Looking to find an RV campground or tent campsite near Clayton that allows dogs? Finding a place to camp in Idaho with your dog is easier than ever. Search nearby pet-friendly campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Sunny Gulch Campground sits along the shores of Salmon River in the forests of central Idaho.
Excellent fishing is right out your back door on the Salmon River, with rainbow trout, Westslope cutthroat trout and occasional hybrid cutbows and bull trout available. Sunny Gulch lies in the heart of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. A myriad of excellent hiking and biking opportunities are available, and an estimated 750 miles of trails crisscross the valley and surrounding mountains.
The campground offers spectacular views of the Sawtooth Mountains. Summer wildflowers are plentiful and lodgepole pines provide partial shade. Temperatures are cool with an average summer high of 78 degrees and a low of 40 degrees.
The Alpine Way Trail begins less than a mile from the campground, and the Idaho Centennial Trail passes nearby. Redfish and Stanley Lakes are nearby with great boating, water skiing, canoeing, kayaking and fishing. Numerous additional sparkling lakes and streams dot the area. Popular area events include an Arts and Crafts Fair in July, and Wagon Days, Salmon Festival, Quilt Fair and Fireman's Ball in September.
$24 - $125 / night
The Challis Hot Springs is a 5th generation family-owned destination in the Round Valley, home of Challis, Idaho. The property is on the bank of the Salmon River, 70 miles from the headwaters of the “River of No Return.” Our primary amenity is natural odorless hot springs which constantly replenish with continuous freshwater supplied by nature through the river rock bottoms. Most guests enjoy the springs while camping in the RV and tent campground, which features mature trees, and irrigated grass sites, all within a stone’s throw of the Salmon River, which fronts the entire property. Our campground is the perfect location to launch your kayaking or rafting trip, fish for trout and steelhead, or just watch the wildlife. In particular, the herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep frequents the cliffside above the property.
$29 - $43 / night
Stanley Lake Campground is located on the shoreline above beautiful Stanley Lake at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountains.
Stanley Lake offers excellent boating, water skiing, canoeing, kayaking and fishing for rainbow, cutthroat, brook and bull trout. A boat ramp is located just outside the campground. The Idaho Centennial Trail passes nearby and can be accessed from the Stanley Lake Trailhead across the lake.
The campground is situated on a hillside above the lake in a thick grove of lodgepole pines, at an elevation of 6,500 feet. Most campsites have partial shade and views of the lake and/or the rugged 9860-foot McGowan Peak. Temperatures are cool, with an average summer high of 78 degrees and a low of 40 degrees.
Stanley Lake lies within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, which offers a myriad of excellent hiking and biking opportunities. An estimated 750 miles of trails crisscross the valley and surrounding mountains. Numerous sparkling lakes and streams, including the Salmon River, dot the area, making for great rainbow and native Westslope cutthroat trout fishing. Redfish Lake is nearby, offering additional water recreation opportunities. Popular area events include an Arts and Crafts Fair in July, and Wagon Days, Salmon Festival, Quilt Fair and Fireman's Ball in September.
$24 / night
Casino Creek Campground is composed of 19 sites including 2 double-sites along the Salmon River. Sites 18 & 19 are for tent camping only and sites 12, 13 and 14 accommodate livestock tethered to hitching rails. Casino Creek trailhead is located within the campground leading to trails along Big Casino Creek and Little Casino Creek which lead to the Casino Lakes in the White Cloud Mountains to the east and the Sawtooth Mountains to the west. This area is terrific for fishing and hiking along the beautiful Salmon river and surrounding creeks. All sites are first-come, first-serve.
$18 - $36 / night
A beautiful high mountain lake is the setting for this out-of-the-way campground. Plenty of fishing in lakes and streams. Good hiking and ATV trail access. Campsite facilities include picnic tables and fire rings with cooking grills. Within the campground, there are vault toilets and a day-use picnic area. On Bayhorse Lake campers will find a boat launch and two boat docks for use by non-motorized watercraft.
This dirt road is narrow and steep and while trailers are allowed, caution is advised; best fit for trailers and motorhomes less than 32 feet long. No drinking water is on-site, and please pack out your trash.
This campground is the first of several campsites along the canyon formed by the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River. Fishing for rainbow trout in the river, and interpretive and historical tours available nearby. Each site has picnic tables, fire rings with cooking grills. There is a Vault toilet. The sites accomodate trailers and motorhomes up to 32 feet.
$5 / night
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.
