Bruneau Dunes State Park – Mountain Home, Idaho

Bruneau Dunes State Park Idaho — The Observatory and our rig at Bruneau Dunes

We drove from Emigrant Springs State Park in Oregon along I-84 through Boise and on to the state park south of Mountain Home passing through Boise and following the Snake River.

Downtown Boise

Halloween decorations and corn maze

Snake River

Southern Idaho

Snake River

Bruneau Dunes is a lovely state park in southern Idaho surrounded by some tall dunes (largest single structure dunes in North America) and a few lakes.

Entrance to Bruneau Dunes

View from Bruneau Dunes State Park Visitors Center

The state park has two campgrounds, Broken Wheel Campground and Eagle Cove Campground, both of which are easily accessible by big rigs and offer open sites (minimal trees), level, and a variety of hookups. Most sites offer nice views of the surrounding countryside and dunes. Broken Wheel has 3 sections, dry camping, full hookups, and water/electric. The campground is designed to look like a wagon wheel and all sites are inside a circle and all sites are back-in.

Broken Wheel Campground map – copyright Idaho State Parks

Typical dry camping site – nice cabanas

Site 36 – dry camping

Site 42 – dry camping

Dry camping loop

Site 32 – 30 AMP site

Eagle Cove Campground, which is nearby to Broken Wheel, has a variety of pull-thru sites in addition to back-ins and still provides nice views. We stayed in Eagle Cove Campground only because it was a weekend when we arrived and that was the area were there were a few sites available. It was pretty busy when we arrived and it was end of September. But after the weekend the place cleared out and we were by ourselves, except for the host. Obviously, this is a weekend destination campground for the locals.

Eagle Cove Campground map – A and B loops – copyright Idaho State Parks

Entrance into A loop

Row of pull-thrus in Loop A

Loop A Site 57 – pull-thru

Loop A Site 61 – pull-thru

Loop B

Loop B Site 85

Loop B – site 87 – end of row with great views of the dunes

Located at the Eagle Cove Campground are 2 cabins which can be rented. They are adorable with a porch swing and fantastic views of the dunes.

Cabins

View from porch

The two rental cabins surrounded by pines

Porch swing on cabin porch with us in the background

Campground: Eagle Cove Campground
Location: South of Mountain Home, Idaho
Site: 62 (pull-thru)
Cost: $24 (Idaho State Resident price)
Services: W/E (30AMP)
Comments: A lovely campground with lots of opportunities for hiking and sledding through the nearby sand dunes. Definitely a fun place to visit to explore the dunes but it is very windy atop the dunes.

Site 60 from a distance

Site 60

Our view – our picnic area

Site 60 – all by ourselves

Peek-a-boo at Site 60 in the early morning

Site 60 as seen from the cabins

Site 60

There are multiple hiking trails in the area and of course, you can hike the ridges of the dunes if you dare. Atop the dunes the wind is unbelievable and not only will it possibly knock you down, you will also have sand in every crevice of your body. But, boy, was it FUN! Bring you sled and slide down the dunes. We love this place and had a blast!