Dispersed camping · Idaho
What the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests actually allows for dispersed camping — how far off a road you may drive, which roads that applies to, and the closure orders that override it. Every figure below is sourced; the primary documents are linked at the bottom.
| Rule | This forest | |
|---|---|---|
| How far off the road you may drive | — | from the road centerline |
| Where that applies | Motorized dispersed camping is not permitted | |
| Distance to keep from water | — | unverified |
| Stay limit | 14 days | per the forest order |
This forest does not allow driving off designated routes to camp. Use designated sites and campgrounds.
VERIFIED NO CORRIDOR (a verified restriction, not 'no rule found'). Regional Order R1-2025-02 (signed 2025-08-08; eff. 2025-08-15 to 2030-08-15) prohibits on all NPC lands: 'Possess or use a vehicle off National Forest System Roads. 36 CFR 261.56' — with no dispersed-camping, game-retrieval, or 300-ft exemption (only permit holders and agency/emergency personnel exempt). Consistent with this, current NPC MVUM legends (Powell and Upper North Fork sheets checked) contain no dispersed-camping corridor language — they authorize only parking along designated routes when safe and non-damaging. Non-motorized walk-in dispersed camping remains generally allowed.
'Special Vehicle Designation' on NPC MVUMs = route open to vehicle classes other than the standard legend classes (see Seasonal and Special Designation Table). It is a vehicle-class device, not a camping or game-retrieval designation; no camping dot symbol exists on the sheets checked.
O'Hara Beach area closure (01-17-06-26-00, Apr 2026); Selway Falls Campground closure (01-17-06-26-003, May 2026); White Pine Fire scar closure (01-17-52-26-002, Jun 2026); Fish Lake Trail 419 closed to all motorized use (01-17-53-23-001). MVUMs exist only for Clearwater-side districts (Palouse, North Fork, Lochsa-Powell); Nez Perce-side districts still reference 2008 road/trail access guides.
corridor_scope 'none_prohibited' is deliberately outside the requested enum because none of the four values fits a VERIFIED prohibition — do not read it as 'unverified'. Stay limit: R1-2025-01 (eff. 2025-08-01 to 2030-07-31): in Idaho, 14 consecutive days at a single site and 28 cumulative days per calendar year; also bans pallet/metal-hardware firewood. Caveats: only 2 of 10 posted MVUM sheets text-checked (standard template); R1-2025-02's literal text covers vehicles off 'Roads' without expressly addressing designated motorized trails; forest-wide travel planning is ongoing. No water-setback order found ('no rule found').
Open the map with scored campsites in Idaho
Confidence in this summary: medium. Forest orders change mid-season and districts differ — this is a research summary, not legal advice. Check the sources above before you drive out.