Blackfoot Reservoir Campground
- Right now
- Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
- A night
- $20From, per site
- Sites
- 28All of them booked ahead
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 12 notices
In the agency’s own words
Blackfoot Reservoir Campground is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and is located on the southwest end of the Blackfoot Reservoir. The Reservoir covers 18,000 surface acres when full and is the second largest reservoir in southeastern Idaho. The campground has an annual fee season from May 15th - September 15th and is equipped with 16 fully developed campsites, 12 standard campsites, 6 day-use sites, 2 boat ramps, and an RV dump station. The site offers recreational activities such as fishing, camping, picnicking, motorized boating, non-motorized boating (i.e. kayaks, rafts, standup paddle boards, etc.), swimming, wildlife viewing, and hunting opportunities. Keep reading
Recreation
Blackfoot Reservoir Campground offers recreational activities such as camping, (ice) fishing, picnicking, motorized boating, non-motorized boating (i.e. kayaks, rafts, standup paddle boards, etc.), swimming, wildlife viewing, and hunting opportunities. With almost year-round fishing the reservoir offers anglers a great place to try their luck at catching Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, and Cutbows. Big game hunting in the fall draws in a lot of sportsmen coming to Southeastern Idaho, with the campground being centrally located between three popular hunting areas it offers a great place for them to stay. The Blackfoot River coming off the northside of the reservoir offers non-motorized boaters a fun thrilled float with over 23 river miles, offering several Class II and a few Class III rapids.
Facilities
Blackfoot Reservoir Campground can accommodate both RV and tent camping. The campground features 16 fully developed RV campsites - electrical hookups (50-amp connection), access to potable water. Each site has a graveled parking pad, tent pad, shelter, picnic table, and a fire ring. Four of the RV sites are pull-through, while the rest are back-in only. One of the back-in sites (#7) is accessible. The campground also offers 12 standard campsites within the overflow-dispersed section with graveled parking pads, picnic tables, and fire rings. Two concrete boat ramps are available on site, one of which is a double lane with accessible boat docks, large, graveled parking areas offer ample amount of parking for trucks and boat trailers. The campground also offers an accessible sidewalk to a fishing platform, a group shelter with picnic tables, grills for cooking, and other small single picnic sites with shelters. Four double vaulted restrooms, multiple water hydrants for potable water, trash service, and a RV dump station are available. Five reservable campsites are available within the fully developed RV campsites # (10, 11, 13, 14, and 16). The rest of the campsites are first come - first serve, with Scan & Pay and Recreation Use Permit Envelopes (RUP's) on sites at two self-pay stations. The fully developed RV campsites allow for one RV with vehicle in tow or one vehicle. For additional vehicles you must purchase an Extra Vehicle pass, per night. There is a four-vehicle max per fully developed campsite. These passes may be purchased ahead of time through the Activity Pass link below, or on-site through Scan & Pay. Campground amenities are also available for day-use; Day Use Daily, Day Use Annual, and Extra Vehicle Passes can be purchased through Recreation.gov at Blackfoot Reservoir Campground Activity Passes . Paid over night campers do not need to purchase a Day Use Pass but may need to purchase an Extra Vehicle Pass. Once on-site, follow the posted Scan & Pay instructions. You will need to download the free Recreation.gov mobile app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service. For more information about paying on-site, click here: How Do I Use a Scan & Pay QR Code to Pay for my Campsite?
Natural Features
With the campground situated directly on the shore of the Blackfoot Reservoir nearly every campsite offers stunning views of the reservoir. China Hat, China Cap, and North Cone mountains are three geological sites adjacent to the campground, known for their noticeable distinct shapes, the rhyolite domes formed around older volcano lava flows that intruded and pierced the basalt of the Blackfoot Lava Field. The area is known for its abundance of wildlife and birdwatching opportunities. Deer, elk, and moose can be seen coming down to get a drink from the reservoir. Idaho Birding Trail #29 offers the chance to see a vast number of different birds, Gull Island located within the reservoir supports one of the largest nesting colonies in Idaho for the American White Pelican, Double-crested Cormorant, and California Gull. The reservoir is also used by waterfowl, waterbirds, and shorebirds.
Nearby Attractions
The Blackfoot Reservoir Campground is located off Idaho State Highway 34 between Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Soda Springs, Idaho. This stretch of highway is designated as the Pioneer Historic Byway, a main travel route for travelers going to the Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, St. Anthony Sand Dunes, Harriman State Park and Island Park surrounding areas, Bear Lake, and Utah. Local attractions near Soda Springs, Idaho consist of: Formation Springs and Cave - Nature Conservancy Preserve. Ancient mineral springs and wildlife viewing area. Hooper Springs Park - Natural carbonated spring water, picnic spots, playground, and pavilion. Geyser Park - The only captive geyser in the world. Visitor information and history. Oregon Trail Wagon Ruts - Actual ruts left by the Oregon Trail emigrants. Sheep Rock Point - Where the Oregon/California Trail divides.
What the agency tells you
If purchasing onsite with Scan & Pay, please have the Recreation.gov app downloaded prior to arrival. Once purchased please write down confirmation number on provided Recreation Use Permit (yellow envelope) in box #8. Attach envelope to campsite marker and place hang tag on the rearview mirrow of your vehicle.
Fees must be paid within 20 minutes of occupying a designated campsite.
If reserving a campsite in advance, you are required to print a copy of your Camping Pass with QR code and place the printout on your dashboard of your vehicle for the duration of your stay.
Everything else this campground posts · 9
Please check in and out on the Recreation.gov mobile app upon arrival and departure of your reserved campsite.
Passes are non-transferrable, non-refundable, not replaceable if lost or stolen, and are void if altered or reproduced.
In the fully developed campsites (1 - 16) a max number of four vehicles is permitted. All vehicles and trailers must park within the designated graveled parking area. Over-flow parking is available within the day-use area and boat ramp trailer parking area.
Standard campsites (B1 - B12) do not have a max number of vehicles per site and parking is permitted on the mowed grass areas.
America the Beautiful Passes: Senior and Access pass are accepted at this site for a 50% discount.
The RV Dump Station and potable water is available from May 15th - September 15th, annually.
Maximum duration of stay is 14 DAYS (consecutive or not) within a 28-DAY period. After 14 days of campsite occupation, you must move outside a 25-mile radius of that location.
Potable water spickets are located throughout the campground, please only use it to fill your holding tank. Do not leave hose hooked up to camper.
Check out time is 2 PM on the last day of stay.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 28
- Hookups
- 15 electric
- Longest rig
- 80 ft
- Accessible sites
- 1
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- 16 of 28 sites
Facilities
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets
- ACCESSIBLE VAULT TOILETS on 1 of 32 campsite records
- Drinking water
- Yes
- ACCESSIBLE DRINKING WATER on 1 of 32 campsite records, WATER (SEASONAL) on 14 of 32 campsite records
- Dump station
- Yes
- recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
- Boat ramp
- Yes
- Playground
- Yes
- Camp host
- On site
- recreation.gov lists “Host”
- Stay limit
- 21 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- On the water
- Reservoir, Lake, River
- Boating
- Canoeing
- Fishing
- Ice Fishing
- Jet Skiing
- Non-Motorized Boating
- Picnicking
- Water access
- Water sports
- Wildlife viewing
- Night sky · 486th darkest of 523 in ID
- Bortle 3
Nothing on the booking system for the next 30 nightsread 14:34 UTC
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
Every one of the next thirty nights is in recreation.gov’s record and not one site is being offered on any of them. That’s a campground closed or not yet released for booking, not a sold-out one.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 16
What you actually pay
“$10 per vehicle/per night, for each additional vehicle in the fully developed campsites (must purchase this pass separately through a Activity Pass).” · the Bureau of Land Management’s own fee record
Derived by CAMPANAC: the lowest per-night amount the agency’s fee record states ($20), plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 6
recreation.gov availability, read 14:34 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Oct 1, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
32 records
All 32 records
| Fully Developed | 1 | standard electric | 45 ft | 50/30 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 10 | standard electric | 75 ft | 50/30 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 11 | standard electric | 50 ft | 50/30 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 12 | type not stated | 50 amp | ||
| Fully Developed | 13 | standard electric | 45 ft | 50/30 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 14 | standard electric | 55 ft | 30/50 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 15 | standard electric | 60 ft | 50 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 16 | standard electric | 55 ft | 30/50 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 2 | standard electric | 60 ft | 50/30 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 3 | standard electric | 60 ft | 50/30 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 4 | standard electric | 60 ft | 30/50 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 5 | standard electric | 60 ft | 30/50 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 6 | standard electric | 80 ft | 30/50 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 7 | standard electric | 60 ft | 30/50 amp | yes |
| Fully Developed | 8 | standard electric | 75 ft | 30/50 amp | |
| Fully Developed | 9 | standard electric | 50 ft | 30/50 amp | |
| Fully Developed | Camp host | host pad | 50 amp | ||
| Fully Developed | Camp host 1 | host pad | 50 amp | ||
| Fully Developed | Camp host 2 | host pad | 50 amp | ||
| Fully Developed | Camp host 3 | host pad | 50 amp | ||
| Standard Campsites | B1 | standard nonelectric | |||
| Standard Campsites | B10 | standard nonelectric | |||
| Standard Campsites | B11 | standard nonelectric | |||
| Standard Campsites | B12 | standard nonelectric | |||
| Standard Campsites | B2 | standard nonelectric | |||
| Standard Campsites | B3 | standard nonelectric | |||
| Standard Campsites | B4 | standard nonelectric | |||
| Standard Campsites | B5 | standard nonelectric | |||
| Standard Campsites | B6 | standard nonelectric | |||
| Standard Campsites | B7 | standard nonelectric | |||
| Standard Campsites | B8 | standard nonelectric | |||
| Standard Campsites | B9 | standard nonelectric |
The agency files 4 more records here that aren’t sites for the night. It names them host pads. They’re in the table above, marked for what they are, and none of them is counted as a site.
25 of 32 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the phone number
Where it is
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Cutthroat Trout Campground13 mi
Sage Hen Flats CampgroundPocatello Field Office · 17 miGraves Creek CampgroundPocatello Field Office · 21 mi
Eight Mile Guard StationCache National Forest · 21 miThe weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Soda Springs, ID
Typical weather
Typical October night 27°F, day 60°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical December night 10°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Blackfoot Reservoir 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 →