Lower Penstemon

Sawtooth National Forest — hiking

Location: BURLEY, ID, ID

Price: From $8 per night

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (20 reviews)

Season: May through October

Lower Penstemon Campground is located along the scenic Rock Creek Road, in southern Idaho, at an elevation of 6,600 feet. Visitors come to the area to enjoy its abundant trails and natural beauty.The campground contains single-family campsites with picnic tables and campfire rings. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/lower-penstemon to be notified when sites open up.

Lower Penstemon offers scenic mountain camping at 6,600 feet elevation with abundant nearby trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, plus trout fishing on Rock Creek. Campers praise the views, wildflowers, and surrounding wildlife.

Wildlife alert: Moose, coyotes, Great Basin rattlesnakes, and owls (Northern Saw-whet, Flammulated) present in area. Greater Short-horned Lizards also documented nearby.

Insider tips for Lower Penstemon: Book early — federal campground fills up quickly Arrive with full water tanks; water availability reported unreliable as of mid-June 2024 Sites are small and uneven; inspect your spot before setting up

Skip Lower Penstemon if: You need RV hookups — none available at most sites. You visit outside May-October — seasonal closure. You require level camping spots — sites are very uneven.

Best time to visit Lower Penstemon: June — Wildflowers abundant beginning June; campground open May through October. Winter — Suitable for sledding (winter access conditions not verified).

Nearby campgrounds: Upper Penstemon Campground (Twin Falls, ID), Pettit Campground (Murtaugh, ID), Diamondfield Jack Campground (Murtaugh, ID), Porcupine Springs (BURLEY, ID).

Cell Phone Coverage at Lower Penstemon

Cell signal at Lower Penstemon (BURLEY, ID): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Sawtooth National Forest — hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Lower Penstemon

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BURLEY, ID, ID★ 3.5 (20 reviews)From $8/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Lower Penstemon Campground is located along the scenic Rock Creek Road, in southern Idaho, at an elevation of 6,600 feet. Visitors come to the area to enjoy its abundant trails and natural beauty.The campground contains single-family campsites with picnic tables and campfire rings. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided.

Best for:HikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV30 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — none available at most sites✕ You visit outside May-October — seasonal closure✕ You require level camping spots — sites are very uneven

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

federal campground fills up quickly

Arrive with full water tanks; water availability reported unreliable as of mid-June 2024

Sites are small and uneven; inspect your spot before setting up

Best: June

Wildflowers abundant beginning June; campground open May through October

Best: Winter

Suitable for sledding (winter access conditions not verified)

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Moose, coyotes, Great Basin rattlesnakes, and owls (Northern Saw-whet, Flammulated) present in area. Greater Short-horned Lizards also documented nearby.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
208-678-0430· Sawtooth National Forest
Getting there →

Travel south on Twin Falls County Road G3 which becomes Forest Road 515, commonly known as Rock Creek Road, for approximately 27 miles from Hansen.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Sawtooth National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Sawtooth National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Lower Penstemon cost per night?+
Lower Penstemon costs $8 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Lower Penstemon open?+
Lower Penstemon is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Lower Penstemon have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Lower Penstemon?+
Lower Penstemon can accommodate RVs up to 30 feet.
How do I make reservations at Lower Penstemon?+
Lower Penstemon is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Lower Penstemon?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Lower Penstemon is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Lower Penstemon open, and what are check-in times?+
Lower Penstemon is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$8 /night★ 3.5 (20)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Lower Penstemon cost per night?+
What season is Lower Penstemon open?+
Does Lower Penstemon have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Forest campground camping

Upper Penstemon Campground

Twin Falls, ID

From $20/night

Pettit Campground

Murtaugh, ID

From $20/night

Diamondfield Jack Campground

Murtaugh, ID

From $20/night

Porcupine Springs

BURLEY, ID

From $10/night

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