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This dispersed campground area is north of Caribou developed campground on the left side of North Fork road. It is situated alongside the North Fork of the Big Wood River.
These sites are established but free - please stay at the sites that have already been created. Do not create your own space.
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.
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.
Scout
Delightful creekside free campsites! Turn at the BLM sign and take a little gravel road to several free creekside spots! There are at least two pit toilets, one at a spot with two picnic tables, each has a great shade, fire pit, and a place for a camp stove! One has a flat raised gravel spot for a tent, which was good because we actually saw a couple mice. The second pit toilet was further down the road at a more separated spot, it looked like it was ADA accessible and also had a picnic table, etc. Close enough to Carey to get gas/ice. Only giving it 4 stars because of the mice (pack out your own trash guys! It isn’t hard!) and the complete lack of trees, the covers over the picnic tables did proved shade, but it still got crazy hot.
TravelerArrived later than I wanted and was thrilled to find site 1, I believe this was the North entrance, was available. Great spot with a pit toilet and table. Plenty of room to park and level. Loved listening to the creek all night. Wet a fly the next morning and caught a great brown trout. Lots of little dinkers, too.
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
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.
Guide
Quiet, private campsites. Close to Sun Valley. Place to turn around if unable to fine a campsite. No cell coverage. Only 3 day limit.
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.
Traveler
Accesible by any car. Giant desert field with fire pits. No shade . No one there when I was there. Sunday evening Some broken glass around fire pit
Traveler
There is not much exciting about this area if I am being honest. It's a good spot to set up and sleep for the night. There are not really any good views, and there aren't a ton of dedicated sites/fire rings. You just kind of have to pick a spot and setup. It worked fine to sleep at for one night, but I probably wouldn't spend an extended stay here.
There was a river at the end of the road with one part that could potentially be used for cliff jumping. I didn't know if you could swim in this water though or how deep it really was so I didn't test it.
Traveler
No 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!
TravelerPaved parking spot, with access for a smaller camper; a few tent sites. Drop toilet, fire pit, picnic bench, Disabled parking spot. True tranquility and bliss, and skies for days.
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.
ScoutAfter a lil ways down from the road. We found this gem Beautiful scenery and no one else around
Guide
The first part of the road allows for 3-day max camping, but a little further in, you’ll hit 16-day max stay! The sites further up are away from the others and run along a stream. Still further in, you’ll hit a Y in the road. The right side leads you to a small parking lot with bathrooms and access to a small pond, the left leads you up to more sites. Not too far past the pond, the dirt road is less smooth and has tall grass growing in the middle of the road. I scored a gorgeous site, with a campfire pit already established. The site overlooks the pond, with the Sun Valley Ski Resort seen in the distance and has a gorgeous Mountain View on the opposite side. Absolutely stunning! Plenty of ground squirrels and butterflies and have only seen 2 cars all day.
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.
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
Large campsites next to stream nestled in a beautiful valley. Hiking/mtb trail next to campsites.
GuideUse satellite view to see the sites. One site had a picnic table, tent pad and pit toilet, but was already occupied. The second location had two picnic tables with awnings, two tent pads and one pit toilet, complete with a mouse. We took the further site and a couple arrived at the other site around 7pm. It was very pleasant and quiet, but might not be if there were several campers in the large parking lot. Great, clean spot by the creek.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Ketchum, ID is Lake Creek Rd Dispersed with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.
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