BUTTERMILK

Yellowstone

BUTTERMILK

Yellowstone

About this campsite

Overview

Buttermilk Campground is located approximately 30 miles southwest of West Yellowstone, Montana and 32 miles north of Ashton, Idaho in beautiful Island Park, Idaho.

Buttermilk sits next to Island Park Reservoir at an elevation of 6,200 feet. Visitors love Island Park for its world-class fishing and outstanding scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities.

Recreation

The Island Park area is prized for its fishing; the Henry's Fork is known as one of the nation's best fly-fishing streams. Anglers cast for rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout and Kokanee salmon.

Island Park Reservoir offers boating, water skiing and excellent fishing opportunities. The reservoir is used for irrigation so the water level recedes throughout the summer, but is generally useable all season. Henry's Lake is nearby.

Hiking, biking, horseback riding and ATVing are popular activities. Many miles of trails are in the area, including the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and the Nez Perce Trail.

The Big Springs National Recreation Water Trail offers an approximately three-hour float or canoe trip through beautiful scenery. Wildlife, including moose, bald eagles and Sandhill cranes, are often seen along the trail.

Facilities

The campground contains two loops for single family camping and one loop for group camping, with a total of 55 sites. The large group site can accommodate up to 150 people. Site 038 has 15-amp electric hookups.

Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. A concrete boat ramp with docks is located between the group camping and single family camping loops. Access to the campground is on a paved road but the interior loop roads and parking spurs are gravel.

Natural Features

Island Park is composed of two areas of extinct volcanic activity. The Henry's Fork Caldera sits inside the larger Island Park Caldera. The area is known for its dense forests of lodgepole pine, broad grassy meadows bursting with summer wildflowers and a wide variety of wildlife, including black and grizzly bears, moose, elk, deer, bald eagles, Sandhill cranes and much, much more.

The campground is situated in a forest of lodgepole pine, which provides partial shade in some sites. Some areas of the campground are more open and sunny than others.

Nearby Attractions

Mesa Falls Scenic Byway is 13 miles south of the campground. This 28-mile road leads to scenic overlooks and trails at 110 foot Upper Mesa Falls and 85 foot Lower Mesa Falls.

Harriman State Park is 15 miles south. The Henry's Fork meanders through the Harriman, offering excellent fishing. Over 20 miles of trails are available, and wildlife is abundant in this scenic park.

Henry's Lake State Park is 18 miles north, offering fishing, a fish cleaning station and boat ramp.

Yellowstone National Park's west entrance is just 29 miles north in the town of West Yellowstone, Montana. Visitors enjoy day-tripping to the park for unparalleled wildlife viewing and the beautiful and unique scenery.

Location

BUTTERMILK•ID

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Common questions about BUTTERMILK

Is BUTTERMILK free to camp at?

Yes. BUTTERMILK in ID is a free camp, so there is no nightly fee to stay. There is no booking system for it, so plan on first in, best dressed, especially on long weekends. We hold no facilities list for it, so go in self sufficient with your own water and a way to deal with rubbish.

Can you book BUTTERMILK online?

We hold no online booking link for BUTTERMILK, so it is not bookable through this page. For sites like this, turning up early in the day is the surest way to get a spot, particularly in peak season. If a managing authority takes bookings by phone, their number is the fastest way to confirm a site.

Where is BUTTERMILK?

BUTTERMILK sits in ID. The map on this page shows the exact spot, and the coordinates travel straight into your navigation app. Check road conditions before you set out if you are towing, since access tracks can change with the weather.

Nearby Campsites

within 50km

3.4 km away

Box Canyon Campground

Campground: Box Canyon Campground.

