a tent - maybe due to the colder nights this time of year? The only con would be the swarms of mosquitoes and gnats but that was nothing a little bug spray and lemon grass incense couldn’t alleviate. Overall, plenty of good spots - you May just have to scout around a bit. I found a great spot by the creek. Also, be sure to keep out of the areas marked “private property” 😄
| Access | |
| Location | |
| Cleanliness | |
| Site Quality | |
| Noise |
Verizon 4G
effyroqz would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Lots of spots in this area. Lots of dust. But one of my top picks”
Reviewed 7/16/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 14 |
Overall Rating
Lots of spots in this area. We didn't stay in this exact spot but within a 1/4 mile of it. Get a MVUM from the forest service office in Island Park. Easy enough to see where you are allowed to stay and can confirm with Google Maps if looking for more specific spots. Rangers DO drive through and check in with campers and they do try an... more
Lots of spots in this area. We didn't stay in this exact spot but within a 1/4 mile of it.
Get a MVUM from the forest service office in Island Park. Easy enough to see where you are allowed to stay and can confirm with Google Maps if looking for more specific spots. Rangers DO drive through and check in with campers and they do try and prevent squatters overstaying their welcome. All the rangers we met were great.
Lots of dust. Lots of off-road vehicles utilize the miles and miles of trails. But one of my top picks for boondocking for sure. West Yellowstone and Yellowstone NP is 30 minutes away.
ATT was good (with a poor signal strength) with external antennas on the roof. 35 DL and 5 UL
Verizon was not so good. Friend needed to utilize a booster and I could not get connected without a booster.
Walmart is an hour away and the local "grocery" store (more like a convenience store) was expensive as would be West Yellowstone stores. So come stocked up or know the the drive to Walmart is a half day affair.
Not many places to go out and eat unless you go to the tourist trap that is West Yellowstone.
The main road into the area is paved but not exactly smooth. That's a 3 mile drive. Then onto the forest roads which are generally good but gravel and that's where the dust comes from. This is a BUSY place. There are many permanent summer residents that have houses. They rent the land from the forest service as I understand it. They have signs up and they don't like visitors near "their" land.
Weekends are clearly busier than weekdays. Weekends ARE BUSY. Most of the off roaders would stay later in the morning and finish up early evening.
We got a nice level spot that could hold 5-6 full size RVs with trees and good solar. It had a nice large fire ring. The end of our stay a fire ban was in place. Their were a number of fires and we were receiving the smoke/haze about half way into our stay so solar was almost cut in half. Unfortunately we needed to run the genset more than we wanted but not much could be done about that. It is about 6400 foot elevation so that kept temp manageable during the day with highs in the 80s and cool at night in the 40s.
This is bear country. The ranger said this with confidence - "There is a 100% chance a grizzly will see you. There is a close to 0% chance you will see them. Be bear aware and leave nothing outside that will attract them. Know all the items that will attract them"
After boondocking a few weeks on the other side of Yellowstone and the Tetons this was a nice change of pace.
| Access | |
| Location | |
| Cleanliness | |
| Site Quality | |
| Noise |
AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
Joe the Computerguy would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Pass”
Reviewed 6/18/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
Overall Rating
There are plenty of spots but there are also spots a lot better and closer to Yellowstone. A pro is that is was nice and flat but the cons included a massive swarm of mosquitos like nothing I’ve ever seen (and I’m from the south), loud dirt bikes for hours, and lack of reception. I could make phone calls but had absolutely no LTE, desp... more
There are plenty of spots but there are also spots a lot better and closer to Yellowstone. A pro is that is was nice and flat but the cons included a massive swarm of mosquitos like nothing I’ve ever seen (and I’m from the south), loud dirt bikes for hours, and lack of reception. I could make phone calls but had absolutely no LTE, despite what others reported.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Saved my life”
Reviewed 5/23/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|
Overall Rating
I work in YNP and I needed to make the two hour drive out to get groceries. On my way home towards West Yellowstone it started snowing so hard I couldn’t see the road and driving conditions were terrible. Luckily I have everything i need in my car to car camp so I pulled up this app, found this campsite, and stayed the night. It was qu... more
I work in YNP and I needed to make the two hour drive out to get groceries. On my way home towards West Yellowstone it started snowing so hard I couldn’t see the road and driving conditions were terrible. Luckily I have everything i need in my car to car camp so I pulled up this app, found this campsite, and stayed the night. It was quiet, there was one RV there and they just kept to themselves. I was able to get home without any hiccups the next morning. Will camp here again whether the situation is life threatening or not.
| Access | |
| Location | |
| Cleanliness | |
| Site Quality | |
| Noise |
T-Mobile 4G
Annelise would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Epitome of Dispersed Camping”
Reviewed 10/18/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | N/A |
| RV Length: | 41' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
Thanks to the previous reviewer, we took a chance on staying here for a couple of days while we explored Yellowstone NP. I will admit, we did cheat a little and during our last day staying in Victor ID to explore Grand Teton's NP, we went all the way through into Yellowstone's South Entrance, explored a little between there and its Wes... more
Thanks to the previous reviewer, we took a chance on staying here for a couple of days while we explored Yellowstone NP. I will admit, we did cheat a little and during our last day staying in Victor ID to explore Grand Teton's NP, we went all the way through into Yellowstone's South Entrance, explored a little between there and its West Entrance. During our way back from Yellowstone's West Entrance to Victor, ID we drove back and explored Fish Creek Road Dispersed area in our toad (Jeep Wrangler). Seeing several spots which would accommodate our 61' combined, we knew where we were destined the next day.
We easily made out way back to Fish Creek Road dispersed camping and went just past the bridge, hung a left, then took the first site on the left. IT WAS GREAT! Quiet, serene, level, and just all-around awesome! We would absolutely boondock again here should we get the pleasure of being back in this part, highly recommend it AND huge bonus, you're only about 30 minutes from the West Entrance to Yellowstone!
Oh, cell service was iffy on AT&T, but we did manage to connect for what we needed and were able to stream Netflix both nights we were there with minimal buffering.
The road back from Hwy 20, is paved... but I think I've experience smoother gravel roads :-) Only Fish Creek Road is gravel, but we were less than 1/4 mile off the pavement.
| Access | |
| Location | |
| Cleanliness | |
| Site Quality | |
| Noise |
AT&T 4G
Phil_Haulins_n_David_Towie would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Boondocking with a 33ft 5th wheel happily”
Reviewed 10/13/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | Happily Boondocked with a 33ft 5th Wheel at Fish Creek |
Overall Rating
This was a terrific boondocking site right off Big Springs loop. The first 2 sites we missed as they were right off the road but would be good spots with views but close to road, but the road is not busy. We parked a little up to the right on Fish Creek and there are 2 spots here that are easy for big rigs. We unhooked and checked o... more
This was a terrific boondocking site right off Big Springs loop. The first 2 sites we missed as they were right off the road but would be good spots with views but close to road, but the road is not busy. We parked a little up to the right on Fish Creek and there are 2 spots here that are easy for big rigs. We unhooked and checked out the spots to the left by the creek and felt that we were way to big for those. As it is mid October, we were the only ones out here dry camping. It was extremely quiet. We were a bit disappointed not to see any wildlife. BUT the proximity to Yellowstone is great, under an hour to Grand Prismatic springs. The best part of being here is the Big Springs headwaters and seeing the trout. See photos below. We stayed 2 nights and highly recommend this free spot :)
| Access | |
| Location | |
| Cleanliness | |
| Site Quality | |
| Noise |
AT&T 4G
Wanderingoldens would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Wonderful camp spot”
Reviewed 10/4/2020
Overall Rating
We loved our stay here. We got a site along the creek, listened to the elks bugling and the dog was happy watching the squirrels. We stayed longer than planned. If you stay here make sure you horsebackride in Harriman State Park, especially an early morning elk ride in fall. Amazing!!! Definitely noticed more noice from ATVs on the wee... more
We loved our stay here. We got a site along the creek, listened to the elks bugling and the dog was happy watching the squirrels. We stayed longer than planned. If you stay here make sure you horsebackride in Harriman State Park, especially an early morning elk ride in fall. Amazing!!! Definitely noticed more noice from ATVs on the weekend, but it wasn’t close and never bothered us.
