Looking for tent camping near Clearwater National Forest? Find the best tent camping sites near Clearwater National Forest. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Clearwater National Forest campsites are perfect for tent campers.
This remote campground and boating site rests on the north shore of the Salmon River. Access is via a rough road with many tight switchbacks, not recommended for vehicles towing trailers. The facilities include campsites, a toilet, two stock feed bunks, a boat dock (sand) and large parking area. No tables or fire grates are available.
This is a remote area which offers a lot of recreation opportunities. It is located on the Salmon River and is a boating access point. You can swim and picnic here and take in some of the great fishing in the local area. Bring your OHV and take a road ride.
Salmon Base Camp Trailhead has adequate parking for both cars and trailers. It offers access to trail #27, #19, the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and the Frank Church Wilderness. Facilities include a wooden outhouse, stock ramp, and hitching rails.
Locally known as Orogrande #1 and 2, this campground occupies both sides of the road, one on the bank of Crooked River. It includes a toilet, fire rings and at least three camp pads. The non-river side is a good spot for one family or small group. The river side is an open, grassy campsite.
Deep Creek Campground features 3 campsites complete with picnic tables, fire rings, and a vault toilet. Site will accept RV's or trailers to 30 feet. Stock can be kept in this campground.
The Selway Campground has 7 campsites along Meadow Creek. Boat put-in below the Selway Falls to float to Lowell. The wild and scenic section of the Selway contains Class IV rapids and runs from Paradise Campground to Selway Falls. The Campground will accomodate RV's less than 30-ft. length.
Visitors will travel the scenic Magruder Road Corridor to reach 14 Mile Trailhead, which offers a starting point for hikers and pack trains to reach the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness via Trail 501-the Cache Creek Trail and Trail 580-the Boston Mountain Trail. Along with 2 camp pads, an unloading ramp, hitch rails, stock feeders and a restroom, visitors can also enjoy three interpretive panels with descriptions of Frank Church and information on the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.
This remote campground and boating site rests on the north shore of the Salmon River. Access is via a rough road with many tight switchbacks, not recommended for vehicles towing trailers. The facilities include campsites, a toilet, two stock feed bunks, a boat dock (sand) and large parking area. No tables or fire grates are available.
ScoutI recently faced the big challenge of choosing the right signs for my office interior and found Bsign. Their selection of door signs was quite impressive, especially the modern and minimalist designs. For example, in the"Modern" category they offer a combination of stainless steel and acrylic glass with the option to add text in ADA format, which is not only stylish but also functional. Also worth mentioning is the"Wave" series with a combination of steel and wood, which adds coziness to any atmosphere. They have easy to install signs, which saved me a lot of time.
Scout
We had the place to ourselves. Great small campground if you want to get away from everything.
Legend
There aren’t too many campgrounds between Orofino and Kooskia, Idaho except for a few RV parks. We finally found a beautiful campground off highway 12 or the scenic Lolo Highway. It was small but had quite a few open sites so we snagged one close to the river and bathroom. The highway noise was noticeable but not bad at night. Our picnic table had a view of the Clearwater river (yes, it is very clear and has salmon.). There were steps down to the rocky shore of the river. We net a couple from elsewhere in Udaho who always choose this campground.
Traveler
I would not recommend end of July/ August. Temps 100 and no breeze. Plenty to see if traveling in vehicle like bighorn sheep, whitetail deer and bald eagles. Recommend a visit to the firefighter memorial at Indian river FS training camp.
TravelerGreat camping area. A number of places available through the forested meadow to camp.
The creek behind the campground is fun to play in. Only thing is due to the valley and tall timber, it does not get much sun. 5-Mile back up the road provides much more sunshine, if one likes sunshine.
It is reported the fire of 2022 pretty much burnt up this campground. Haven't been there to see, so camper beware...It may be many decades before it starts to return to its former glory... :-(
TravelerGreat little campsite. There are actually two campgrounds across the road from each other. The newer one is a wide open area while the older one is not conducive to larger 5th wheels.