3.9 km away

MCCREA BRIDGE

Overview McCrea Bridge Campground is located on the backwaters of beautiful Island Park Reservoir in Island Park, Idaho at an elevation of 6,200 feet. Visitors love Island Park for its world-class fishing and outstanding scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities. Recreation Island Park Reservoir offers boating, water skiing, fishing and canoeing. A boat ramp is located within the campground. The reservoir is used for irrigation so the water level recedes throughout the summer and by August, the reservoir cannot be accessed from McCrea Bridge. The Island Park area is renowned for its fishing; Henry's Fork is considered one of the best fly-fishing streams in the nation. Anglers cast for rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout and Kokanee salmon. Hiking, biking, horseback riding and ATVing are popular activities. Many miles of trails are in the area, including the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and the Nez Perce Trail. The Big Springs National Recreation Water Trail offers a roughly three-hour float or canoe trip through beautiful scenery. Wildlife, including moose, bald eagles and Sandhill cranes, are often seen along the trail. Facilities The campground contains single and double sites, each equipped with a picnic table, campfire ring and grill. Some sites have stairs between the parking spur and the site pad. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection area provided, but there is no electricity. A paved road accesses the campground but interior roads and parking spurs are gravel. Firewood is available for purchase from the host. Natural Features Island Park is composed of two areas of extinct volcanic activity. The Henry's Fork Caldera sits inside the larger Island Park Caldera. The area is known for its dense forests of lodgepole pine, broad grassy meadows bursting with summer wildflowers and a wide variety of wildlife, including black and grizzly bears, moose, elk, deer, bald eagles, Sandhill cranes and much, much more. The campground is situated in a forest of lodgepole pine, which provides partial shade in some sites. Some areas of the campground are more open and sunny than others. Nearby Attractions Mesa Falls Scenic Byway is 12 miles south of the campground. This 28-mile road leads to scenic overlooks and trails at 110 foot Upper Mesa Falls and 85 foot Lower Mesa Falls. Harriman State Park is 14 miles south. The Henry's Fork meanders through the Harriman, offering excellent fishing. Over 20 miles of trails are available, and wildlife is abundant in this scenic park. Henry's Lake State Park is 16 miles north, offering fishing, a fish cleaning station and boat ramp. Yellowstone National Park's west entrance is just 29 miles north in the town of West Yellowstone, Montana. Visitors enjoy day-tripping to the park for unparalleled wildlife viewing and the beautiful and unique scenery.

4.2 km away

Island Park Camp

Campground: Island Park Camp.

4.6 km away

BUFFALO (IDAHO)

Overview Buffalo Campground is located 26 miles south of West Yellowstone, Montana and 25 miles north of Ashton, Idaho in beautiful Island Park, Idaho. Buffalo is a large campground just off U.S. Highway 20 on the banks of the Buffalo River at an elevation of 6,200 feet. Visitors love Island Park for its world-class fishing and outstanding scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities. Recreation The Island Park area is renowned for its fishing; the Henry's Fork is known as one of the nation's best fly-fishing streams. Anglers cast for rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout and Kokanee salmon. Island Park Reservoir and Henry's Lake are nearby, both offering boating, water skiing and excellent fishing opportunities. Hiking, biking, horseback riding and ATVing are popular activities. Many miles of trails are in the area, including the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail and the Nez Perce Trail. The Big Springs National Recreation Water Trail offers an approximately three-hour float or canoe trip through beautiful scenery. Wildlife, including moose, bald eagles and Sandhill cranes, are often seen along the trail. Facilities The campground has six loops of single and double family sites and one loop for group camping, for a total of 127 sites, many of which are reservable. The large group site can accommodate 150 people. One loop has electric hook-ups and all loops are paved. Accessible vault toilets are provided, as is drinking water and trash collection. A separate parking area is located at the accessible fishing dock and viewing platforms on the east end of the campground. Ponds Lodge is just across the highway and has fuel, groceries and other amenities. Natural Features Island Park is composed of two areas of extinct volcanic activity. The Henry's Fork Caldera sits inside the larger Island Park Caldera. The area is known for its dense forests of lodgepole pine, broad grassy meadows bursting with summer wildflowers and a wide variety of wildlife, including black and grizzly bears, moose, elk, deer, bald eagles, Sandhill cranes and much, much more. The campground lies alongside the Buffalo River, created by a large spring just 4.5 miles away. The Buffalo is a tributary of the Henry's Fork, and flows into it just 2 miles east of the campground. Brook and rainbow trout are plentiful in the Buffalo and a variety of waterfowl and wildlife frequents the river corridor. Nearby Attractions Mesa Falls Scenic Byway is 7 miles south of the campground. This 28-mile road leads to scenic overlooks and trails at 110 foot Upper Mesa Falls and 85 foot Lower Mesa Falls. Harriman State Park is 8 miles south. The Henry's Fork meanders through the Harriman, offering excellent fishing. Over 20 miles of trails are available, and wildlife is abundant in this scenic park. Henry's Lake State Park is 11 miles north, offering fishing, a fish cleaning station and boat ramp. Yellowstone National Park's west entrance is just 26 miles north in the town of West Yellowstone, Montana. Visitors enjoy day-tripping to the park for unparalleled wildlife viewing and the beautiful and unique scenery.

5.1 km away

Box Canyon Campground

The Box Canyon Campground is situated on the canyon rim above the Henry's Fork of the Snake River. There are 16 single and 2 double units, each having tent and camper pads, fire rings, grills and picnic tables. Two of the single campsites are pull throughs. Campsites near the canyon rim are shaded by lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir. There are 2 vault toilets, water hydrants, and a bear-proof dumpster. The area is wheelchair accessible. This campground has several short trails that leave the Box Canyon Trail to access the Henry's Fork.