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

Porcupine

Forest Service campground in Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Bear Lake County, Idaho. 6,759 feet. 6.7 miles from St. Charles.

Managed by
Forest Service Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Elevation
6,759 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
17 16 standard non-electric, 1 group standard non-electric
Longest rig
32 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Porcupine Campground is situated on St. Charles Creek in a scenic canyon in the rolling Idaho forests. The campground is also close to Bear Lake State Park and North Beach, offering visitors countless recreational opportunities in a serene forest setting.

Recreation

Nearby, the North Fork Trail and its associated trails access the Highline Trail #316. The Highline Trail is part of the National Trail System and is the Montpelier Ranger District's premier trail. It stretches 55 miles along the backbone of the Wasatch Mountains and is open to hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders and motorcyclists, attracting trail users from around the world.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game manages the river fisheries, providing excellent fishing most of the year, including in St. Charles Creek. In-season big game hunting is also a popular activity.

Facilities

The campground offers six family sites, as well as one group site that can accommodate up to 20 people. Flush toilets and drinking water are provided. Roads to and within the campground are paved.

Natural Features

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest occupies more than 3 million acres and stretches across southeastern Idaho, from the Montana, Utah and Wyoming borders. The forest is also home to the Curlew National Grassland, and on the northern end of the forest the massive profile of the Teton Range can be seen.

Pines and aspens forest the area, providing partial shade, and summer wildflowers dot the landscape. St. Charles Creek flows gently past the campground.

Nearby Attractions

Minnetonka Cave, one of only two developed caves in the Forest Service, is 2 miles from the campground. Guided cave tours are scheduled every 30 minutes daily from approximately early June until Labor Day.

The Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge is just north of Bear Lake, offering excellent bird watching.

Bear Lake's Raspberry Days Festival occurs the first weekend in August every year, with a parade, fireworks, craft booths and a rodeo.

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
  • historic & cultural site
  • horseback riding
  • hunting
  • swimming site
  • water sports
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Porcupine

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.