If you're looking for a place to dispersed camp near Challis, look no further. Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. Find the perfect dispersed campsite for your next adventure.
Deadman Hole has 5 first come, first served primitive campsites adjacent to the scenic Upper Salmon River. Anglers have access to great fishing opportunities. Amenities include restrooms, picnic shelters, drinking water, ample parking, and a boat ramp. This site has limited cell service.
This recreation site has 11 campsites and a day use picnic area along the shore of Mosquito Flat Reservoir near Challis. Nearby, the Yankee Fork Trail (#147) provides access to the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. Each campsite is equipped with picnic tables and fire rings. The campground accomodates motorhomes and trailers up to 32-foot long. There are vault toilets on site, but no drinking water or garbage services within the site. Fish Your National Forests: This site can be accessed by Passenger Car; Fish available include: Trout; Types of fishing available include: Wade, Shore, Non-motorized boat, Float tube, Fly, Spin, Bait;
Guide
I enjoyed my 2 night stay here. I pitched a tent however it was quite windy due to it being an open area so just stake your tent down well. I had a spot right beside the salmon river and was able to access this campsite via my Honda Accord vehicle.
GuideThis was a great stay. I found a place to pitch a tent right beside the river. There seemed to be plenty of spots some vacant at times. It was close to Highway 75 but did get some traffic noise but the river drowned most of it out. Would stay here again!
Guide
Stayed here for two nights. The first night I have the whole area to myself. The second night there was two other campers. Doesn't seem to be super popular or high in demand. So finding a spot shouldn't be a problem. There was about six or more parking/camping areas. No Wi-Fi or Verizon signal. There is a toilet available. Access to the river as well.
Traveler
Got to Stanley area around 6pm on a Friday. Drove to Stanley Lake and Iron Creek but everything was full. Decided to drive down Rd 653 then to Rd 633 to see if there was anything open and found a good spot about 2 miles in from hwy 21. I passed quite a few people but spots are pretty far apart and the only people I could see from my campsite were all the way across the valley. Only animals I saw were some antelope, ground squirrels, and cows. Pretty wildflowers all around too. It was a good place to stop for the night!
ScoutIf you get one of the site overlooking the sawtooths count yourself lucky
TravelerNo camping signs everywhere- day use only
TravelerTook advice from the other review and entered through the east from hwy21. Found my spot about 2.5- 3 miles in. This was the only one I saw at about 7pm on a Wednesday. Had entertainment from cows in the distance!
Traveler
I selected this campground after missing out on a nearby first come first serve that was fully booked. I am just thrilled with the campsites and cleanliness of the pit toilets and nearby stream and fishing.
ScoutBeautiful and quiet area along a creek and against the forest.
Legend
This area along lower Iron Creek Road had some rough free dispersed spots that had cell signal from Stanley. As of June 2023 there are info boards and signage that notes dispersed camping only in designated spots marked on the ground with new signs. I saw an A group and a B group and may be more farther up but the road was so rough washboard potholed I did not check. These sites are small and not suitable for RVs and large TTs in my opinion. No toilets, no dumpsters and no water. However, this is very close to Stanley town.
Legend
Area of FS road #638 and #630. Large flat area around an old burrow pit. Very popular and lots of campers when I visited. Not a lot of privacy in my opinion, but it is only a few miles from Stanley Lake boat ramp.
Scoutthis camping site is great, super bumpy dirt road takes you to a few hidden plots tucked away by a river. private and easy to crash for the night
Guide
I drove up to check out this area since we were staying in Salmon River Designated Spot 2 and there are now no camping signs all over in this area. It is very hard to tell if the signs are meant just for the specific area where they are posted as it is clear those are in previous camping spots, but there are other spots that do not have signs right next to those. You may want to check with the ranger station before heading up to see if camping is still allowed in this area. On a side note, as others have mentioned the road up is pretty steep and rutted so enter with caution. I would not have pulled my 30ft travel trailer up there for sure.
Guide
In this video we provide a comprehensive review of 3 of the free boondocking(dispersed camping) sites near Stanley, Idaho in the Sawtooth National Forest. Salmon River Designated Spots 1, 2 and 3. All locations are in the Sawtooth National Forest and there is a 10 day stay limit between May 1- September 15th with an unlimited stay limited outside of that time period.
