Shoulder Season in Hells Canyon
Are you thinking that camping has to end once October hits? Or do you hold off on that camping trip until May comes around. I bet you still have the itch to get out, but don’t want to drive to southern Utah or Nevada.
With it being easier to get a reservation during the shoulder season, this may be the perfect opportunity and it is only a three hour drive from Boise. This magical place is called Hells Canyon is located in what many consider the Banana Belt of Idaho. Most of the campgrounds in the canyon are located at around 1500ft. This is nearly 1500ft lower than Boise, so it is always about 10 degrees warmer in Hells Canyon than it is in Boise.
Hells Canyon got its name because of the summer heat, but its a great place to take advantage of the temperatures in the cooler months.
Located just north of Oxbow, Idaho you will find a string of amazing campgrounds in the canyon. Are you looking for a campground with showers? Maybe a river front campsite? There is something for everyone in Hells Canyon.
Once you get close to Brownlee Dam on the Snake River, you will have a string of campgrounds to choose from. Going from South to North here are some great options.
1) Woodland Park Campground - Bathrooms and Showers -Woodhead Park is spread over 65 acres, divided into four camping loops and is on the Idaho side of Brownlee Reservoir.
2) McCormick Park Campground - Bathrooms and showers - McCormick Park covers nine acres of beautifully maintained grass with lots of shade trees on the Idaho side of Oxbow reservoir.
3) Copperfield Campground - Bathrooms and Showers - Copperfield Park includes 12 acres of manicured lawn, paved roads, terraced landscaping and numerous trees.
4) Hells Canyon Campground - Bathroom and Showers - Hells Canyon Park is spread over 15 acres with manicured lawns and shade trees.
5) Big Bar Campground - Toilet Only (Free)
My Family really likes the water front access provided by Big Bar Campground and the access to the trails, caves, and climbing areas. Just above Big Bar Campground on our trip in October, we found temperatures in the 70s along primitive trails to small caves and lots of bolted climbing routes. The canyon climbs steeply in some spots from the campground so make sure to bring some sturdy shoes. Of course the water front access provides loads of places with kids to just run around and just be kids. We packed our climbing gear and hiking shoes, but realized we really should have brought a paddle board and a fishing pole to take advantage of all of the fish. Each morning the fish were jumping for bugs and all we could do was watch.
Aerial View of Big Bar Campground
With October temperatures in the 70s, we spent the day exploring the trails and teaching the kids how to climb the limestone rock wall around the campsite. Finding limestone is a pretty rare experience and the grip and holds are an entirely different experience than what you would find at a place like City of Rocks. Young kids are like spiders and just love the challenge of a little rock climbing.
When we weren’t climbing, we were looking for interesting rock formations and between the caves and a hidden arch we really hit the jackpot. Some of the trails felt like mountain goat trails, but the kids seemed to really love just exploring and finding spots they really could care less about the steepness.
Now you might be wondering how did we find all of these trails. The answer can be found at trails.idaho.gov. From this website you can see all of the official trails in the state. Certainly there are many other more primitive animal trails to explore on foot, but this is always a great place to start. Here is a quick shot of what some of the trails look like near Big Bar Campground.
Screen Capture from trails.idaho.gov