5500-foot elevation. This site is nestled between the main Salmon River and the mouth of the East Fork of the Salmon River, four miles north of Clayton on Highway 75. 10 campsites at the confluence of the East Fork and the main Salmon River. Fishing for cutthroat and rainbow trout, steelhead and whitefish. Head down East Fork Road to enjoy the wildlife viewing area in the East Fork of Salmon River Canyon.
$5 - $10 / night
Redfish Inlet Trailhead
Legend
Camped in site #15 on Sept 27, 2024. Paid $10 with senior pass. Nothing remarkable about the campground itself, but the trails leading out of the campground are really good. There is access to the Salmon River at the end of the campground road for bank/fly fishing; caught a nice rainbow trout. Sites along the river appear larger than those backing up to the hill. The river side sites are open sky, good for solar recharging and Starlink. The sites across the road have partial shade. There were a few pull-thrus; otherwise, back-ins. Campground is popular for OHV enthusiasts and hikers. Most sites are close to the dusty campground road. Vault toilet was not quite clean, although it was at the end of the summer season. There is a hand water pump. Site 15 is a small, almost level site with a pea gravel surface; it appeared to have a tent pad at the rear. This site has a table and metal fire ring. There is road noise from highway 75 across the river. It was very busy here during our stay, probably because forest service campgrounds west of Stanley were closed due to wildfires. There were a lot of drive-bys on the campground road. Nearby travel trailers with large noisy families kind of ruined the ambiance of this small campground; did not respect quiet hours. Campground probably okay for an overnight stay, fly fishing on the Salmon River or for accessing the trailheads. Overall, I did not enjoy camping here. I did, however, enjoyed hiking and fishing here. I am not likely to camp here again.
Legend
Free designated dispersed campsite along Sawtooth Nation Forest Road 137. Camped here at the end of September 2024. Very large designated dispersed site set downhill from the forest road; no issues with dust from this road. The area is level. May be able to park 3 rigs. Tent camping is possible back from the parking area toward the metal firering. This area can accommodate 3 or 4 tents, or one big hot tent. Corral Creek is just down a short path from the campsite. The sound of the creek can be heard at the site. Very quiet area. Mountains on either side of the site. The parking area is dirt and gravel. The "tent" area is grass and dirt. Don't see opportunities for hammock camping. No cell service. No shade; solar recharging and Starlink possible. 3 day limit. Hiking trailheads and vault toilet at the end of the forest road.
Legend
$10 (paid $5 with senior pass). First come, first served. Camped at site #10 in late September 2024. This primitive national forest campground was not busy during my visit. Copper Basin Loop Road accessing this campground, which has a gravel surface, was in good condition; there was some washboarding in a few places. The campground has a lower loop and an upper loop. The campground has a mix of pull-through and back-in sites; some leveling may be reuired in some sites. Site #10 is a short gravel pull-thru in the upper loop, good fit for my campervan, although very close to the campground road. There is a short path from the site driveway down to a picnic table and metal fire ring. The ground is a little chewed up from voles and cow hooves. Tent and hammock camping are possible. This site has partial shade; others in the loop are open. Little privacy between sites. Depending on the site, you can get a view of Copper Basin from the upper loop. The upper loop has two clean vault toilet facilities; I didn't use the vault toilet in the lower loop, but assume that it is clean. There is a hand water pump in both loops but shut down for the season during our visit. Trout fishing in nearby Star Hope Creek was pretty good; it's about a 1/4 mile walk from my campsite. No T-Mobile or AT&T cell service. Overall, a pretty campground; mostly wooded. I would camp here again. Boondocking is also possible along the Copper Basin Loop Rd.
Ranger
Simple campground along Salmon River--beautiful setting, with maybe 5 spaces, not all of which are marked well but do have picnic tables to indicate. Also a vault toilet at loop campground. Buggy, even with river flowing and slight wind. Free, which is nice. Can hear US93 traffic, but not bad considering neighbor ran generator which drowned out some noise.
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.
Guide
Clean bathrooms and showers, good space. Didn't see a store of any kind. Tiny view of mountains. They charge an extra amount for choosing your spot, but it makes no difference really as the place is quite small.
Ranger
Spend 6 nights here while exploring Stanley, the sawtooths, and Boise National Forest. Big sites, beautiful lake, and very private. Really enjoyed our stay here.
TravelerClean bathrooms and showers, good space. Didn't see a store of any kind. Tiny view of mountains. They charge an extra amount for choosing your spot, but it makes no difference really as the place is quite small.
Ranger
Stoped for an overnight on our way to glacier. Clean and nice park.