I camped at the older one with my little 1960 Rolls Royal camper. Fun trails all around to explore and I've heard you can pan in the creek.
It is reported the 2022 fire pretty well wiped out the area so camper beware...
TravelerGreat little campground, until the fire went through. Most of it survived, but fire damage is present adjacent to the road and along the trails.
It can sometimes be crowded with ATV and motorbikes, but most the time they are courteous and polite.
I enjoyed panning in the creeks around the area because there are neat dark red and purple garnet to be had. Only found a speck or two of gold, so I am glad I was looking for garnet and not gold.
Traveled from N. Idaho and Montana to here multiple times over the year - definitely worth the trip, especially since they paved the road.
Traveler
Stayed one night 10/13/22. Pulled in at dark, just right off of the 12 in Kooskia, ID. About 5/6 campgrounds, 2 were occupied (quiet neighbors), but with enough trees to feel there was privacy. Vault toilet and Lochsa river access(rock bar), no garbage services this time of year. Saw a black bear (juvenile) on the way in but didn’t see/hear anything else from the bear that night or the next morning. Soft ground, and flat even spaces. Fire ring and picnic table as well. Free made it the perfect price, given that a lot of the state campsites were closed (locked gate) this time. Looked as though some campsites backed to the highway, we chose a middle site and weren’t too disturbed by the highway. (Tent camped on a road trip to the Midwest)
Guide
It is a long gravel road to get there but worth the trip! It’s beautiful! We fished off the dock and was visited by a large otter!
Traveler
36 miles from Grangeville, and its got some elevation and it can get cold at night if in a tent. But the days are gorgeous there are alot of ORVs during the weekend but during the week its quiet. We found a place off the road next to a creek and away from the road. It was amazing.
Traveler
The access is via a steep and narrow road with at least 15 switchbacks. The campground appears to be used by horseback hunters in the fall. I have stayed here twice and shared the campground one time with another couple. Nice easy trail up or down the river from here. Lots of rafters and occasional jet boats on the river. Pit toilet is maintained by the USFS. No garbage service, pack it in pack it out.
Guide
Spend a night. No cost although that will change next weekend. They’ll start charging $10.
ScoutIn expensive, clean and quiet. Great for 1 night. Well maintained.
Traveler
Very well maintained location with many great riverside camp spots. There is a beach with a good fishing spot. No firewood is for sale here and the site has been thoroughly picked over for wood so bring your own, if you'd like a fire.
Traveler
The past negative reviews sound more like an angry family to me. I pulled in (camping alone my first time) and had a warm welcoming. Once I got my tent set up I decided I wanted to set up sleeping in my car and my current spot didn’t allow vehicles. I waited around to see if it was filling up for the night and then asked if how much it would be to pull into an RV spot to sleep in the car. She let me switch free of charge! She was amazing.
Legend
A wide spot along the road, this free BLM campground has 5 drive up campsites and 2 walk in. All have really nice covered picnic areas and pretty good fire pits. There are two vault toilets, one at either end of the campground. There is also a water pump by the boat ramp. The river is right next to the campground, with a few riffles that can be heard in the campground at night it is pretty quiet as travel on the main highway tapers off. You are about a dozen miles from the town of Challis with gas stations and grocery stores. There are ZERO trees in this campground, but you can probably swim in the river(just do it at low water levels so you don’t end up like the gold prospector the campground is named for).
GuideWild Goose Campground is a small area right on the river. We stopped for one night and had a nice stay. It is right off of the highway so there is road noise.
ScoutBest camp hosts I've ever seen! Quiet, mostly shady, not too crowded.
RangerWhen there is no running water at cites, I like to filter my own.
There’s no water areas like the cam grounds west to this along the river, so bring plenty of extra liquids especially when it’s hot.
As an avid star gazer, I found the levels of light pollution to be low. Not quite as good as the sawtooth mountains but you could see a lot more stars at this spot compared to others I’ve been to.
This area does close down mid fall season, so don’t expect to do any winter camping here.
