Palisades Reservoir camping

TFAvalanche

Member
Messages
98
Hello y'all,

I hedged my NM elk draw with an Idaho Elk Tex Creek area Elk tag and got em in the mail yesterday. I have been looking at places to stay that are in the area and wanted to ask anyone that was familiar with the area what the camping is like on the Palisades reservoir? Plan is to set up base camp at a dedicated camping ground with the trailer and then spike camp one or two nights in the woods if needed. Also, if anyone is familiar with the town of Idaho Falls and has any suggestions that would be greatly appreciated.

Av
 
Plenty of camping areas along the west side of Palisades, there is also a few different established camp grounds along the east side One thing you will battle around the water is recreational campers and UTV action all day and most of the night. I would suggest camping in a more hunter specific area that lets you get out of all of that commotion.

What is your questions about IF?
 
Plenty of camping areas along the west side of Palisades, there is also a few different established camp grounds along the east side One thing you will battle around the water is recreational campers and UTV action all day and most of the night. I would suggest camping in a more hunter specific area that lets you get out of all of that commotion.

What is your questions about IF?
Thanks Deep, any specific campgrounds you’ve stayed at? As far as Idaho Falls, decent sized town? Gas and diesel? restaurants and bars? Or kinda of a one horse town that closes at 5...

Av
 
Idaho Falls is probably 60K people strong and has another 40k people in surrounding area.

Blowout Campground is right on the highway and there is a nice place up Palisades Creek that is pretty nice also. You must be bringing a large camper or RV?
 
Idaho Falls is probably 60K people strong and has another 40k people in surrounding area.

Blowout Campground is right on the highway and there is a nice place up Palisades Creek that is pretty nice also. You must be bringing a large camper or RV?
Yessir, travel trailer
 
I am happy to help but you do realize that you can search these things on the WWW pretty easy right?

There’s quite a difference between what the WWW says and the actual experienced offered by people who have been there and done that. For instance, a lot of pages are not updated, inaccurate, and the like. I’d take the word from a fellow hunter who has been up there and maybe shares something they found useful rather than being disappointed when I arrive and start relying on back up plans when I have a tight timeframe.
 
For Palisades your options are either the Bear Creek area and McCoy Creek area if you want to be right next to unit 66. You could also look at camping along the South Fork of the Snake River, Fall Creek area and Skyline Ridge. You could camp on the NE side of Palisades but you would wasted a lot of time driving around to your hunt area each day. There are several campgrounds if hookups for your camping trailer are important but if I were you I would camp in a primitive spot as close to the area I was interested in hunting. Just be aware that if there is snow or heavy rain during your hunt you may need to be careful with some of the places you decide to drag your trailer to.

Expect plenty of other hunters. This is an OTC elk tag and deer tag area. Hunting pressure is going to affect elk behavior significantly. Hunting pressure will make it a much different experience than hunting elk in NM. These elk are hunted hard with OTC tags from August 30th through November every year. I grew up hunting the area and know it very well. It is beautiful country. Currently I live in El Paso. If I didn't have family in the area to hunt with and visit, I wouldn't drive the extra hours past OTC elk units in Colorado to hunt the Tex Creek area. I haven't bought an Elk Tag for the Tex Creek area in over 15 years and I know areas I could find elk there. I have hunted deer in that area a couple times in the last 5 years though. The deer hunting is even tougher than the elk hunting in that area but it did give me a chance to hunt with my dad and brother. You may already know this but as a nonresident you can put an elk tag or deer tag on a bear or mountain lion. Check the regulations for details. I did see a big cat while archery hunting deer there 5 years ago that I could have killed if I had a rifle.

Idaho Falls will have any supplies you should need. There is a Cabelas and Sportsmans Warehouse that are across the street from each other. Anything from RV supplies to specific groceries could be found in Idaho Falls. Don't expect to find a whole lot more than gas stations supplies in Swan Valley or Alpine Wyoming.
 
For Palisades your options are either the Bear Creek area and McCoy Creek area if you want to be right next to unit 66. You could also look at camping along the South Fork of the Snake River, Fall Creek area and Skyline Ridge. You could camp on the NE side of Palisades but you would wasted a lot of time driving around to your hunt area each day. There are several campgrounds if hookups for your camping trailer are important but if I were you I would camp in a primitive spot as close to the area I was interested in hunting. Just be aware that if there is snow or heavy rain during your hunt you may need to be careful with some of the places you decide to drag your trailer to.

Expect plenty of other hunters. This is an OTC elk tag and deer tag area. Hunting pressure is going to affect elk behavior significantly. Hunting pressure will make it a much different experience than hunting elk in NM. These elk are hunted hard with OTC tags from August 30th through November every year. I grew up hunting the area and know it very well. It is beautiful country. Currently I live in El Paso. If I didn't have family in the area to hunt with and visit, I wouldn't drive the extra hours past OTC elk units in Colorado to hunt the Tex Creek area. I haven't bought an Elk Tag for the Tex Creek area in over 15 years and I know areas I could find elk there. I have hunted deer in that area a couple times in the last 5 years though. The deer hunting is even tougher than the elk hunting in that area but it did give me a chance to hunt with my dad and brother. You may already know this but as a nonresident you can put an elk tag or deer tag on a bear or mountain lion. Check the regulations for details. I did see a big cat while archery hunting deer there 5 years ago that I could have killed if I had a rifle.

Idaho Falls will have any supplies you should need. There is a Cabelas and Sportsmans Warehouse that are across the street from each other. Anything from RV supplies to specific groceries could be found in Idaho Falls. Don't expect to find a whole lot more than gas stations supplies in Swan Valley or Alpine Wyoming.

Right on thanks for the info... if only there were Elk in the Franklins we’d be in business huh!
 
Hello y'all,

I hedged my NM elk draw with an Idaho Elk Tex Creek area Elk tag and got em in the mail yesterday. I have been looking at places to stay that are in the area and wanted to ask anyone that was familiar with the area what the camping is like on the Palisades reservoir? Plan is to set up base camp at a dedicated camping ground with the trailer and then spike camp one or two nights in the woods if needed. Also, if anyone is familiar with the town of Idaho Falls and has any suggestions that would be greatly appreciated.

Av
if it was me I would camp at riri reservoir above the dam there's a nice little campground and that will put you right in text Creek wildlife Management area
 

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