RangerThis place was great. Great view. Friendly staff. Had hot showers. Bathroom and laundry. The night sky was beautiful.
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!
Traveler
Beautiful grass in most of the spots. Fire rings, bathrooms near by. We have a 26 ft TT and this was perfect right off highway. Only stayed one day due to it being a little warm and we were heading up north. Did have shade and it cooled off at night . Lots of room for our dogs to run by site without bothering others.
ScoutIf you get one of the site overlooking the sawtooths count yourself lucky
TravelerPulled over mid day to spend the afternoon and night. We took the second to last spot on the river side. Arrived at noon on a Tuesday, departed at 8am next day and were the only campers. Very easy river access from site, but water is moving quickly. We walked to the other side of the bridge and let our dogs jump in where the water was calmer. Overall really clean and well maintained space. The only thing that will prevent us from coming back is the cottonwood tree droppings. They’re everywhere and very sticky, so if you have long haired dogs, it’s a nightmare to get them out.
Guide
This site was pretty easy to find. There were a couple of campers camped closer to the road from the turn-off but we managed to find a spot that was secluded and perfect for us right next to the creek. Tons of space, especially since we were by ourselves. Had a real fire pit! This was a cold stay and our tent was covered in frost in the morning, but a good spot to be. Close enough to town, close enough to hiking.
GuideNice location, close to town. Close to road but not much traffic. Access can be difficult with steep access from main road and tricky spots along the access road. There are three access spots. Would pick the first or second. The road is difficult between the second and third access roads. Would recommend walking down to see if safe for you and your vehicle. There is more dispersed camping farther up the road but you begin to lose cell coverage.
Guide
Nice view of the lake. Quiet time of year to visit.
Scout
New owners have downsized the RV area to only six sites. That being said I'm enjoying our trip in mid-September since only half are being filled. That being said site 1 is not very usable due to not having a table or sewer hookup.
We paid $100 a night which is a premium but given the location it felt worth it.
ScoutWe love camping in this campground. The reason for only three stars is because of the extremely rude behavior of the"camp host". We will not be going back as long as she is still there. This is our third time camping there and we have never seen treated so poorly by a camp host.
Guide
If you’re looking for a simple stay, close to all, including a gorgeous bike path, this will do the trick.
No one was there when we pulled in at 5 (they say they are open until 10), but they left a map & the park is small, so it wasn’t rocket science. It was a little tough to find the dump drain, but it’s there, and the parking situation is a little wonky at first (especially if you’re pulling in after a long drive) and may feel a little confusing. The utilities for each spot are just next to each other. Yours will have your spot number on it.
If you’re looking for luxury, this is not the place for you. It is right off a main highway, which didn’t bother us at all but I did see some complaints on yelp about noise. The noise was not bad at all, especially with windows closed and air on. We had vents and windows open and we were fine (and I’m a light sleeper/sensitive to noise). If you want less noise, I suggest you ask for a spot on the residential side of the park.
You’re also just next door to a residential community. Our spot sat next to someone’s backyard. No problem for us, but this my bother some.
The spots are packed in, but we paid $5 extra for a “premium” end unit, and that worked just fine. I will agree that it’s a little pricey for what you get. Bathrooms were clean enough, could have been given a little more attention as to how the trash can and paper bits were on the floor.
But, again, if you’re looking for a resort, go elsewhere. We give it a 4 for proximity to town, access to bike paths, and some pretty epic views.
TravelerNo camping signs everywhere- day use only
Ranger
After riding ID75, it was time to find camp. Sure there are a bazillion to choose from along the highway, but I wanted to soak in the highly reviewed waters. I was NOT disappointed!!! Beautiful lawn, one of the freshest hot springs I’ve visited, and great campers. Side not: this place was recently purchased/handed over to the Idaho State Parks system.
Ranger
Nice clean campground. Only issue you did have some road noise since it’s right on the road. Picked up starlink service but no Verizon signal. Campground was pretty quiet not busy at all.
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!
Legend
This was the second spot we camped on our backpacking trip (Alice-Toxaway Loop). We started at Tin Cup Trailhead and did the loop counterclockwise, making Alice Lake our last stop.
We were able to fit 3 tents on this peninsula, but unfortunately we got a lot of rain and 2 tents were in lakes of water and needed to be moved.
The views, rain and shine are amazing! You are also able to hike around the whole lake which was a fun activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Clayton, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Clayton, ID is Sunny Gulch Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Clayton, ID?
TheDyrt.com has all 67 dog-friendly camping locations near Clayton, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
