Reviews

Anna Araujo

Loved it! We initially booked here but couldn’t find it, apparently we missed the entry sign so be vigilant as the original road is blocked off for construction. We decided to move out from Big Elk and spend our last day at calamity this Labor Day weekend. It gives you such a private feel but you can still hear the families laughing from a distance. The atv road up was a bit sketchy but fun! The bathrooms btw, WOW! Definitely will be back soon as seasons opens next year! 🫶🏽

Rose

My family and friends regularly enjoy camping together as part of our summer tradition, and this year we decided to try Calamity Campground for a two-night stay. In general, we had a positive experience—the campground was well-maintained, and the atmosphere was pleasant. However, we encountered an unfortunate issue with the campground host Heather, that affected our overall impression. While we acknowledge that we were a bit noisy and may have lost track of time, I personally apologized when the host approached us the following morning to remind us of the campground's rules. Despite this, the host’s tone remained unprofessional and confrontational, which caught us off guard. Rather than engaging in a constructive conversation, her response was dismissive and aggressive, leading to a rise in tension. The situation escalated when she told me to be quiet and even threatened to have us removed from the campground if we disagreed with her rules. As a group, we understand the importance of following rules and respect the campgrounds we visit. Our intent is never to cause trouble; we’re generally considerate, happy campers who simply want to enjoy our time in nature. It was disheartening to be treated in a manner that made us feel unwelcome, especially when we made an effort to engage respectfully. We hope that the campground management will consider improving the communication and professionalism of their staff, as it is an otherwise lovely place to stay.

Veronica Pedrosa

We recently went camping at Calamity campground and was impressed by the natural beauty of the place. The area is peaceful and not overly crowded, which made for a relaxing and enjoyable environment. However, our overall experience was negatively impacted by the behavior of the camp host, Heather. Unfortunately, she was quite rude—particularly toward my sister. When my sister politely asked if she could communicate the rules in a more respectful manner, Heather responded by telling her to “shut up.” This level of hostility was completely uncalled for and made us feel very unwelcome. Due to this interaction, we’ve decided not to return. It's a shame, as the location itself has great potential.

Nala Shepherd

Calamity Campground is a beautiful place, tucked away in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest above the Palisades Reservoir. Surrounded by towering trees and scenic views, it’s the kind of setting that instantly makes you feel glad you came. Our large group of 18 including four kids was in awe when we arrived. The sites were clean, the vault toilets well-maintained, and potable water was available on-site, which was a plus since we usually opt for dispersed camping. This time, we decided to try a developed campground due to its accessibility and rare availability. With the washed-out road currently restricting RV access, we were lucky to secure several tent spots. After setting up camp and enjoying a delicious meal together, we gathered around the campfire. As the night went on, we were joined by a few friendly young visitors, and the evening turned into a lively, joyful gathering—singing, dancing, and enjoying the peaceful night under the stars. Unfortunately, our fun came to a sudden halt when the campground host showed up. We hadn’t realized it was past quiet hours, and while we acknowledge we were too loud, the way the host handled it felt unnecessarily harsh. Instead of a polite reminder, she was confrontational and even threatened to call the police, treating us more like unruly children than responsible adults who simply got carried away by the moment. Later that night, she continued to patrol the campground multiple times, her vehicle lights flashing and the sound of tires on gravel making it hard for many of us to sleep. It felt excessive and disrupted the very quiet she claimed to be enforcing. The next morning, during breakfast, the host returned with more rules—no ATV usage inside the campground, no riding bikes—despite no actual infractions taking place. One friend had their ATV parked on a truck bed, and another had used theirs outside the campground. When our group member who booked the sites tried to apologize for the noise, the host (we believe her name was Heather) was aggressive and dismissive, even telling her to “shut up,” which was completely out of line and unprofessional. We love camping to enjoy nature, bond with friends and family, and unplug from daily life. While we absolutely respect campground rules and understand the need for quiet hours, the overly authoritarian behavior of the camp host completely overshadowed what should have been a relaxing weekend. It’s disappointing because this wasn’t our first time here—my previous visit a few years ago with a different host was much more pleasant. Bottom line: Calamity Campground is stunning and well-kept, but the current camp host made the experience stressful and uncomfortable for our entire group. Unless there’s a change in management, we’re likely to return to dispersed camping where we can enjoy nature without feeling policed.

JGgB

Lake was clean and nice, but a few people and the area was very clean. Bathroom was also clean and water right next to it just that the trash bins aren’t available and you will need to carry your trash out once you’re done. We did see some big poop right next to our campsite though.

Kort Black

The Palisades area is so beautiful. This campground is a little bit difficult to get to now that the paved road has washed out, but is worth the effort because it is so pretty. Just drive cautiously on the dirt bypass road which can get a little steep in places.

