Searching for a tent campsite near North Fork? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of North Fork's most popular destinations.
12 campsites on Wallace Lake with picnic tables and fire rings. Within the campground are vault toilets and drinking water. Fishing in the lake. Primitive boat launch can be used for non-motorized canoes or rowboats on the lake. The drive on Salmon River Mountain Road offers fantastic views of the Salmon River Range and of deep pine forests.
Crazy Creek Campground hosts 7 sites with picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilet and a well with hand pump for water. There is no garbage service so Pack it in/Pack it out. Campground can accommodate trailers under 26 feet.
This 2.5-acre access offers primitive camping below US Highway 93. There is a beach area at low water along the Salmon River. A small boat could be launched here with difficulty. The road is unimproved and steep. Camp trailers and RVs are not recommended.
Available for group picnicking and boat launch
4800-foot elevation. 3 campsites along Deep Creek Ridge. Short trail to Leacock Point.
Scout
I have only tent camped here. Really nice flat grass for tents. $12 gets you campsite showers and toilets, WiFi and coin laundry. Also really great access to the bitterroot valley if you’re into hikin and river activities. Everyone’s really friendly and it’s a good place to crash when you’re out on the road.
Guide
This is a nice smaller forest service campground adjacent to grasshopper creek. A great spot to stay if exploring the Pioneer Mountains.
There are 7-8 spaces, most suitable for a trailer or van. We were tent camping as were others. There are vault toilets and the ubiquitous forest service green potable water pumps/drinking fountains.
There are no dumpsters so have to pack trash out. There are campground hosts but they don’t have firewood for sale, so either need to bring or be prepared to do quite a bit of hunting for wood. The area around the campground is picked pretty clean of good firewood.
This is bear country and there are food storage boxes located throughout the campground for shared use. I expect the presence of bears is also why they don’t have any dumpsters on site.
The campground sits at approximately 7000 feet and by late summer gets near freezing temps overnight. Bring your fall/winter sleeping bag if tent camping here in late August or late Spring!
Just a few minutes up the road from the campground is Elkhorn Hot Springs where you can pay a few bucks to use the rustic pool and hot springs.
Scout
Stayed two nights at this campground in August. There was a camp host setup, but we didn’t see him at all while we stayed. He did not seem to be staying here. The toilets ran out of tp and many people could not get their questions answered. It’s also only about 20 feet from the highway, so expect a lot of traffic noise at all hours. There is a boat loading dock located here as well, so many people were driving in and out all day. Cell service was good if we needed it but there are several more remote areas only about 20 minutes in to the forest that actually feel like camping (Cougar Point and William’s Lake). Overall it’s decent but I recommend it more as a pit stop if you need to crash for a night. The tent sites are well maintained and running water was a plus.
GuideGrandad campground is kind of small. I have seen a few camp trailers here, but there are no hookups, no electricity, more primitive camping with a men's and women's pit toilet. There is boat access which can give great access to the Little North Fork and North Fork Clearwater River. Gets kind of crowded around the summer holidays. Also provides a great place to access forest land for hunting.
ScoutWe 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!
Guide
It is a very off the beaten path, tucked away in the woods, true getaway from the busy city life. Travel south on 278 from Wisdom, MT and take the chance on an 18 mile gravel road to find a place only you see in pictures and read about in magazines. Drive through open cattle ranges and find a beautiful campground nestled up to 2 small lakes connected by a shallow channel. Clear water to see the bottom where it's shallow enough. No motorized boats allowed, so bring your own kayak or canoe and a fishing pole or two to enjoy the refreshing waters at the bottom of the mountains. Even in July, you can see snow atop the mountains on the Montana-Idaho border.
Guide
Very clean. Highway noise is not bad at night. I slept well in a tent. Three other people there including one who slept in her car. If you want privacy or shade, go to the end of the day use area and put your tent by the picnic tables around the rock. It is closer to the road tho, and the river.
