0
Pull-thru
USFSBoise National Forest · Idaho
Helende
Overview Helende Campground is located 10 miles east of Lowman, Idaho, along Highway 21 at an elevation of 4,100 feet.
Sites109 reservable
Elev.4,222ft
Comf.May-Sep5 months
Max rig65 ft
Electricnonesites
From Boise2h18real 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 4,222 ft, Helende has a 5-month comfortable window (May-Sep). Winter nights average around 19°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 10 sites total: 9 reservable and 1 first-come, first-served. Within about 4 miles: 2 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
May-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
82%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 17
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 10.
52°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Boise
84 mi
2h18
02
Idaho Falls
250 mi
5h15
03
Coeur d'Alene
380 mi
8h25
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 0.1 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 10 SITES
Color byShow only
10 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
10
Accessible
0
Prime
10
Sites
★ The standout
Site 003
HELE · shaded.
To neighbor
267 ft
Max rig
50 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
5
Peaks
2
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.