Celebration Park Campground

This campground offers breathtaking views of the Snake River and Guffey Bridge, all within an hour’s drive from Boise. The scenic journey paves the way for an unforgettable experience. While getting into the campground might pose a small challenge, the day use area is a gem, featuring a boat launch, picnic tables, visitor center, and more. Notably, it’s Idaho’s First Archaeological Park, providing a fun and educational experience for children. Join us as we delve into our exhilarating adventure during our overnight stay here.

Camping

A Challenging Journey Awaits

When you first venture into the campground area, be ready for a wild ride on what seems like a slightly adventurous dirt road. It’s a one-lane road, so brace yourself for some unexpected encounters with other vehicles. The camping is dry, but fear not, the sites are spacious enough to accommodate even the most colossal RVs. Many spots are pull-through, but don’t be fooled – easy maneuvers are not guaranteed! Once you’re halfway down the road, there’s no turning back, so prepare for a rollercoaster of bumps, potholes, and surprise rocks. It’s a point of no return, but hey, at least it makes for a good story!

Once you finally overcome all these obstacles, you’ll stumble upon a magical gate where you can bribe the camping fairies with a mere $5 per night. But wait, the fun doesn’t end there! You have to embark on a thrilling quest to find your perfect camping spot before returning to the gatekeeper. The road, like a moody teenager, remains single-lane but miraculously smoothes out, offering a paved walking lane for your leisurely strolls around the campground. Behold the pristine restrooms, a rare treasure in the wilderness! It’s a potty paradise, folks.

Unfortunately, it seems the desert gravel roads have a natural affinity for dust, but it appears the day use adventurers have found a way to take it to the next level. It’s as if they’ve made it their mission to turn the campground into a sneeze-inducing dust bowl! With their speedy drives and dust-raising escapades, one might think they’re participating in a “Dust Bowl Derby” rather than seeking a tranquil day out. It’s all just to park at a trail head and go fishing, seemingly determined to leave no speck of dust unturned in their quest for the perfect fishing spot beyond the campsite.

There are spots where you can allegedly access the river, but during our visit, the river was playing hard to get and was as approachable as a grumpy cat. Each site comes fully equipped with a picnic table, a fire pit, and not one, but two glamorous trash cans. And fear not, the trash is promptly whisked away by the park attendants, so the park maintains its pristine appearance. If you’re here for the stunning views or some adventurous hiking, brace yourself for a delightful surprise. However, if you’re hoping to catch some fish, you might have better luck fishing in the day use area where the banks are more welcoming, or trying your luck at the dock by the boat launch. Happy fishing, or should I say, good luck convincing the fish to cooperate!

In a nutshell, I’d say that if your camper or off-road vehicle is up for the challenge, this place is a blast to stay at. Just be prepared to bid adieu to your campsite if you want to do anything exciting. And don’t forget to factor in the post-trip dusting session when you return home!

Fishing

As for our “epic” fishing adventure, it was a total flop. The campground is conveniently located in front of the snake river where it forks, presenting us with a very shallow waterbody adorned with some pint-sized pools that were marginally deeper. After enduring a treacherous journey down some outrageously steep stairs and then teetering on precariously unstable rocks, I confidently cast in a black rooster tail while Chris insisted on flaunting a white rooster tail. Lo and behold, both of us immediately reeled in nibbles from the tiniest, cutest baby Smallmouth Bass you’ve ever seen. After a few minutes of “intense” fishing action and catching nothing but infant fish, we wisely decided to wait until dark and try our luck at the day use area, where we could access the whole river. Our hope? To finally lure in some catfish, preferably ones with more impressive dimensions than the small fry we’d encountered earlier.

Using our brand new Hellcat rods and UV lights, we embarked on a daring fishing expedition in the dark, right next to the docks. Armed with shrimp on the Hellcat rods and nightcrawlers on the smaller ones, we were geared up for an epic battle with the underwater creatures. Alas, despite our impressive setup of black lights and the rods glowing ominously, the only action we got was a couple of teasing bites on Chris’ pole. It seems that no matter what tricks we try, this spot just loves giving us rocks and snags instead of fish. We were optimistic that our new gear and unconventional approach would change our luck, but as it turns out, we were hilariously mistaken.

In short, it was a total flop. We could hear folks reeling them in at the dock, so if you’re planning a fishing trip during the day, the dock is definitely the reel deal.