If you’re visiting the Targhee National Forest area, there’s a free dispersed camping area in Teton Canyon that is available for RVs and tent campers to camp. This Targhee National Forest dispersed camping area is easy to get to.
It’s a beautiful forested and meadow area on the other side of the Grand Teton mountain range near the border of Idaho and Wyoming.
Dispersed Camping Location
You can see the backside of the Tetons from this camping area.
When we visited in September, the leaves on the Aspen trees were starting to turn a beautiful golden color.
They seemed to change color more every day when we stayed there. It’s a really pretty place to camp.
There are two National Park campgrounds in the Teton Canyon as well as dispersed camping options.
It is also a very popular place to hike with many hiking trails having trailheads in the immediate area. (See details below.)
We found this location using the approach outlined in our step-by-step tutorial on finding dispersed camping locations in US National Forest locations using free mapping tools. We think you’ll find it useful for finding dispersed camping campsites like these.
Getting There
This dispersed camping area is in Alta, Wyoming.
You’ll enter Wyoming just over the border from Driggs, Idaho.
The area is on the Teton Canyon Road, which is a gravel road heading into the Targhee National Forest.
Coming from Driggs, you’ll head up West Alta Ski Hill Road towards the Grand Targhee Ski Resort.
When you’re on West Alta Ski Hill Road heading toward the Grand Targhee Ski Resort, you’ll see a sign for the Targhee National Forest.
The sign is your indication that the turn onto the Teton Canyon Road is coming up.
You’ll pass over some cattle grates and gates.
You’ll also see a sign indicating that you will take a right to turn into the Teton Canyon.
Turn right into the canyon to enter the Targhee National Forest dispersed camping area.
You may also notice someone’s attempt at humor with this random telephone placed on the stop sign at the intersection of Teton Canyon Road and West Alta Ski Hill Road.
The phone has “Press zero to be connected with someone who cares” written on it. I, of course, tried to call them from the phone, but to no avail. Hardy haha.
Once you enter the Teton Canyon area, you’ll see a sign for the Reunion Flat campground and the Teton Canyon campground — both run by concessionaires for the National Forest Service.
These are viable campground options in the area as well, but they do not have hookups. You may as well boondock in the Targhee National Forest dispersed camping area for free!
Teton Canyon campground is near the very end of the gravel road, so you have a little over 4 miles to find your perfect dispersed camping location on a relatively flat and easily drivable gravel road for most types of RVs, including class A motorhomes, fifth wheels, travel trailers, and other types of campers.
Driving down the gravel road, you’ll first come across a parking area next to another cattle grate.
There are several trailheads near here with a sign and map indicating details about the Teton Canyon area.
When we visited, there were several mountain bikers and hikers getting read to bike and hike.
We spoke with a campground host, and he stated that dispersed camping is allowed anywhere in Teton Canyon between the cattle grates at this point and near the end of the road several miles down the gravel road by the Teton Canyon campground.
So you can choose your favorite camping spot between these two cattle grates.
This area is also popular with horseback riders who trailer their horses into the area.
Hence you’ll notice several corrals in the area.
Once you pass through the gates and the cattle grate, you’ll enter the camping areas where you can choose to camp.
You’ll have a beautiful view of the backside of the Tetons from this area.
Open Range
This area is open range for cattle, meaning that there are cattle grazing throughout the meadows.
A sign gives you notice, which is important for picking your RV camping site as there are some areas where cattle prefer and they’ve left cow patties all over the place.
These sites are best avoided as campsites.
Choosing Your Campsite in the Targhee National Forest Dispersed Camping Area
You are allowed to camp anywhere in this meadow up until you come to another set of cattle grates about 4 miles down the road.
You can choose to camp anywhere in this meadow or keep driving up the gravel road where you’ll see lots of little side roads and pull outs where you can camp.
You’ll get the best cell service reception at the beginning of the meadow, rather than driving further into the woods, so if cell service is important to you, your best bet is to choose a spot early in the meadow.
We camped further down and had zero cell service with AT&T.
As you drive further down the gravel road, it will become less of an open meadow and more of a forested area.
After about 2 miles into the canyon, you’ll come to the National Forest Service Reunion Flat Campground.
This is a small campground with several large group camping sites and about four individual camping sites.
There are pit toilets, trash dumpster, and a water source available.
When we visited in September 2018, camping sites were $12 per site.
You can choose to camp in one of the National Forest Service campgrounds or boondock in this area as well.
The National Forest Service campgrounds do not have hookups, so you’d be essentially boondocking there as well, except you’d be in a more secure area with a camp host.
As you drive further down the road past the Reunion Flat campground, it becomes more wooded with rock outcroppings on the mountains.
There are additional dispersed camping locations in this area.
We found a great private spot to the right of the gravel road for camping in our Airstream.
The exact location is pinpointed on the Google Map above in this post with GPS coordinates, so you can find this campsite location using that map if you’re interested in this spot.
Teton Canyon has some immensely popular hiking trails (see below for more details).
When we stayed in the canyon, there were cars driving by our campsite all the time.
It may be wise to try to camp off the main gravel road as much as possible.
The site we chose was down a hill from the main gravel road so was a bit quieter than some of the other possible camping locations.
A little further down the gravel road from this spot is a really pretty river access point.
Miles Creek goes through the Teton Canyon with several camping spots near the river.
Once you come to the sign below for “Congested Area” and the metal road grates to keep the cattle in, you cannot disperse camp beyond this point.
Targhee National Forest dispersed camping is only allowed before you hit this cattle grate.
You must camp somewhere in the meadow or wooded areas between the two sets of metal cattle grates.
Camping with Horses in the Teton Canyon
The Teton Canyon has facilities available for camping with horses and pack trips.
When we visited, there were several horse trailers parked in a designated area.
The horse camp area is set up with horse corrals, bear-proof food storage containers, and a water source.
Several trailheads start at the horse trailer parking area.
There’s also a campsite located in the horse area that has a water spigot and a picnic table.
The day we arrived, riders were preparing their horses for an overnight pack trip.
They were gone the entire time we camped, but left their horse trailer parked at the site.
Hiking Trails near Targhee National Forest Dispersed Camping Area
Once you pass through the second set of cattle grates in the road, you’ll see a sign for Trailheads and No Trailer Parking Beyond This Point.
This is the area where most of the popular hiking trailheads start in the Teton Canyon.
The Teton Canyon campground is also in this area.
Just passed the Teton Canyon campground, the road will come to a large parking area for cars.
This is where many of the hikers have parked.
Trails lead from this area to the Beards Wheatfield trail and Table Mountain.
If you keep going up the road a short way, you’ll come to a second parking area for additional trailheads.
The gravel road dead-ends here.
It was packed the day we visited.
There are bathrooms and a water source here in the parking lot.
Several additional trails lead from this area, including the Devil’s Stairs trail, Alaska Basin, Mount Meek Pass, and Buck Mountain Pass.
Final Thoughts on Targhee National Forest Dispersed Camping Area
Teton Canyon is a beautiful and accessible spot for dispersed camping in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
This site provides a vantage point to the back of the Tetons mountain range in an area that is very popular with hikers and mountain bikers.
Find your perfect spot and enjoy the spectacular scenery!
