Overview Riverside Campground is on the banks of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, just 15 miles north of Ashton, Idaho.
Sites5835 reservable
Elev.6,109ft
Comf.Jun-Sep4 months
Max rig40 ft22 pull-thru
Electricnonesites
From Idaho Falls1h20real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from RIDB · Open-Meteo OSM · OSRM Updated 2026-05-27
At 6,109 ft, Riverside (ID - Targhee) has a 4-month comfortable window (Jun-Sep). Winter nights average around 12°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 58 sites total: 35 reservable and 23 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 22 pull-through, and the longest takes a 40-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: 3 peaks, lake or river access.
What campers say
SYNTHESIZED · MODERATE SIGNAL
Water
01 / 05
Sites sit on the Henry's Fork with quick paths down to the bank.
Loop A runs right along the river with several sites within a short walk of the water, and the rapids near sites 16, 18, 20, and 21 keep the sound going all night. Multiple reviewers said the river noise covered most everything else.
Sites
02 / 05
A and B loops are paved and reservable; C loop is rustic and first come, first served.
Loops A and B have paved pads, pull-throughs, and the larger spots that fit longer rigs, so anglers with drift boat trailers should book there. Loop C is more wooded and basic, and campers reported you can usually still grab something there midweek.
Facilities
03 / 05
Vault toilets and water are well kept; no hookups and one shared dumpster.
Reviewers repeatedly called the vault toilets some of the cleanest they've used, and water spigots are spread through the loops. There is no electric or sewer at sites, and trash is consolidated at a single dumpster near the entrance that means a walk from most spots.
Wildlife & sky
04 / 05
Moose, deer, and bald eagles around; bear country with shared bear boxes.
Campers regularly see moose and deer in the meadows and waterfowl along the river. Black and grizzly bears are present in the area, so the campground uses bear-resistant dumpsters and bear boxes shared between sites.
Access
05 / 05
Easy off Highway 20 but some sites pick up road noise.
It is 15 miles north of Ashton off US-20, then about 1.2 miles in on Riverside Campground Road, and gas and groceries are 8 miles away. Reports on highway noise are mixed: riverside sites are masked by the rapids, while sites further from the water picked up traffic sound, and one camper flagged the access road as rough for low-clearance vehicles after rain (single source).
Synthesized from public trip reports and forum discussion, summarized in our words and never quoted. This is durable sentiment, not a live feed.
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.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
Jun-Sep
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
87%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Jun 17
Last spring frost; first fall frost Sep 27.
51°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Idaho Falls
69 mi
1h20
02
Boise
348 mi
5h47
03
Coeur d'Alene
443 mi
7h56
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 0.5 mi away.
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.
