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Best Tent Camping near Clayton, ID

406 Reviews

The Sawtooth National Forest surrounding Clayton, Idaho offers numerous tent camping options ranging from established campgrounds to primitive backcountry sites. Little Bayhorse Campground, located in the Challis National Forest, provides tent-only sites with clean, well-spaced campsites near a lake with fishing and hiking opportunities. Basin Creek Transfer Camp Trailhead offers creekside tent camping with picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets. For those seeking more seclusion, dispersed tent camping is available along Nip and Tuck Road near Stanley, approximately 30 miles west of Clayton, with sites offering views of the Sawtooth Range.

Most tent campgrounds in the region operate seasonally, typically from late May through September, with higher elevation sites often inaccessible until snowmelt completes. Tent campsites generally feature dirt or gravel pads with minimal improvements. Water availability is limited throughout the area, requiring campers to bring their own supply or obtain water in nearby towns like Challis or Stanley. Vault toilets are present at established campgrounds but absent at dispersed sites. Fire restrictions are common during summer months, particularly in August and September. Walk-in tent sites at locations like Redfish Inlet Trailhead require additional planning as they're accessible only by boat or hiking trail.

Tent-only areas provide distinct advantages for campers seeking natural experiences. According to reviews, creekside sites at Basin Creek offer "a few nice options by the creek" with some sites being "a little sandy from the burn" and "a little buggy in early season." At Redfish Lake, one camper noted the area is "one of the most beautiful blue lakes in Idaho" with weekdays offering significantly fewer crowds than weekends. Primitive tent camping areas throughout the region serve as excellent baseposts for day hiking, fishing, and backcountry exploration. The higher elevation of many sites provides cooler temperatures than the surrounding valleys, making them particularly appealing during summer months when lower elevations experience significant heat.

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Best Tent Sites Near Clayton, Idaho (71)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Clayton, ID

11 Photos of 71 Clayton Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Clayton, ID

406 Reviews of 71 Clayton Campgrounds

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 18, 2022

    Prairie Creek Camping

    Beautiful Free Spot

     There are about 6 designated spots here in this free little campground.  Camping is allowed in designated sites only and there is a 10 day stay limit.

    Site #1 is all by itself to the right at the fork, and it was the best site, in our opinion. 

    Each site has a fire pit (no fires allowed at this time!). There is no picnic bench. There is one vault toilet and no garbage collection and no water.  There are no bear boxes but proper bear-proof food storage is required.

    A small creek runs along this campground and the views are incredible. Nice shade cover and trees. This area is fine dirt and so-so in terms of flat spots. Campground is right on the road so you hear the cars but considering how beautiful and free the campground it, the cars aren’t bothersome. Plus it quiets down at night. 

    Zero cell service.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 18, 2022

    Prairie Creek Camping

    Beautiful Free Spot

     There are about 6 designated spots here in this free little campground.  Camping is allowed in designated sites only and there is a 10 day stay limit.

    Site #1 is all by itself to the right at the fork, and it was the best site, in our opinion. 

    Each site has a fire pit (no fires allowed at this time!). There is no picnic bench. There is one vault toilet and no garbage collection and no water.  There are no bear boxes but proper bear proof food storage is required.

    A small creek runs along this campground and the views are incredible. Nice shade cover and trees. This area is fine dirt and so-so in terms of flat spots. Campground is right on the road so you hear the cars but considering how beautiful and free the campground it, the cars aren’t bothersome. Plus it quiets down at night. 

    Zero cell service.

  • Anna W.
    Jul. 7, 2019

    Point Campground

    Quiet, easy camping right on Redfish Lake.

    Lovely little campground with many amenities close to Redfish Lake Lodge. Each campsite has a dedicated level pad for tents, a picnic table, a bear box, and fire ring. The sites are a bit open, so privacy can be a bit lacking if that's a concern. This campsite is also walk-in, so you will need to use provided wagons to bring your stuff to your site and park your car in the provided parking lot. There are also bathrooms which had flushing toilets and running water and are well maintained. We loved that Point Campground is within walking distance to Redfish Lake Lodge, which has a bunch of different activities: horseback riding, kayaking, a dog beach, mountain biking, fishing, etc. This campground is great when camping with children, especially with the bathrooms & lack of car traffic on the tent-only side. We will be returning!

