About Big Elk
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. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing and exploring the scenic Big Elk Creek Trail. Big Elk Creek has great fishing for cutthroat trout and the occasional Kokanee salmon. Canoeing and swimming are popular activities on the reservoir. A small boat ramp is located on-site. When the reservoir level is low, boats cannot be launched on Big Elk Creek. Big Elk Creek Trail, for hiking, biking and horseback riding, begins at the campground and meanders up a beautiful canyon brimming with wildflowers, towering trees and scenic views. Palisades Reservoir is across the highway, offering excellent boating, water skiing, swimming and canoeing. Lake and shore fishing are very popular there as well, with wild and stocked cutthroat trout as the predominate species.…
- Fees: $12/Night single sites, $24/Night double sites Group sites are $50/night up to 35 people, $1/person thereafter. $6/night extra vehicle…
- Season: May
- Managed by: Caribou-Targhee National Forest, FS
- Where: 10 mi southeast of Irwin, ID · 43.3225, -111.11611
Things to do:
Amenities:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: Jun–Sep (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Oct–Apr.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Elk Ymca | ATV road | 0.3 mi | 0.2 mi |
| Quaker Flat | Horse | 0.3 mi | 3.8 mi |
| Big Elk Creek | Horse | 0.4 mi | 5.0 mi |
| Big Elk Crk Boat Launch | ATV road | 0.5 mi | |
| Whiskey Springs | Horse | 1.4 mi | 1.1 mi |
| Little Elk Creek | Horse | 1.7 mi | 3.7 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
Verizon 4G · AT&T 4G · T-Mobile 5G
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way casts shadows and the sky is crowded with stars.
Class 1 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.