0
Pull-thru
USFSBoise National Forest · Idaho
Bad Bear Campground
Overview Bad Bear Campground is located 48 miles northeast of Boise, Idaho, in the scenic Boise National Forest on the Idaho City Ranger District, along Highway 21 at an elevation of 5,100 feet.
Sites6all reservable
Elev.5,226ft
Comf.Jun-Sep4 months
Max rig40 ft
Electricnonesites
From Boise1h22real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 5,226 ft, Bad Bear Campground has a 4-month comfortable window (Jun-Sep). Winter nights average around 17°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 6 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: 4 peaks.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
Jun-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
83%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 13
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 7.
52°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Boise
51 mi
1h22
02
Idaho Falls
319 mi
5h32
03
Coeur d'Alene
383 mi
8h45
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 0.1 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 6 SITES
Color byShow only
6 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
6
Sites
★ The standout
Site 003
BAD BEAR CAMPGROUND · n/a location · shaded.
To neighbor
164 ft
Location
N/A
Max rig
33 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
7
Peaks
4
Water & Access
To nearest major road
0.1 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.