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2019

    Redfish Lake Overflow Dispersed

    Dispersed with vault toilet

    If you show up to Redfish Lake on a busy weekend and all of the campgrounds are reserved/full, no worries. There is a bunch of free dispersed camping all along highway 75. A quick stop at the Forest Service Office down the road and I had a pretty good map of the forest roads in the area, but more importantly, a tip about free camping a stone’s throw away from Redfish Lake and Sunny Gulch campground. The road in is a bit rough with ruts and rocks, but there are several established sites with fire rings. There was a loop to the right with about 8 such sites and a loop to the right with about 5 sites as well as one that was hidden behind the site I chose that you had to walk in to(it was actually a nicer site than the one I chose, but I was tired and set up before I saw it on my explorations. There was one vault toilet that was not especially clean, but free is free, and if you really wanted to, you could walk less than a quarter mile across to the developed Sunny Gulch campground. There are no picnic tables or grills or tent pads, but definitely stone fire rings at each site so no worries as long as you brought your own camp chair. If you need a shower, head into Redfish Lake to use the public pay showers there.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 26, 2019

    Caribou Campground

    Small but pleasant

    This is a tent only campground(there is nowhere for RVs to turn around, and backing out would be a horrific proposition) with only seven sites. The best sites are the four that are on the creek side of the camp road. There is a vault toilet(not especially clean) and a bear proof dumpster, and lots of signs about bears, but no bear boxes for food storage. The campsites are nicely shaded, but not especially private(you can see most of the sites from each other). This campground is$2 cheaper than the next closest campground(I drove to the other site to check it out and returned here because except for the price, they were about the same). There is a pretty cool avalanche/rock slide up the road that is impressive in size and there are some pretty cool beaver dams and lodges in the creek/marshy area that feeds into the river. Be careful picking a site along the creek as it runs pretty close to the edge of two sites and I suspect the sites get flooded during big rains(due to the beaver dams). Showers are not terribly far away at Redfish Lake Park.

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 23, 2019

    Mt. Borah Trailhead and Camping Area

    Wonderful Views @ a Semi-Primitive CG

    Wow!  Absolutely the best spot to set up camp if you're looking at doing an alpine attempt on the roof of Idaho, Mt. Borah!  The campground sits right around 7200'  which is a decent bit cooler than the Big Lost River Valley to the west.  There is also a good bit of shade despite there being few large trees.  Its kind of a transition between the sage brush and juniper climate zones.  There are picnic tables and metal fire rings @ each site but there is absolutely no running water so be sure to fill your water bottles and camelbaks in Mackey which is the closest town.  There are vault toilets but no other amenities.  The perk of being fairly primitive is that the sites are only $5 a night!

    If you're planning on summiting Borah it's a good idea to get an alpine start <6 AM so you don't get baked by the sun as there's no shade the last 2 miles and sparse shade the first 1.5.  It is a brutal hike if you're not prepared.  The trail ascends 5200' of elevation in just over 3.5 miles.  Your legs will probably burn, bring hiking poles for the descent!  If you don't feel like hiking there are plenty of rivers nearby in which to fish and great spots to check out the scarp of the 1980's Mt. Borah earthquake, which you drive across on the way to the campground/trailhead.

  • Kimberly Y.
    Jul. 15, 2019

    Mormon Bend Campground

    Right on the water

    Blacktop drive and parking pads with a few pull through sites. You can fish from your camp site. No hookups but water is available. Plenty of space between sites. Fire rings and picnic tables were provided. Firewood was for sale. Bring your bug spray for late afternoon and evening. We needed it in early July.

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 7, 2025

    Sunny Gulch Campground

    Beautiful!

    Sunny Gulch is a NFS campground right between Stanley, Idaho and Redfish Lake. The views are incredible and the location can’t be beat. The campground has two loops with the lower loop being closer to Highway 75 (not noisy at all at night) and more appropriate for smaller rigs while the upper loop has some larger sites with some above the Salmon River. All sites have picnic table, prep table, fire ring and tent pad and are quite large and lots of space between sites. Sites are FCFS except for 10 reservable sites; camp host is fantastic and super friendly. Firewood is available at the host site and vault toilets are located throughout the campground and water pumps are also positioned within a short walk of most sites. The Ranger Station is 1/2 mile away and has four dump stations ($12 as of this review) and free fresh water if the pumps at the campground don’t suit your needs.

    Redfish Lake and all that encompasses is 1/2 mile to the south; the town of Stanley is beyond the Ranger Station about 2 miles to the north. We’ll definitely stay here again if we’re in the area!

  • Breezy A.
    Jul. 19, 2018

    North Fork Campground - Sawtooth National Forest

    Most excellent!

    Beautiful campground located at the mouth of Sawtooth Natl Forest. Right next to Wood River and surrounded by huge cottonwoods. Vault toilets and well water from spigot available. Pets allowed on leash. Good basecamp for exploring the Sawtooth area and Ketchum! I only knocked it down to 4 stars for highway noise which was rarely bothersome.

Guide to Clayton

Tent camping near Clayton, Idaho offers a chance to immerse yourself in the stunning natural beauty of the region, with various campgrounds catering to outdoor enthusiasts.

Explore the Great Outdoors

Tent Campers Appreciate These Amenities

Enjoy Local Attractions

  • The Eightmile area, though no longer operational, has a rich history as a beloved camping spot for over 25 years.
  • Marshall Creek Campground is nestled in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, providing access to beautiful scenery and outdoor activities.
  • Jerry's Creek Camping Area offers a tranquil environment for campers looking to unwind and connect with nature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Clayton, ID?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Clayton, ID is Challis National Forest Little Bayhorse Campground with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

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TheDyrt.com has all 71 tent camping locations near Clayton, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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