Traveler
We went there with two tents. The sites are large and there are enough space for more than 2 or 3 tents easily. The sites are well organized and clean, the bathrooms are well maintained and the camping is pretty close to the lake, you can reach the lake with a 3 - 5 minutes walk. We had a really good experience. Just be aware to check your car breaks because the back travel is downhill the mountains.
GuideNice are to get away from it all. Road is best traveled with AWD-4WD. Campgrounds are nice and level for tents.
LegendShoup Bridge Campground is a small Campground surrounding cottonwood trees along the banks of the Salmon River. It is also right along the Highway. We found this a pleasant campground to stay in, plenty of flat ground for our tents and only $5 a night. A few sites are quite small, but still room for a tent. This was our Scouts jumping off point for a backpacking trip the next day. While next to the highway we expected a lot of noise during the night, but that was not our experience, the only real road noise we had was in the early morning with worked out as it helped wake us up. Each site has a picnic table and metal fire ring. Water is available and the area has a vault toilet and trash cans. Campground has a boat launch.
Scout
Tis campground was a favorite on our Idaho trip. Lots of spots available on a week night. Great campground host. Bathrooms were really clean and great tasting water. Sites are very nicely spaced and lots of privacy between them.
Guide
We stopped here to sleep on our way to Glacier NP. It was easy to find but off the main road and quiet. Very clean campsites with fire pits and trash cans. We drove around the campsite before we left, all the sites were camper trailer friendly and had grassy areas for tents. All for $5
Traveler
This is a beautiful campground at higher elevation. The wildflowers were amazing in early July. There were a good amount of spots for tents and rvs. Its up high in elevation so it's hard work on the engine towing a trailer up there but worth it to take it slow. Vault toilets were clean and you can hand pump drinking water. A really lovely place!
Traveler
We had a lovely site that was close to the Wise River. Even with a full camp, the ambient sound of the river shielded the sounds of people talking or kids playing. The bathroom facilities were clean. Most campsites had some shade for either sitting or having a tent. Most people were in self sufficient RVs since there are not hookups. The campground also had a water pump with clean and very cold water.
Traveler
Great location closer to the north side of the park near Wise. Was great falling asleep to the sound of the river. Everything in the park was a short drive away. Campsite was clean, good spots to pitch the tent. Vault toilet was clean and had a fresh bottle of hand sanitizer. Highly recommend Crystal park as an activity for families with kids, but even adults find it highly enjoyable. Highly recommend this location.
Guide
This is a cozy little campground about 20 minutes outside Salmon, ID. It's located directly on the Salmon River. It's a well-run site, is clean and has full hookups, laundry, a store, etc... If you're traveling north along the Salmon River, it's a good place to spend the night before heading up over the pass towards Lolo and Missoula, MT. No cell service, but serviceable WiFi, and its location on the river is excellent for anglers and those looking to enjoy the river. Spaces are a little tight, and there are definitely other boondocking sites along the river in this area, Wagonhammer provides a nice spot for those looking for the comforts of home while nestled in the wilderness. It's a quiet, calm, and safe place for travelers staying in everything from tents to enormous RV's.
Traveler
A friend and I car camped at one of the three main camping sites at Lake Como. We stayed at the one just before the boat launch on the other side of the lake from the main beach area. We were pleased by the lack of bugs! We had plenty of room to set up our tent and hammocks. Bathrooms were readily available. I would recommend arriving around 2pm to acquire a spot and communicate with camp site hosts. We loved running the 8 mile trail around the lake in the morning while the beach filled up with day time visitors.
Guide
It is absolutely beautiful, and the ability to fall asleep under the stars while listening to the rushing river nearby is exactly why I would recommend other people stay here. It’s located pretty close to the Crystal Park entrance, and allows one to be a bit further away from the RVs and majority of the campers. We had a group of 8 people, and two camp sites was plenty. Some people hammocked & said the groves of trees were perfectly spaced for this, while others stayed in tents. There is a campfire with an attached grill, along with a nice picnic table.
