Scenic byway · Caribou-Targhee National Forest · est. 1908
Caribou-Targhee NF — Mesa Falls Scenic Byway
Upper Mesa Falls' 114-ft drop on the last undammed Snake-tributary waterfall — Warm River's 32-ft dry-camp loop with on-site dump sits 35 mi south of Yellowstone's West Entrance, peak-season overflow ready.
Max RV length
32 ft
Hookups
None (dry)
Dump station
Yes
Dispersed camping
Allowed per MVUM
RV season
Late May – mid-September (developed)
Access road
Paved ID 47 (Mesa Falls Scenic Byway), 28 mi loop
About this area
Upper Mesa Falls drops 114 feet and Lower Mesa Falls follows at 65 — and the two together are the last major undammed waterfalls on a Snake River tributary, a fact rangers cite at the interpretive plaza. The 28-mile paved Mesa Falls Scenic Byway loops off US 20 between Ashton and Harriman State Park, and the USFS developed camping anchor is Warm River Campground on the southern arc: 32-ft dry-camp, on-site dump, sites set under lodgepole pine along the eponymous Warm River. Riverside Campground (smaller, walk-up) adds capacity along the Henrys Fork. Dispersed camping is broadly allowed off the byway under the Caribou-Targhee MVUM. Yellowstone's West Entrance is 35 miles north of Warm River, making this corridor a real overflow option when West Yellowstone's commercial parks fill peak summer. Grizzly protocol applies.
How to plan this area
Reservations and the Motor Vehicle Use Map
Developed loops book through recreation.gov; dispersed camping is legal only where the ranger district's MVUM allows it. Both links go straight to the official source.
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Official sources
Every fact on this page traces back to these primary sources.
More USFS areas in Idaho
Sawtooth National Recreation Area
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Boise NF — Lowman/Garden Valley Dispersed
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Salmon-Challis NF — Frank Church River of No Return
Lower 48's largest wilderness at 2.37M acres — perimeter-only rig access, 28-ft caps at Corn Creek and Boundary Creek, no on-site dump, no cell, lottery-permit float trips drive summer demand.
Idaho rules · last verified 2026-05-10
- Rental tax
- 7.00%
- Min driver age
- 21+ std · 25+ Class A
- Gravel roads
- Allowed — disclosure required
- Generator quiet
- 22:00-07:00
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