0
Pull-thru
USFSCaribou-Targhee National Forest · Idaho
Big Elk
Overview Big Elk Campground is situated along Big Elk Creek on a quiet arm of the beautiful Palisades Reservoir, just 55 miles east of Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Sites3all reservable
Elev.5,676ft
Comf.n/a
Max rig50 ft
Electricnonesites
From Idaho Falls1h20real 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
Sits at 5,676 ft. All 3 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: 7 peaks.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and cool nights. 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.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Idaho Falls
59 mi
1h20
02
Boise
340 mi
5h50
03
Coeur d'Alene
526 mi
9h06
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 1.5 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 3 SITES
Color byShow only
3 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
3
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
35
Peaks
7
Water & Access
To nearest major road
1.5 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.