A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service campground

St. Charles Campground

Forest Service campground in Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Bear Lake County, Idaho. 6,122 feet. 2.9 miles from St. Charles.

Managed by
Forest Service Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Elevation
6,122 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
6 5 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

St. Charles Campground is situated on its namesake creek in the scenic St. Charles Canyon, approximately 8 miles from Bear Lake State Park and North Beach.

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 area'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 good to 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 one group site that can accommodate up to 20 people. Six single sites are also available. Flush toilets and drinking water are provided. A paved road leads to the campground.

Natural Features

Stands of aspens provide partial shade, while lodgepole pines, willow, dogwoods, Engelmann spruce and wild roses dot the landscape. The varied vegetation provides plenty of privacy from site to site.

Nearby Attractions

Minnetonka Cave, one of only two developed caves in the Forest Service, is a few miles from the campground. Guided cave tours are scheduled every 30 minutes daily from 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
  • hunting
  • swimming site
  • water sports

The land around St. Charles 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.