Idaho / Bannock County / Caribou-Targhee National Forest

Scout Mountain Campground

Closed — Closed for the season. The main campground operates late May through early September. D Loop is available first-come, first-served until mid-November with no water or limited toilet service.

About

Scout Mountain Campground is situated high atop the Bannock Mountain Range at an elevation of 6,900 feet, just 13 miles south of Pocatello, Idaho. The campground is nestled within a scenic forest of Douglas fir, lodgepole pine and aspen, providing partial shade for campsites. Summer wildflowers are abundant throughout the area, and the Mink Creek region is recognized as a popular destination for birding enthusiasts, with species including Western Scrub-Jay, Juniper Titmouse, Bushtit, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Mountain Bluebird, Green-tailed and Spotted Towhees, and Calliope Hummingbirds. The campground offers single sites, double sites, and one large group site accommodating up to 100 people. Each site includes picnic tables, campfire rings, lantern posts and tent pads. The group site features serving tables, grills, and a campfire ring with benches. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. This is a pack-in, pack-out facility, so visitors should bring garbage bags. The paved access road includes a few switchbacks but is suitable for RVs. No electric, water or sewer hookups are available, and horses, livestock and off-road vehicles are not permitted in the campground. Recreation opportunities abound in the area. The paved 1-mile Scout Mountain Nature Trail loops the campground and leads to several scenic overlooks. The East Fork Mink Creek Trail begins within the campground, and the Crestline Trail is nearby. Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and dirt biking are popular activities. Cherry Springs Nature Area is less than 6 miles away, offering a spring, fishing stream, and paved nature trails. Mink Creek Nordic Center, about 5 miles from the campground, provides hiking and horseback riding trails in summer and groomed cross-country ski trails in winter.

Directions

Take I-15 to exit 63 south of Pocatello. Follow the brown Mink Creek Recreation Area signs to Bannock Highway for 2 miles. Turn left up the canyon. Go 4.5 miles to the East Fork Mink Creek road and turn left. Go 5.3 miles up East Fork Mink Creek road to the campground.

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