Site Open

Calamity Campground

**Open for tent camping only. Bear Creek Road to Calamity is still washed out and impassable. **

Calamity Campground is located along the Snake River drainage at the north end of beautiful Palisades Reservoir at an elevation of 5,700 feet, just 55 miles east of Idaho Falls, Idaho. Visitors enjoy boating, water skiing, fishing and canoeing.

Natural Features: The campground is situated on a hillside above Palisades Reservoir, affording scenic views from many sites. A mixed forest of lodgepole pine, spruce, fir, aspen and maple trees partially shade the campground. Summer wildflowers dot the landscape.

Recreation: Palisades Reservoir offers excellent boating, water skiing, swimming and canoeing. Lake and shore fishing are very popular here as well, with wild and stocked cutthroat trout as the predominate species. Kokanee salmon, brown and Mackinaw trout can also be found. A boat ramp and large parking area are located on-site.

The Palisades Creek Trail begins nearby, leading hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders to beautiful Upper Palisades Lake and expansive views of Swan Valley.

Facilities: The campground offers several campsites on three loops. All sites are equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring with grill. Some sites have a few stairs from the parking spur to the site pad.

Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided, but there is no electricity. Firewood is available for purchase from the host. Roads and parking spurs are gravel.

Nearby Attractions: Big Elk Creek Trail, for hiking, biking and horseback riding, begins at nearby Big Elk Campground and meanders up a beautiful canyon brimming with wildflowers, towering trees and views of the surrounding mountains.

Swan Valley and the Snake River offer more great fishing and boating opportunities, as well as rafting, canoeing and numerous trails for hiking, biking, horseback and ATV riding. Fall Creek Falls is 20 miles away, and the Fall Creek area has hundreds of miles of such trails.

Season: Late May-Early September

After Season: Open, first-come/first-served; no fee, no toilets, no water.

Calamity Campgrounds

Reservations

Make Reservations Here

Season: Late May-Early September

After Season: Open, first-come/first-served; no fee, no toilets, no water.

General Information

Season: Late May-Early September

After Season: Open, first-come/first-served; no fee, no toilets, no water.

**Open for tent camping only. Bear Creek road to Calamity is still washed out and impassable.

Interagency Senior Pass and Interagency Access Pass will receive a discount on Single sites only.

No trailers allowed in Loop C. Vehicles must be parked in developed areas only. No ATVs or ORVs allowed, except for entering and exiting the campground. A designated parking area is available next to the campground host.

For current fees, please go to Recreation.gov

Address: 3659 East Ririe Highway Idaho Falls, ID 83401
Phone: (208) 523-1412
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Closed on federal holidays)

Getting There

Latitude / Longitude

Latitude: 43.32649923

Longitude: -111.2140997

Directions

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
43.32778, -111.215
43°19'40"N, 111°12'54"W

From Idaho Falls, Idaho, travel on Hwy. 26 for approximately 50 miles. Turn right off of Hwy. 26, (just before ascending grade to top of dam) and go ¼ mile, turn right and cross the river following signs to the campground. Distance is approximately 5 miles.