Lightning Creek Road Dispersed Camping
Kaniksu National Forest
Write a Review FR-419 Clark Fork, ID 208-263-5111 Official WebsiteGPS: 48.2428, -116.1113
Location submitted by: thecampingnerd
Overview of Lightning 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 Ktazz on 11/23/2022
Longest RV Reported: 36 feet (Fifth Wheel)
Reported by LivingOurDreamNow on 8/21/2021
Open Seasonally Yes
Elevation 2,690 ft / 819 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Lightning Creek Road Dispersed Camping
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 208-263-5111
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Reviews of Lightning Creek Road Dispersed Camping 6 people have reviewed this location.
“Beautiful but gross people! ”
Reviewed 11/23/2022
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 8 |
| RV Length: | 32' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
We were there in August 2022. Grandkids, son and daughter in law, wife and I, in our 32' class C RV. Plenty of room, beautiful area. Two bad things were the large amount of human feces and Toilet paper left by previous occupants and the horse flies and bees became an issue. Really people? Clean up your dam crap! Totally gross. We dug h... more
We were there in August 2022. Grandkids, son and daughter in law, wife and I, in our 32' class C RV. Plenty of room, beautiful area. Two bad things were the large amount of human feces and Toilet paper left by previous occupants and the horse flies and bees became an issue. Really people? Clean up your dam crap! Totally gross. We dug holes and buried allot of it but still allot more when we left. Totally disqusting!
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Verizon
Ktazz would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great boondocking site”
Reviewed 8/8/2022
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | NA |
Overall Rating
Great boondocking spot for small camper or travel trailer. Lots of space to spread out and only yards from the creek with privacy from Lightning Creek Rd. Would not recommend for anything over 22 ft as there is not enough turn around space and lots of low hanging overhead limbs.
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AT&T
Verizon
T-Mobile
Johnny O would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great if you have a small rig.”
Reviewed 6/7/2022
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 0 |
| Site Number: | N/A |
| RV Length: | 30' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
BEAUTIFUL area and the main road in is pretty good but the majority of sites are for tent campers, pickup campers or very small trailers. Several sites are not visible from the main road but are accessed by short narrow and very heavily treed rougher access roads.
Sadly,.. just didnt work for us.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Scenic Creek Camping with an Abundance of Wildlife”
Reviewed 8/21/2021
| RV Length: | 36' (Fifth Wheel) |
|---|
Overall Rating
Free camping at Lightning Creek Dispersed Camping Area within the Kaniksu National Forest in Idaho offers scenic views of rocky Lightning Creek. During our visit to the Lightning Creek Dispersed Camping Area we unexpectedly encounter a bear in the creek. In this video, I provide you a walking tour of an outstanding dispersed campsite... more
Free camping at Lightning Creek Dispersed Camping Area within the Kaniksu National Forest in Idaho offers scenic views of rocky Lightning Creek. During our visit to the Lightning Creek Dispersed Camping Area we unexpectedly encounter a bear in the creek. In this video, I provide you a walking tour of an outstanding dispersed campsite along Lightning Creek (Video uploaded here on Campendium for your immediate reference). The bear encounter happened during the filming of this video and footage of the bear encounter is included as part of the aforementioned tour. The bear appeared more brown than black in the sunlight and in-person, but subsequent research and photo comparisons after the fact lead me to believe this was a black bear. There was no cellular service at this location for Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. The grid coordinates for the free camping location shown in this video are as follows: 48.240497, -116.111083
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AT&T
Verizon
T-Mobile
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Reviewed 7/14/2021
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
Overall Rating
The creek was beautiful, there was some road traffic but it was a wonderful spot!
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AT&T
Mary would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Dispersed Camping In The Forest With Small Private Campsites Next To Lightning Creek & The Cabinet Mountains.”
Reviewed 8/28/2020
| Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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| Days stayed: | 7 |
| RV Length: | 24' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
Lightning Creek Road is National Forest road that is about 10 miles long and has dispersed campsites all along it. Most of the campsites are down small narrow roads and about 4-5 are big enough for a trailer but most will only be large enough for a car or van. Make sure you scout down roads before driving down them because a lot of the... more
Lightning Creek Road is National Forest road that is about 10 miles long and has dispersed campsites all along it. Most of the campsites are down small narrow roads and about 4-5 are big enough for a trailer but most will only be large enough for a car or van. Make sure you scout down roads before driving down them because a lot of the sites are small and difficult to turn around in with a trailer.
We found a really nice campsite that was large enough for our 32 foot travel trailer about 5 miles from the point where the paved part of Lightning Creek Road becomes dirt. The listed coordinates will take you to where that campsite was but there are a few good smaller campsites before that one.
Some of the best larger campsites were further down the road than the one we camped in. If you are towing a trailer you will be able to turn around about 10 miles in at the 3rd bridge which will be to your left. If you cross that bridge, there will be a large open area directly to your right you can fit multiple large RVs in or use to turn around.
The area is beautiful and there are tons of amazing hikes along the road. The creek is full of small trout and the campsites are all well shaded, near water, and mostly hidden from the dusty main road. There are camping signs in a few of the sites but there is no official camping information posted anywhere. Like most places, we are assuming the limit is 14 days.
The camping is much closer to the town of Clark Fork, ID than it looks, and the dirt road was in excellent condition when we were there in August 2020. This is definitely a place mostly used by locals and many of the campsites were still open even over the weekend.
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AT&T
Verizon
T-Mobile
thecampingnerd would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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373 reviews
46 reviews
46 reviews
Free Camping In The Cabinet Mountains By Lightning Creek, ID
We stayed at Lightning Creek Road in Idaho in August.Our Previous Stop: Free Boondocking On The Shores Of The Largest Lake In IdahoOur Next Stop: Montana Campground Info Location: 48.242828, -116.11119...
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- Dispersed Camping
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