U.S. Forest Service · Boise National Forest · ID

Big Roaring River Lake Campground

1Heads up1 fire 24 mi away
Wildfire
East Fork fire · 24 mi away · 1 acres · updated Oct 17, 2026
First come, first servedNo reservation, and none to be had: the sites go to whoever pulls in first.

This is how it should work.

Right now
Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
Drawn from the record · 8,070 ft · 0% tree cover · Big Roaring River Lake within reach · Bortle 2 sky
8,070 ftElevation
366 ftWater · Big Roaring River Lake
25.6 miE of Robie Creek, ID
0%Tree cover
Bortle 2Night sky · 385th darkest of 523 in ID

The place

the agency’s own description · what’s there

In the agency’s own words

Overview: Set within the beautiful Trinity Recreation area, the Big Roaring River Lake Campground has12 campsites in a dense lodgepole forest on the river. The Trailhead to the north follows the Upper Roaring River and the Trailhead to the south accesses the William H. Pogue National Recreation Trail and the Lava Mountain Trail. Both trails are open to two-wheeled ATVs, horses, bikes, and people. The Lava Mountain Trail itself passes three lovely lakes on its way south to Lava Mountain. Fishing in the river or in Big Roaring River Lake for rainbow trout. Hand-carry boat launch for canoes and other small craft. Keep reading

Several Campgrounds in there area offer a quiet retreat in a beautiful high alpine landscape. The Trinity Recreation area has a limited season due to late snow melt, but campgrounds they are accessible by car. Natural Features: Campgrounds are located in a dense lodgepole pine forest close to the East Fork Roaring River at an elevation of 7,900 feet. They're nestled among four subalpine lakes: Big Roaring River Lake, Little Roaring River Lake, Big Trinity Lake and Little Trinity Lake. The peaks of the Boise Mountains surround the cabins, and Trinity Mountain, the tallest in the range at 9,700 feet, is just to the south. Snow can make this area inaccessible until early July, but soon afterward, the land is blanketed by colorful summer wildflowers. This area is a haven for elk and deer, but wildlife watchers may also spot an occasional black bear. Recreation: Hikers can access the 4-mile Rainbow Basin Trail System from Big Trinity Lake. The William H. Pogue National Recreation Trail and Lava Mountain Trail are for off-road vehicle enthusiasts, mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders. Both of these trails can be accessed near Big Roaring River Lake. The Little Roaring River Trail at Little Roaring River Lake is also open to mountain bike, off-road vehicles and hiking. Click here for an Idaho OHV Safety Message. Anglers can fish in any of the nearby lakes for rainbow and cutthroat trout. The lakes are also ideal for exploring by canoe or kayak. Nearby Attractions: The summit of Trinity Mountain is the highest drivable point in Idaho, although the road may be blocked by snow until early July. A short, steep hike takes visitors to the lookout tower for panoramic views of several subalpine lakes and other mountains in the Boise Range.

Facilities

Boat ramp
Yes
Source: Stated in the agency description · Aug 23, 2026

Around the campground

On the water
Lake, River
Auto Touring
Biking
Fishing
Hiking
Horseback riding
Wildlife viewing
Source: Recreation.gov activity records · Aug 23, 2026

Nothing to book, just show up

One of 1,623 federal campgrounds where the site still goes to whoever pulls in first. Get there before noon on a summer weekend.

recreation.gov publishes no availability for a campground you can’t reserve, so there’s no thirty-night reading to draw here. The season bar above is what the agency does publish.

BookingNo reservationsNothing to book, and no release date to wait forthe agency’s record
Runs itU.S. Forest Servicethe agency’s record
Every line of the receipt · 3

What you actually pay

The sign priceU.S. Forest Service
The U.S. Forest Service publishes no per-night rate for this campground that we can read, so there’s no sign price to print. That’s a gap in the record, not a free campground.
The booking feerecreation.gov
Nothing. This campground takes no bookings, so there’s no reservation fee to pay.
What a stay costs
The agency publishes no nightly rate for this campground, so there’s no total to show.
How we know this receipt · 4

rules read Sep 7, 2026 · record Aug 23, 2026 · How we know all this

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

Getting there

the map and the coordinate

The weather

the next four days

Next four days, and the thirty-year normal

Forecast

Overnight32°Partly Cloudy
Saturday55°Mostly Sunny
Saturday Night30°Partly Cloudy
Sunday53°Mostly Sunny

NWS forecast for Idaho City, ID

The land, and who answers for it

what threatens it · who answers for it

What threatens this place

Roadless
Rainbow31,480 acres · 4 mi · inventoried roadless area
Roadless
Whiskey Jack6,566 acres · 7 mi · inventoried roadless area
Roadless
Sheep Creek70,371 acres · 8 mi · inventoried roadless area

You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.

Source: MTJP Threatened Lands map · Oct 5, 2026

Who answers for this land

Mike Simpson, official portrait

Big Roaring River Lake Campground is in Idaho’s 2nd congressional district. Its representative, Mike Simpson (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

How we know

every fact on this page, and where it came from
Right now: U.S. Forest Service publishes no season and no closure for this campground, and it takes no bookings we can read. That’s a gap in the record and not a locked gate.
Cell signal: the Forest Service’s own campground description, read as text by CAMPANAC. None of this is a measurement. It’s what the land manager published about the place, and phones, carriers and weather all disagree with each other; treat it as a warning, not a promise.
Nearest place of any size: Idaho City, ID, 23.4 mi SE. Straight line.