Kirkham

7359 Hwy 21
LOWMAN, ID 83637

Overview

Kirkham Campground is located next to the South Fork Payette River just east of Lowman, Idaho, along Highway 21 at an elevation of 4,000 feet. Visitors enjoy soaking in popular Kirkham Hot Springs on the banks of the river and exploring the scenic Kirkham Ridge Trail.

Recreation

Popular Kirkham Hot Springs is located at the river's edge within the campground. A trail with staircases leads down to the soaking pools and small steaming waterfalls.

The South Fork Payette River offers whitewater rafting, kayaking and trout fishing. The Deadwood and Danskin River Access areas are nearby.

Kirkham Ridge Trail is one of the Lowman Ranger District's premier trails. It begins less than 1/4-mile away and stretches through beautiful country for 35 miles, connecting with many other trails in the area. It is open to hiking, mountain biking and horses. Sections of the trail are open seasonally to off-road vehicles.

Facilities

The campground contains several single-family sites and one double site, all of which are accessible. Each site is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring with grill. Some sites have small picnic shelters for shade.

Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided. A campground host is on-site. Roads and parking spurs are paved. A small gas station/cafe and mechanic are nearby.

Natural Features

The campground offers little shade, though a few Ponderosa pines are scattered throughout the site. The campground can be very hot and sunny during the summer. Wildflowers dot the landscape.

Nearby Attractions

Numerous natural hot springs pools can be found along Highway 21, also known as the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway, and the Banks-Lowman Highway, also known as the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway. Both byways offer scenic views, wildlife watching, historical information kiosks and several trail opportunities.

Whitewater rafting and kayaking are popular activities on the South Fork and Main Payette Rivers. Several companies in the area offer guided half and full-day trips.

Camp site features

Across 14 camp sites:

ADA accessible: all 14 sites
Longest RV: 80 ft
Largest party: 16 people

Directions

From Boise, Idaho, take State Highway 55 to Banks. Turn east onto the Banks-Lowman Highway and travel to Lowman. Turn left on Highway 21. The campground is located 5 miles east at milepost 77.

Stay Limit

Check in from 2 PM, check out by 1 PM.

Reviews

7 reviews

5 stars

4 stars

2 stars

1 stars

Melisa C

Loop:Kirk

Site:

Reviewed 7 years ago

We were rather disappointed with the campground. The onsite bathrooms desperately needed taken care of. If the wind blew you could smell it and the flies were horrible because of it. If we had been next to the bathroom, we would have just gone home. There needs to be more vegetation around the camp sites. It is next to a river and has a hot springs right on site, yet nothing is watered or beautified. Definitely needs a good camp host.

Jenna S

Loop:Kirk

Site:

Reviewed 7 years ago

Our time at Kirkham was quite strange. The host was gone for the season on Labor Day weekend.... the first night we had a man yelling at the campsite next to us that he didn’t need to leave, even though he did not pay for a campsite. This very firey exchange went on for about an hour and was scary and there was no one there to break up this terrifying fight. Then the next day we had gone hiking and came back at about 5pm. A ranger had given our reserved campsite away, even though our tent was still there. Again, the ranger was gone for the day and there was no host so we had to try and reason with this family who had trashed our entire campsite that it was still ours. We would have left, but no one was in the host site that night so we just moved our tent there to sleep. Very poorly managed and awful there was no 24 hour authority there on one of the busiest weekends of the year. The hot springs are great, but we will never camp there again.

Samantha M

Loop:Kirk

Site:

Reviewed 7 years ago

Awesome campsite. There weren't trees on our site so it got a bit hot, so we had to spend plenty of time by the river. It was a little crowded during the day, but it wasn't like going to Yellowstone. Originally, there was something that stated there was water on site, but there wasn't. Thankfully, my group brought water jugs. Overall, it was a great trip and we made some great memories.

Shyla J

Loop:Kirk

Site:

Reviewed 7 years ago

Most incredible place there is! Perfect. The site was nice and level, the hot spring right outside our door was magical, the big springs and river down the hill are my favorite place on earth and rafting the river was the icing on the cake. I hope we can go many many many more times.

sajan o

Loop:Kirk

Site:

Reviewed 7 years ago

low key camground with great natural hot springs..

kandi s

Loop:Kirk

Site:

Reviewed 7 years ago

We had a nice big spot for the whole family. There was way too many people coming to the hot springs so we didn't get to enjoy them like we wanted, car load after car load. We like a little more privacy when we camp.

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

Reserve