TravelerIncredible views after driving through most of Idaho this spot is a relief! Water /fishing access ,private spots , even one really nice paved spot close to entrance , don’t miss the turn it’s near a cattle gate on the gravel road
ScoutGot here on a Friday (8/26) around 7:30 pm. There were already some folks out here, but there were still some spaces. Although, they were a bit close to each other in the main area where you pull in. Found a spot up the way by the creek that was further away from being around everyone there for a more secluded feel. Clean and easy.
GuideI love this place as dispersed camping is our favorite. We are not stacked in n together and have great views of tue Sawtooth. My speed test was done with Verizon and I was using a WeBoost.
LegendThere are many camp sites along the road. Good cell service. Verizon. Only a mile or so to Redfish lake. Awesome lake. There is a paid shower, laundry and dump available there. Road narrow and is loose gravel.
GuideProbably 15 spots. AT&T 1-2 5G. Pit toilets, 10 day max stay right on Big Lost River, fishing might be good? No garbage, water. Not bad for a 2-3 nighter.
ScoutIf redfish campgrounds are full this is a nice alternative that’s close by.
LegendThough this campground sits along the highway it is easier to tolerate noise when its free!
The campground loop is gravel and has “pull next to” (bump out?) type sites with covered picnic table and a fire pit. There are also pit toilets and a hand pump water spigot. There is also a boat ramp and a day use area.
The river is very shallow and the bank is quite muddy -- our little dog sank up to her belly.
No privacy here and lots of road noise but you get to see the river and the meandering cows across the river.
Did not see any wildlife unless you count the swarms of tiny bugs of the variety that squeeze their little bug bodies through your screens.
Zero cell reception ATT, verizon or TMobile. The WeBoost was able to give us bars of LTE but still was not very usable.
Good for an overnight but not much around to keep us occupied for anything longer.
Guide
So many areas to pull in and camp on river …
Guide
On salmon river right off hwy. can’t complain it was free
Traveler
We were able to find a site at the last minute, after 2 surrounding sites were full. Camp host was friendly and prompt to check us in. Nice big site. Dogs allowed on leash. Bathrooms available, but didn’t use. Some highway noise, but not bad. Nice place to stay with a creek running nearby.
LegendWe are full-timers and have a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow and had scouted the area before arriving with the RV. The roads in to this area, NF-563/Stanley Creek Rd and NF-633/Nip and Tuck Road are in pretty decent shape for all vehicles coming in from the West off of Hwy 21, but be warned, do not come in from the East on NF-633/Nip and Tuck Road off of Hwy 75 as just a short distance in, there is deep and narrow wash across the road that will likely ruin the underside of your RV unless you have a very high clearance vehicle. There are many dispersed sites around along the road, but most were taken when we arrived, and only a few facing Stanley have cell service. We found a decent site (44.2382,-114.9692), a little off of the main road, with a great view of the Sawtooth Range and the valley. The site sloped a bit from side to side, but we were able to get mostly level. There were a few flies around during the daytime, but not the biting kind, just annoying. Mosquitos were an issue only in the evenings. There are a number of hiking trails in the surrounding area. AT&T service was fair with 2-3 bars of LTE and speeds up to about 1.5 MB/s. T-Mobile service was good with 3 bars of 4G/LTE and speeds up to about 1.3 MB/s We were able to get DISH coverage on all three western satellites at our site. Also, there were no OTA channels to be had with our fixed omni antenna.
LegendDispersed camping just north of Sun Valley. This Forest Road is popular being so close to town, but if you venture 3 to 4 miles in it's very quiet and peaceful. Lots of great hiking at the to trailheads near this campsite. We enjoyed all of the trees around our campsite and the North Fork of the Big Wood River with the sound of churning water. No cell service here. You're in a valley without a lot A visibility far out to the weather. Therefore, weather can change on you rapidly and Strongly. Be prepared.
LegendPros: *Views for miles *Steps from the Salmon River *Boat launch for rafting,kayaking,fishing *Covered picnic table *Generous spacing between sites *Serious star gazing opportunities
Cons: *No shade *Close to road, so some road noise.
Pros out weigh the cons for us. 2 thumbs up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Challis, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Challis, ID is Deadman Hole with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Challis, ID?
TheDyrt.com has all 23 dispersed camping locations near Challis, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
