A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service campground

Montpelier Canyon Campground

Forest Service campground in Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Bear Lake County, Idaho. About 6,400 feet. 3.4 miles from Montpelier.

Managed by
Forest Service Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Elevation
About 6,400 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
15 13 standard non-electric, 2 tent only non-electric
Longest rig
30 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Montpelier Canyon Campground provides a rustic camping opportunity next to Highway 89, along Montpelier Creek, at an elevation of 6,400 feet. Montpelier Reservoir is within five miles, offering fishing, boating and canoeing.

Recreation

Montpelier Creek offers rainbow, cutthroat and brown trout fishing. Many visitors make the short drive to Montpelier Reservoir for boating, canoeing and additional fishing opportunities. A boat ramp is located at the reservoir.

Facilities

The campground offers 15 family sites, two of which are tent-only. Vault toilets are provided, but drinking water is not available. Roads and parking spurs within the campground are gravel.

Larger RVs and trailers may have difficulty maneuvering through the campground; please check individual site descriptions for maximum vehicle length. Additionally, campsites within this facility are considered very small and rustic. Driveways are narrow and surrounded by dense vegetation.

Natural Features

The campground in situated in dense stands of willow, which help shelter the campground from traffic noise. Montpelier Creek runs alongside the campground.

Nearby Attractions

Beautiful Bear Lake straddles the Utah-Idaho border and is within a 35-minute drive of the campground. Outdoor activities abound at Bear Lake, with endless boating, water skiing, jet skiing, scuba diving, swimming, hiking, biking, horseback riding and off-road vehicle riding opportunities. Sightseeing and scenic driving are popular activities as well.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • horseback riding
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Montpelier Canyon Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.