U.S. Forest Service · Caribou-Targhee National Forest · Idaho

Palisades Creek Campground

Palisades Creek Campground is nestled in the Palisades Creek Canyon. Hiking the trails and fishing Palisades Creek and the Upper and Lower Palisades Lakes will keep you busy all day. Trails in this area are in the Palisades Backcountry and are non-motorized; ATV's and Motorcycles are not allowed in the campground. Palisades Reservoir and the South Fork of the Snake River are minutes away from the campground. Palisades Creek flows through the campground which has 5 single units and 2 double units. Full time campground host located on site. Firewood is for sale at campground. First Come/First Served; Dry Camping (No Host, Bathrooms Locked); N0 Fee after Fall Closure

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-served8 sitesTents only

More like this: first-come in Idaho · tent only in Idaho

4fires
active
Btnf Rx (prescribed burn) · 23 mi away
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesFor current fees, please go to Recreation.gov

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
SeasonMay
ForestCaribou-Targhee National Forest
FeesFor current fees, please go to Recreation.gov

Caribou-Targhee National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Palisades Creek Campground20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.85 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.32 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.54 inches of precipitationApril: 1.88 inches of precipitationMay: 2.53 inches of precipitationJune: 2.07 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.25 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.25 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.55 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.81 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.59 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.44 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 20.7°F averageFebruary: 24.2°F averageMarch: 33.3°F averageApril: 41.6°F averageMay: 50.3°F averageJune: 57.8°F averageJuly: 65.3°F averageAugust: 64.2°F averageSeptember: 55.9°F averageOctober: 43.9°F averageNovember: 31.6°F averageDecember: 22.0°F average0 in1 in2 in3 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Swan Valley, 4 miles from the campground at 5,397 feet, station USC00108937 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates43.3973° N, 111.2134° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Btnf Rx

    23 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    North Zone Piles Rx

    23 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Bear River Zone Rx Piles

    41 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    North Zone Rx Piles

    41 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearMountainist ↗18.9 mi
RV sales & serviceAirstream of Wyoming ↗25.4 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗34.8 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Lower Palisades Creek ↗
    5.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike · national_recreation_or_other
  • 2.5 mi
    Paradise Basin
    1.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.6 mi
    Little Sheep
    2.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.8 mi
    Sheep Creek/Little Elk
    3.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3 mi
    Sheep Creek ↗
    6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 3.3 mi
    Lake Canyon
    4.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Guidebooks for Idaho

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Palisades Creek Campground?

No. Palisades Creek Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Palisades Creek Campground?

For current fees, please go to Recreation.gov

Source: Forest Service

Is Palisades Creek Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026. Season May.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Palisades Creek Campground have?

8 sites.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Palisades Creek Campground?

Palisades Creek Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Palisades Creek Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Riverside Park Campground (3.9 mi, first-come), Calamity (4.8 mi), and Big Elk (7.1 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby