In Episode 51 of the Campground of the Week Podcast, we reviewed the Buffalo Campground in Island Park, Idaho.  We have been to this campground several times and have really enjoyed every visit.  Ashley recently gave it the official title of “Our Happy Place.”  You can read all of our blog posts about this great area HERE.

Episode 51 is available on iTunes and if you need some help, Click Here for some guidance.

You can listen to the episode right here, by pressing the Play button below:

Notes from the podcast episode with links at the bottom.

Location of Campground:

• Island Park, Idaho
• 30 Minutes South West of the West gate of Yellowstone National Park
• 1.5 Hours North of Idaho Falls, ID
• Not to be confused with the “Buffalo Run” private campground in Island Park or the “Buffalo Campground” in Colorado

Type of Campground:

• Public (Federal)
• Season: May – September

Size of the Campground:

• 120ish Sites (6 loops)

Price Range and Ease of Booking:

• Prices
  • $15 – A,B,D,F,G Loops
  • $20 – C Loop (Electric)
  • $40 – C Loop (Electric Double)
  • $80-160 – E Loop (Group)
• Booking
  • Recreation.gov (Reserve America)
    • B & F loops and C1-12 (50 total)
    • All others are first come first serve
  • This is a popular place we book several months in advance as we want power.

Site Details:

• Mix of pull through and back-in sites
• Sites are good sized and spaced far apart
• Lots of trees provide a good canopy but might be rough for solar
• Roads and driveways are paved
• Firing and Table

Overall feel of the campground:

• Dense forest of lodgepole pines
• Located along the Buffalo River
  • Said to have good fishing but I am not sure about that
  • Best used for float tubes
• Bear & Wildlife country

Amenities:

• Potable Water
• Flush Toilets
• Trash

WiFi / Cell strength:

• No WiFi
• Version is about 3 bars

Activities:

• No coordinated campground activities (see Regional Highlights)

Insider Details:

• Double sites do NOT have double utility poles
• Gray dumps are located in the campground but are about 3 feet off the ground
• Free Idaho run dump station south end of town 5.5 miles from the campground
  • Look for Historical Site signs and it on the West side of the road

Nobody’s Perfect:

• More reservable sites
• More electric would be awesome

Regional Highlights:

• Activities
  • West Yellowstone & Yellowstone National Park
    • Listen to episode
      • RVFTA episode 100
      • Campground Of The Week episode 39
  • Island Park Reservoir
  • Macs Inn Playhouse
  • Eagle Ridge Ranch
  • Mesa Falls Scenic Byway
• Food
  • Trout Hunter
  • Frostop