U.S. Forest Service · Boise National Forest · Mountain Home, ID

Shafer Butte

Shafer Butte is located atop the scenic Boise Ridge Mountains, near Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Visitors enjoy hiking and biking on various trails in the surrounding area, and simply relaxing and taking in the area's beautiful views.

Partly reservable 9 sitesPets okFires okTents only

Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

More like this: first-come in Idaho · reservable in Idaho · tent only in Idaho · pets allowed in Idaho · group sites in Idaho

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of USDA Forest Service · Recreation.gov

1fire
active

Rx Lowman Wui (prescribed burn) · 38 mi away

Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-16

Incident details ↓

Site mix

Walk-in		7
group picnic area		2

Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served. For the first-come sites, arrive early on a weekday and take what is open. The booking page shows which of the reservable sites are open. The first-come playbook

Site guide

9 sites in 3 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

Site	Loop	Type	Surface	Shade	People / vehicles	Fires	Accessible
008	RCLW	Walk-in	Gravel	Partial	8 / 2	Yes	Yes
009	RCLW	Walk-in	Gravel	Partial	8 / 2	Yes	Yes
010	RCLW	Walk-in	Gravel	Partial	8 / 2	Yes	Yes
011	RCLW	Walk-in	Gravel	Partial	8 / 2	Yes	Yes
012	RCLW	Walk-in	Gravel	Partial	8 / 2	Yes	Yes
013	RCLW	Walk-in	Gravel	Partial	8 / 2	Yes	Yes
014	RCLW	Walk-in	Gravel	Partial	8 / 2	Yes	Yes
GSW	RCWE	Group Picnic Area	Paved	Partial	50 / 30	Yes	Yes
GSE	SHAF	Group Picnic Area	Paved	Partial	30 / 30	Yes	Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

Equipment	Tents
Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions
Accessibility	Sites 008, 009, 010, 011 and 5 more are listed accessible

Shafer Butte contains single-family tent campsites and two day-use, group picnic areas, all of which are accessible. Sites are equipped with picnic tables and campfire rings, and many of the overnight campsites have tent pads. The overnight sites are walk-in and are clustered close together, with limited vegetation screening for privacy. Accessible vault restrooms are provided, but there is no electricity. Parking spurs and pathways within the campground are paved, and each site can be accessed via a short walking path from the parking area.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

Season	Mid-June to End of September (snow dependent)
Forest	Boise National Forest
Booking	This is a fee campground for tents only. Reservations can be made at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777.

Boise National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →

The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Boise 7 N, 7 miles from the campground at 3,885 feet, station USC00101017 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 57 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From Boise, Idaho, travel along Bogus Basin Road for approximately 20 miles. The last three miles are on a gravel road. Turn right (east) on the signed gravel road and travel just over a mile to the campground and picnic area.

Nearest town	Mountain Home, Idaho
Coordinates	43.7831° N, 116.0842° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

Prescribed
Rx Lowman Wui
38 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gear	Eco Lounge Freeride Shop ↗	11.6 mi
RV sales & service	Happy Camper ↗	13.3 mi
Dump station	Dump station ↗	29.7 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

5.6 mi
Shingle Creek Trailhead ↗Trailhead
8.1 mi
Trail 4 Trailhead ↗Trailhead

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

0.1 mi
Mores Mountain Interpretive
2.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
0.1 mi
Mores Mountain Mtn Bike
1.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
0.1 mi
Shafer Butte Extension
1.3 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
0.6 mi
Elk Meadows
1.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
0.6 mi
Lodge
0.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
0.7 mi
Packing
0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Boise National Forest.

in
Boise National Forest ↗
National Forest · Forest Service · 2,526,862 acres

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Other campgrounds nearby

FS · ID

Grayback

Partly reservable11.1 mi

FS · ID

Grayback Campground And Group Sites - Reserve

First-come11.2 mi

USACE · ID

Macks Creek Campground

Reservable14 mi

FS · ID

Cottonwood Campground

First-come16.4 mi

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Schick–Ostolasa FarmsteadBuilding · Boise · 9.2 mi
Anton Goreczky HouseBuilding · Boise · 11.5 mi
William Whitehead HouseBuilding · Boise · 11.7 mi

Natural features

Shafer Butte offers scenic views of Deer Point, Mores Mountain and Shafer Butte summits, as well as the expansive valley below. The campground is situated among Douglas fir and aspen trees, which offer partial shade in most sites. Wildlife and summer wildflowers are abundant in the area.

Recreation

Popular activities in the area include hiking and mountain biking, the Mores Mountain Trail begins in the campground. This 2-mile interpretive nature trail is family friendly.

Guidebooks for Idaho

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Moon Montana, Wyoming and Idaho Camping
Becky Lomax, 2015
Find at Bookshop.org
Camping Idaho
Randy Stapilus, 2016
Find at Bookshop.org
Paddling Idaho
Greg Stahl, 2016
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Shafer Butte?

For some sites. Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Shafer Butte?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Shafer Butte have?

9 sites, including 7 walk-in sites and 2 group picnic area.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I bring an RV to Shafer Butte?

Shafer Butte is listed for tents only.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Shafer Butte?

Yes, pets are allowed at Shafer Butte. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Shafer Butte?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there is 1 active fire within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

Are there accessible sites at Shafer Butte?

Sites 008, 009, 010, and 011 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov, 9 sites in all. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is there cell service at Shafer Butte?

FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Shafer Butte?

Popular activities in the area include hiking and mountain biking, the Mores Mountain Trail begins in the campground. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Shafer Butte?

Mountain Home, Idaho.

Source: Getting there

What if Shafer Butte is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Grayback (11.1 mi, partly first-come), Grayback Campground And Group Sites - Reserve (11.2 mi, first-come), and Macks Creek Campground (14 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby