Best Tent Camping near Clayton, ID

Recent Tent Reviews near Clayton, Idaho

366 Reviews of 72 Clayton Campgrounds

• 

  Amy S.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 2, 2020

  Grandjean Campground — Sawtooth National Forest

  Remote Car Camping

  Grandjean has several campsites, some on the river, some not.  Some of the sites would accommodate smaller truck bed campers and maybe trailer campers.  We tent camp and needed the 4-wheel drive to get to the end of the road.  I didn't see any RV sites, there might be one or two around but its unlikely that there would be hookups of any kind.  There might be a restroom off the main road on the way toward Grandjean but there were none close to any of the campsites around us.  I would describe this as remote car camping.  Established tent sites and fire pits, beautiful scenery, privacy and not a lot of extras.   The Sawtooth Lodge is up the road and does offer RV space, tent camping and cabins.  I am speaking of the rustic camping sites between Highway 21 and the Sawtooth Lodge.

• J

  Joshua P.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 13, 2020

  Round Valley RV Park

  Quiet & Clean

  On a motorcycle trip through Idaho and this place met my needs. It is close to town but no noise from the highway. It was walking distance to grocery store and gas station. Check in was fast and rates are reasonable for tent site. I had a site with power and water. It was close to the bath house. Overall, a great place for a nights stay on the road.

• 

  Nancy B.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 4, 2021

  Chemeketan Campground

  Wonderful

  It has been a long time since I have been there. Not a lot of amminites then. Best scenery and lots of tent sites away from crowds. Will go back again.

• 

  Eric D.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 10, 2022

  Cottonwood Recreation Site

  Very nice place!

  Probably 15-20 camper spots all paved. 5 or so tent sites. Very nice. Water and dumpsters!

  My recommendation: stay on the river side, the highway side can get a little loud.

• 

  Ch C.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 11, 2022

  Banner Creek Campground

  Nice little campground

  It’s located right on highway 21, a few miles south of Stanley. Very small. Description says 5 camping sites but I only saw 3. There is a running creek a few feet away from the tent sites. Very quiet.

• 

  Phil M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 31, 2021

  Challis Hot Springs

  Superb campground!

  We stayed the night in a tent site, the place was beautiful! All the grass is nice and green, volleyball court, playground, two different hot pools from Hot springs. Beautiful flowers, right on the river! There's also hiking trails behind the campground.

• K

  Kaytlin

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 30, 2021

  Bull Trout Lake Campground

  Snug in the mountains and cozy

  This is a first come first serve for tent camping, and we grabbed the last spot on this trip. However, it was within walking distance of the water for swimming and fishing.

  Also VERY clean toilets!

  Other than it was hot mid-day, it was beautiful, plus an amazing hiking trail is close too.

• D

  Danielle

  Scout

  

  Aug. 7, 2021

  Sunny Gulch Campground

  Great Sites

  Sunny Gulch is close to the Sawtooths for great hiking, next to the river if you want to cool off or fish and there were plenty of options. The tent sites are groomed pretty well, and they had the cleanest pit toilet I think I’ve ever seen.

• 

  Annie C.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 9, 2021

  Challis Hot Springs

  Everything but the kitchen sink

  This place has it ALLLLL. Tent sites, RV sites w/electric and water, dry sites; boat ramp; playground, volleyball net, clothes lines, hot springs pools(2!); showers; camp store with ice; WiFi; wildlife(two mountain goats lead me in on the road); walking trail; shade trees(no hammocks allowed). And it is next to the Snake river. Seriously?? Ok, so the tent sites are really close to the RV sites, but with electric there aren’t any generators running. And the pools close at 9pm, which seems kinda early when the sun doesn’t set until almost 9:30. But I get it. And you are close to the town of Challis with two grocery stores and two gas stations and a Family Dollar. If you can’t find what you need, you probably don’t need it. Besides, you are going to spend all of your time in the water or playing land games. The bathrooms and showers are open 24hrs a day so you don’t even have to use the porta potties scattered around the property if you don’t want to.

• X

  Xander V.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 5, 2022

  Smiley Creek Lodge

  Great staff, clean place that caters mainly to RVs

  I passed this place on Labor Day weekend and decided to stay. They officially don’t have tent sites but had some grassy area where I could pitch my tent anyway. That did mean there were no picnic tables or fire rings for me but the RV sites did have them.

  The bathroom/showers were small but clean.

  The bar/restaurant serves good food and the staff and locals were very friendly and offered all kinds of suggestions for my trip

• 

  Always C.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 20, 2021

  Mackay Reservoir Access Area - IFG

  Breath taking BLM Campground!

  This BLM campground has 26 paved sites with water and electric and trash bins throughout, dump site up the hill. First come first serve with a $14 nightly fee $7 with senior pass. Tent camping in a separate area. Boat launch and covered picnic day use area. 2 camping areas, one offers some shade the other has beautiful views. We picked the views! Can be a bit windy I'm told by the host. Would rate this a 10 if I could!

• C

  Chad L.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 27, 2023

  Murdock Creek Dispersed

  Quiet spot near Ketchum

  This is a fee based campground with a host that offers a first come first serve camping experience. We got in late in the day and were happy to find a spot. The ground was a bit limited for tent camping but we ended with a great location near moving water. The sound of water created a very serene environment for rest. The real treat came when we saw the beauty of the night sky unencumbered by city lights; the Milky Way was on full display.

• 

  Megan K.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 31, 2020

  Pine Creek Flat Campsite

  Close by hot springs.

  I camped here with my parents in 2018, to hike the trails and go to their “secret” soaking spot.

  There are closer spots to get some hot spring action than where we went. If you don’t find a private spot there are plenty more if you are adventurous.

  We stayed in an RV, but tent camping is also available at this location.

  My parents made the reservation in advance to make sure we could spend some quality time.

  You will catch some sulfur smells here and there but that’s expected with the type of geological activity in the area.

  There’s seemingly endless places to lounge in the river with plenty of shallow areas.

• 

  Fred S.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 31, 2024

  Corral Creek Designated Dispersed

  Large dispersed site near creek

  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.

• j

  joel M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 29, 2019

  Sockeye Campground

  Amazing location

  This campground is the only no reservation campground accessible by car on Redfish Lake. It’s great if you are looking to score a campsite without a reservation. It’s a great location on the lake, beautiful view of the sawtooth range and a short walk to the beach. The campsites have flat tent sites, concrete pads for the picnic tables and fire rings and most have trees for some shade. The only down side is the boat and jet ski noise during the day. If you are looking to get away from everything you may want to look at some of the nearby river campgrounds. The bathrooms and campsites were very very clean and the camp hosts were very friendly. If you are looking for a good hike take the ferry from the lodge to the far side of the lake!

• 

  Brittney K.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 18, 2020

  Bonneville

  Piece of Heaven

  This is a fantastic campsite. The host is super friendly and helpful without being intrusive. It’s on a bluff over a creek and there are hot springs a mere 1/4 mi away. Epic! There were several campsites that over looked the creek (which was easy to hike down to). We had an epic sunrise hot spring experience. We were on site 22 on the RV side which was great because there was more space between sites. There a vault toilet on the tent site and a water pump. We wished we could have stayed longer. Recreation.gov listed a bunch of their sites as first come, first serve which the host informed me they are not. Either way he found us an open spot but with such a nice location I don’t know if that happens often. 10/10 would stay again

• 

  Amy C.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 3, 2016

  Blind Creek Campground

  Hidden gem

  If you've ever gone up to Stanley and don't believe in having to reserve a campsite on line (it's against my religion) this is your spot. About 20 minutes away from the "hussle and bustle" of tiny mountain town, Stanley, Blind Creek is situated in the Yankee fork of the Salmon River. If you're looking for amenities, don't come here--there's a out toilet, but that's it, no water or trash service. But with the river running right by camp you can easily filter your own water and there's a large dumpster at the Sunbeam pullout right before turning off the highway. Blind Creek only has 5 spots but I've never not been able to camp there, and at $5 a night you can afford to drive a little further to get into the Sawtooths or make the drive over to Challis. Beat for tent camping, though they do have two good sights you could back a trailer into, just do us all a favor, if you're going to run your generator, camp somewhere else. Keep this place quiet!

• 

  Jeane L.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 7, 2021

  Alturas Inlet Campground

  Good escape from the summer heat

  Alturas Lake Inlet campground is tucked into the lovely, shady forest around it. We saw plenty of birds, chipmunks and tiny wildflowers were all over our site in early July. The lake is a short walk but some campers drove over just to make it easier to tote their chairs and water gear. Bring layers - it can is cool in the evenings and at night (40s F) even in July but warm in the day, especially if you are out by the lake. We tent camped at site 17 and although it was near one of the many vault toilets, smaller trash dumpsters, and water spigots, our site was bigger and we set up a decent distance from it. Most sites seemed to have a good distance between each other and enough privacy courtesy of trees and various plant life. We didn’t have any issues, but there plenty of signs reminding campers to be bear aware. (We are pretty careful to keep our food, cooking supplies, toiletries and whatnot in our car when not in use anyway). We did not have cell service (Verizon) and it was a bit of a drive before we got it again. Overall, it’s a beautiful retreat well suited to escaping the heat of summer if you have a tent or small trailer/pull behind.

• 

  Megan K.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 5, 2020

  Sockeye Campground

  Better than Yellowstone In My Oppinion

  I stayed here to go horseback riding (very reasonable prices) up to get a good view of the sawtooth mountains. The campground views from the water were spectacular. sure there’s no colorful acid pits, or buffalo, but there is great hiking, and wonderful wildlife around. I saw some black tail deer, big horned sheep, elk and even a mountain lion. I saw no predators in Yellowstone so it made the trip better .

  The comet NEOWISE made an appearance and was mind blowing! If star gazing is something you enjoy, this area is amazing. If you plan to see something special, make sure you PLAN AHEAD!

  I spent a lot of time barefoot as the area around the fire pit was concrete instead of the usual gravel I’m used to.

  About thirty minutes away there’s a wonderful historic town called Clayton. I recommend taking a day to explore the ghost towns and try to visit one of the hot spring areas.

• 

  Lauren B.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 9, 2020

  Prairie Creek Camping

  Great camping experience!

  This campground is just outside sun valley, Idaho. When we stayed it was very quiet and many different choices of campsites, you can here the road from your site but it was not disruptive. The bathroom is far from most sites and no cell service but consequently was not the issue, the views were breathtaking. The creek was accessible. Firewood is easily available if you’re willing to collect it. The roads are a little rough but animals were no concern. We camped in our tent and had a wonderful time, and it was free!

• 

  Angela C.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 18, 2022

  Elk Bend RV Park

  Peaceful and Idyllic

  We set up our daughter in our Super C here for 2 months while she worked in nearby Salmon during the busy season. We were so happy with the beautiful scenery, quiet grounds, and excellent service from the owner. If she ever needed anything, they were happy to help. There is a clean laundry room, showers, and bathrooms onsite, and more than enough space for a 40 foot RV. There are shade trees, some grass sites, some landscape rock sites, picnic tables, a gas firepit, and an onsite mini-store if you need. The owner waited for us until we arrived, helped us get our bearings, and then grew to be a friend. If you are needing to camp(even in a tent!) anywhere near Salmon, Idaho, you need to go and see Stewart at Elk Bend RV Park. Say hi to the deer that roam the area, too, or walk across the street and listen to the Salmon River. Just a beautiful area! Sites with full hookups and not. Would not hesitate to recommend Elk Bend RV Park.

  Pet Friendly!

• b

  brandon W.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 11, 2024

  Decker Flats Dispersed

  Nice place close to great trailheads

  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.

• a

  andrea C.

  Traveler

  

  May. 23, 2022

  Sockeye Campground

  In the trees

  We stayed here in May 2022. It was snowing. Lake was frozen. BUT the site itself was great. Level concrete pad. Walk a few steps down to a tent pad and picnic table. There were all sizes of rigs here. From tent campers to bigger RV's. Had it been warmer and we could see the views and use the lake, it would have been amazing. With the snow we couldn't even hike the trails.

• R

  Ryan L.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 22, 2020

  Sunny Gulch Campground

  A great place to camp that is next to the Salmon River

  I stayed here for a night without a reservation. My spot was a short walk to the river. The campsite is clean. There is a cleaning table next to the picnic table to clean fish if you catch any. My campsite was next to the freshwater well pump. The drinking water is very cold and clean. Bathrooms were clean, outhouse style. I gave it 4 stars as the ground where the tent goes was almost all bedrock and little sand/dirt to tap tent stakes into.

• 

  Betsy A.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 24, 2019

  Sockeye Campground

  Stunning

  Huge private spots with perfect tent spots with views of Sawtooth mountains and Redfish Lake

• 

  Nancy C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 28, 2021

  Wood River Campground

  Check out the Wood River Group review

  I initially reviewed this campground under Wood River Group (reservable) before the Dyrt added just the campground (first come only). Both the group and individual sites are at the same location. You can check out my extensive review and photos there. I had already deleted moat of my photos before I got the notice this one was added. Here's that post.

  https://thedyrt.com/camping/idaho/idaho-wood-river/review/122472

• 

  Molly Y.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 11, 2023

  Alice Lake Primitive Campsite - Sawtooth National Forest

  Peninsula Campsite with Mountain View

  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.