When we backpacked this area we did not bring enough water to be happy mostly because I hoped to find some water somewhere and carrying the water is tiresome.
There are no restroom which makes sense and did not bother me.
RangerWe visited this lookout on a wilderness Excursion.
While we did not stay here we had a great time.
We always make it a point to visit the lookouts in any areas where we are visiting. The lookout was originally built to be a lookout tower for wildfires.
As such the building is very high and has stunning views.
RangerThese are free campgrounds and are accessible as long as the roads are clear and the camp site before it is open.
But I only recommend this area for young and able bodied people in shape as the terrain gets tougher and tougher the farther out this way you go.
We hiked up this area without gear in a scouting weekend, and while we liked the area, it’s a lot to get there. It take more than an hour after you start of the gravel and dirt roads to arrive at this location as traveling is very slow and it’s more than 15 miles out on these roads.
After exploring we prefer to go to some of the earlier campground about 30 mins down this road (Boyd’s and the dispersed areas near there)
RangerWhen my partner and I came to this campground while exploring how far the roads went, we found a camp site that was just right to the road. The roads are not busy but it is a bumpy long drive to this area with 45 mins on gravel roads.
To the left of the campground entrance there is a small hill and then a flat small field where we lounged and are apples and cheese while sucking up the sun. The ranger here is in a motorcycle and stops by the formal campgrounds (like this one and Boyd campground) frequently. But he does leave the dispersed camping all around unattended.
We ran into him 3 times and chatted while we explored all what this area had to offer. They are well versed about both the campsites and the dispersed areas so if you come and it is full, like when I went, flag him down as he can likely point you to somewhere you can find a spot.
There was cover in the later campsites, but the campground is seasonal and when it does close you can’t access the remainder of the road from this point.
RangerOn the way here there’s a rocky show like pullout that I’ve frequently seen RVs parked at. It has two sites leading up to the campground with fire pits.
Both the spot just before the campgrounds at the trail head. All the sites appeared to be free but for certain the RV spots by the river are.
While this is a nice area it’s about an hour drive down a gravel road that is often pretty rough driving.
Lots of people go in this area to ride ATV’s and shoot guns.
If you make a right over the bridge there is a campground with more services but is also a long drive on a somewhat rocky road with potholes.
It’s like a pothole mine field where at times, there’s so many it’s Impossible to miss them.
Ranger25 mile bar was full when we went to Boyd campground. But we stoped in to check it out.
Some camp sites are on the river and some are by the road. I talked to the forest service guy who rides around on a motor cycle here and he said that one is free and was open as it’s not a formal campground.
There is a vault toilet here too so that’s pretty fancy for a free place. It seams like a popular place.
There’s lots of shooting here so be prepared for that if you have a dog.
RangerI’m always in the lookout for new spots to camp as a every weekend camper/backpacker (even winter).
I visited this campground while staying at a close group site to see if I want to come back in a small group.
The trees on this site were perfect for hammock camping. The surroundings are just as illustrious as the group site I stayed at.
There’s a reasonable amount of privacy but you can see your neighbors depending where you camp.
The campground appeared to be completely full when we checked it out during peak season.
The parking spots were large but some of the actual camping sites were small. But there’s so much beauty around, if you stay only on your site you are missing a lot about this environment.
Ranger
I attended my buddies 30th birthday and it was a really nice place to hang out.
The terrain is complex and exciting to explore with canyons and great viewing points.
There were a lot of people out fishing so I imagine it’s good for a fishing getaway but we did not fish.
My favorite part of this campsite is that is can easily fit many tents without being so close that your friends snoring is overly bothersome (but still could be heard).
I’m not sure if you can hunt out in this area but I did spot a baby dear and got a zoomed in photo before it got spooked.
Ranger
I came here with a large group. The river was very fast flowing and would not make a good swimming area.
Listening to the river was amazing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Clearwater National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Clearwater National Forest is Whitewater Campground with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Clearwater National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 85 tent camping locations near Clearwater National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