Aaron Clayson

Great campsite! Love taking our kayaks here in the summer! These are notes I took years ago about the campsites. They're not complete, but might still be useful to someone out there. For reference, most of these notes were written when we didn't have a camper and had only gone tent camping at the time so our point of view with these was from someone with a 10x16 size tent with the intent to get a camper. I edited one review after getting a camper and you'll see it. These notes were also taken late in the season while the latrines were full to the brim and ready for a cleaning. C1 - tiny, barely any space from fire pit to tent, afternoon full sun. Water right outside site and garbage super close. Tent barely fits, last resort for reservations! C2 and C3 tent sites are ten feet away, our tent won't fit C4 very open, our tent won't fit easily C5 more private, close to smelly latrine. C6 close and tent spot far from fire pit. Close to latrine. C7-9 too small for our tent, fire pit close to tent, open to walkers. C10 Private, room for our tent. Lots of shade. C11 has two tables, private area at top of loop. Tons of shade. Two tables. Dutch oven cooking hook. B13 great for an RV, only room for one small tent. Fire pit is terraced down and fairly private from the road. Two parking spots. B8 close to bathroom, campfire site down below, actually very private. Camper door opens to trees not the road. B-12 RV only, no tent sites. B7 room for one tent, but very close to the fire pit. fairly private. B5 room for two tents, several cars, camper or tents. Private fire pit area down stairs. Back tent area is open to B2 B4 no tents B2 room for 2-3 tents, two vehicles. Firepit is down stairs away from road. B3 super open, best for RV, tent area is slightly sloped. A1 super open, closest to water, room for a tent. A2-4 RV only, or tent in parking lot A5 super open, room for two medium tents A6 no tent A7—13 all RV only or tent in parking lot (13 best water view and most private) 12 is closest to water to fish A8 sitting area downstairs, has bear box, pretty private. Water spigot in parking area. Has a firepit grill. A9 sitting area up stairs, no bear box, we managed two vehicles and 20ft camper easily. Somewhat private up top. Tent area is up hill towards front of parking. Has a firepit grill. A14 room for one tent and two cars, water and latrine directly across road, can smell hint of latrine. Private though. Boat sounds clearly echo up to site. A15 room for one tent, close to fire pit, stairs up from parking so slightly private, but back of it is right above next camp site. Tent site close to fire pit. No latrine smell. A16-17 seem RV only, occupied. Garbage and latrines very close.

Kyle Schuster

Great hidden gem of a campground! I was on a road trip to check out Grand Teton National Park, but due to it being insanely busy this summer I wasn't able to find a campground nearby. Found this one instead, and fell in love with it! It's very quiet and you can't beat the location being right by the shore of the reservoir. I'll definitely be returning here the next time I'm looking to camp in the area!

Kristen McNally

We had a great time. Clean spot, outhouses ok. Lots of space to swim, hike. Friendly hosts. Beautiful area. Little scary driving up the curvy road there with a 35ft. Trailer

stephen b

One of my favorite places to camp. If you time it right you can pick Huckleberry's in the campground. The host was exceptionally nice. Went out of their way to make our stay great.

SU JEONG PARK

Quietest place to stay. No shower services. Vault toilets.

Larry H

Beautiful place! We'll definitely camp here again.

Bryan W

Discovered this place looking for a spot to watch the solar eclipse of 2017 and have now come back for a second year. What brought us back, the beauty, the peaceful laid back atmosphere, and the most accommodating camp hosts I have had the pleasure of meeting. To be sure, Mike and Cheryl run a tight ship, but play nice and they will fast win your hearts. They helped the kids find Huckleberries and checked up on us to make sure we were enjoying our stay. We have a large class A RV, so 4 miles of graded road rattles a few things around, but otherwise no problem. It keeps the place a little out of way for most and that's just the way I like it. I hope they keep the road unpaved.

Jennie Twitchell

We were in the A loop, and there is ample parking for RVs but not a lot of room for tents. In the upper area there is a picnic table and fire pit, but the space left is barely enough for a tent and too close to the pit to have a fire. Also we had two tents so we pitched it in the parking area. Has pretty clean pit toilets, water spigot outside each bathroom, the water comes out brown but it's potable. It tastes pretty good it's just a little silty. The area is beautiful. The lake is serene and there are dirt bike and ATV trails all over. I suggest going all the way to bear Creek. If you are self sufficient with water and such you may consider using some of the ample boondocking areas for free. They have an RV dump at the entrance near the dam for $5.

Anthony Scott Hopson

Beautiful location with nice RV & Camping sites but no electricity so plan on boondocking