| Access | |
| Location | |
| Cleanliness | |
| Site Quality | |
| Noise |
AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
Julchen would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Nice quiet area during week”
Reviewed 9/2/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 0 |
| RV Length: | 38' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
Nice quiet area during week but hear it get rowdy on the weekends. Nice spots with plenty of room to maneuver our 38 footer. Atv, bike, and kayak trails right there. Truly an ATV paradise.
| Access | |
| Location | |
| Cleanliness | |
| Site Quality | |
| Noise |
AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
Sara would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Nice place to camp for free when visiting Yellowstone but be careful going down certain roads with a large RV.”
Reviewed 6/23/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 7 |
| RV Length: | 24' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
When camping at Fish Creek Road there are a few things you should know. First, most of the big rig friendly sites are on the main road side. When you turn off the main road there are a few sites before the creek to the right and a road that goes left. The left road has a lot of nice campsites along it and ends with a loop. If you h... more
When camping at Fish Creek Road there are a few things you should know. First, most of the big rig friendly sites are on the main road side. When you turn off the main road there are a few sites before the creek to the right and a road that goes left.
The left road has a lot of nice campsites along it and ends with a loop. If you have a big RV I would suggest checking out that area for an open site before crossing the creek. Once you cross the creek there are two large sites to the right, a road that goes to private land, and another road to the left that leads to a second smaller loop.
To get to the smaller loop you cross the creek, turn left, then turn left again. This will take you past a nice large site. If you have a big RV turn around here because the road becomes a very narrow loop with tons of trees.
We didn’t know how narrow it was and took our trailer through the small loop. There were some trailers taking the few small easy to access campsites and someone was even camping on the loop road, so it was really tight trying to turn around. Our trailer got scratched up by a lot of trees during the whole process.
We ended up backing into a small site between some trees on this loop. It was an ok place to camp but we should have taken the road before the bridge to find a bigger campsite.
Expect lots of mosquitos, and heavy ATV traffic on the weekends.
It’s still a great place to camp for free near Yellowstone and there’s lots to see in the area, it’s just a little tight in some places for large trailers.
| Access | |
| Location | |
| Cleanliness | |
| Site Quality | |
| Noise |
AT&T 4G
Verizon 4G
thecampingnerd would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 1 of 2
Be the first to add a note for Fish Creek Road Dispersed Camping!
Be the first to add a video for Fish Creek Road Dispersed Camping!
46 reviews
Free Camping Near Yellowstone - Fish Creek Rd Review & Info
We stayed at Fish Creek Road, Island Park Idaho in June 2020.Our Previous Stop: Palisades Idaho Forest Road 281 – Camping Review & InfoOur Next Stop: Montana Campground Info Location: 44.485090, -111.2...
11 Free Yellowstone Campgrounds You'll Love - Drivin' & Vibin'
11 Free Yellowstone Campgrounds You’ll Love Yellowstone campgrounds are the oldest National Park campgrounds in the USA! Signed into law in 1872, Yellowstone was the first American National Par...
Contact us to update this listing.
Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
- Dispersed Camping
Recreation
- OHV
- recreation trail
Site Amenities
- fire ring
Pets
- pets
Nearby RV Rentals
In partnership with
Nearby RV Rentals
In partnership with
4 Reviews
2022 CLASS C MOTOR HOME
Jayco Redhawk 26XD
$239 /night | Sleeps 8 Guests
5 Reviews
2017 CLASS C MOTOR HOME
Winnebago Minnie Winnie 22R
$269 /night | Sleeps 6 Guests
3 Reviews
2011 CLASS C MOTOR HOME
Coachmen RV Freelander 31SS
$195 /night | Sleeps 7 Guests
New Listing
2024 TRAVEL TRAILER
Dutchmen RV Aspen Trail LE 24BHWE
$108 /night | Sleeps 8 Guests
1 Review
2016 CLASS C MOTOR HOME
Forest River RV Sunseeker MBS 2400W
$209 /night | Sleeps 6 Guests
1 Review
2007 CLASS C MOTOR HOME
Winnebago Aspect 26A
$189 /night | Sleeps 4 Guests
Please select a reason for flagging this item: