Blackfoot Reservoir Campground

Blackfoot Reservoir Campground is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is located on the southwest end of the Blackfoot Reservoir, which 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 15 to September 15. The campground can accommodate both RV and tent camping. There are 16 fully developed RV campsites with electrical hookups (50-amp connection) and access to potable water, each with a graveled parking pad, tent pad, shelter, picnic table and fire ring; four are pull-through and the rest back-in, and one back-in site (#7) is accessible. Twelve standard campsites within the overflow-dispersed section have graveled parking pads, picnic tables and fire rings. Two concrete boat ramps are available on site, one of them a double lane with accessible boat docks, and large graveled parking areas offer ample room for trucks and boat trailers. The campground also has an accessible sidewalk to a fishing platform, a group shelter with picnic tables and grills for cooking, smaller single picnic sites with shelters, four double vaulted restrooms, multiple water hydrants for potable water, trash service and an RV dump station. Activities include camping, fishing and ice fishing, picnicking, motorized and non-motorized boating, swimming, wildlife viewing and hunting. 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, and the campground is centrally located between three popular hunting areas. The Blackfoot River coming off the north side of the reservoir offers non-motorized boaters a thrilling float with over 23 river miles, several Class II and a few Class III rapids. Situated directly on the shore of the reservoir, nearly every campsite offers stunning views of the water. China Hat, China Cap and North Cone are three geological sites adjacent to the campground, known for their noticeably 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, and 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, and Gull Island 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. The campground is located off Idaho State Highway 34 between Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Soda Springs, Idaho, on the stretch designated 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 the Island Park surrounding areas, Bear Lake, and Utah. Local attractions near Soda Springs include Formation Springs and Cave, a Nature Conservancy preserve with ancient mineral springs and a wildlife viewing area; Hooper Springs Park, with naturally carbonated spring water, picnic spots, a playground and pavilion; Geyser Park, the only captive geyser in the world; the Oregon Trail wagon ruts left by emigrants; and Sheep Rock Point, where the Oregon and California Trail divides.