GuideThe campground is very nice, it was clean and had 2 water taps available. You can hear the creek at night, which is a huge plus for me. They have mutiple food storages available that are shared. There wasn't any firewood that was easy to find. I recommend bringing your own or running to Ma's County Market. For kiln dried wood, it doesn't last long, but you can cook with it.. The cost was 15.00 USD a night with 5 dollars more per vehicle. Site 5 could park 4 vehicles easy. The rest can only fit 2. Bigger parites can go to the group campground in the front. Number five could park about six cars easy. Also you could pitch about 7 to 9 tents on it.
Legend
This is a very nice yet small campground. The campground has 5 sites, the best site is site 3 as it is next to the creek and has large logs around the fire ring for sitting on and enjoying the fire and plenty of flat ground for a tent or two. The campground has a hand pump for water and a vault toilet that has its own bridge leading to it. Most of the sites get plenty of shade due to the mature pines through out the camp. All fire sites have tables and fire rings. Site 5 has both a fire ring and a BBQ grill. The entire campground is paved including parking pads. Cost to camp is $8.
LegendRight on top of the highway, you definitely get some road noise here. The trees are pretty thin (maybe not good for hammocks), but there are a lot of them which provide a bit of privacy. The restrooms needed to be cleaned when I was there, but it had just been a busy weekend. No Georgetown lake access from the campground, but there is lake access right across the street at the day use area. You’ve got the ususal picnic tables and fire rings and some sites also have grills. Watch carefully as not all sites have a level place to put a tent. You are only 11 miles from Philipsburg where you can get a shower and a beer in which ever order you want.
Legend
Only 3 miles off the main drag, I’m not sure why more people weren’t camping here. While there are only about 8 sites only 2(including mine) were taken. Maybe it was the smoke from distant first fires. Anyway, great little campground! Right next to the creek, with another small branch cutting through the middle of the campground, the only thing I could hear was the water and later a fire spotter plane overhead. The vault toilet was super clean and serviced recently. Sites were of different sizes(the parking pad curbs had lengths listed on them), and of differing amounts of levelness. I had site 2 and had to go to a fairly low spot to find a level place to pitch my tent, not a problem during a drought, but it would have been wet if it had rained. Saw a doe and fawn on the way out in the morning.
GuideAwesome campground, the camp host is friendly and making rounds to ensure the bathrooms are stocked and that everyone is enjoying their time. We camped at number 5 last time, and we just got done camping at number 15 for the weekend. Crystal park is not thst far and the Wise river is right after it. Also vheck out Elkhorn hotsprings th a ts the next turn for a natural spring nad suana. Can't wait to camp here again. The picture below will show you our camp set up sadly Teo fridns had to take off earlier before photos. We easily fit 4 tents and had 2 dogs with us. The site provides shared food storages, also vualt toilets, and drinkable water at the faucets through out the camp ground. It was 25 a night for 3 vehicles so we spent 50 in total. Another perk if you need or forgot something go to Ma's store it has a bit of everything. It's just on the other side of the lodge in Grasshopper.
Legend
Fish Trap FAS campground is a nice campground along the Big Hole River. The campground is in the open as no trees occupy this area, the closest you can get to trees is some willows on the west end of the campground. While this campground sit along state highway 43, it is quiet at night as this is a lightly used highway with little to no truck traffic. The campground's 17 site all feature level gravel parking pads, picnic tables and metal fire rings, and plenty of grassy areas to pitch a tent. Two vault toilets serve the campground and water is listed as available on FWP's website, but I don't recall seeing it, but I did visit during the off season. I would consider this with out water if you where to camp as the website also list the boat ramp as being concrete but sure looked like a rock approach to the water. No trash service. Easy fishing access along the length of the camping area, about½ the campsites sit along the river. Camping fees are$12 with a valid fishing license,$18 without.
Traveler
I was camping at a nearby national park site that had a flyer for Camp Sula, saying that if you show the receipt from your stay you can use Camp Sulas shower, laundry facilities and wifi at no cost. I arrived there and the ladies working in the combination store/restaurant/gas and coffee station were so friendly and down to earth. I was given a towel and shampoo/conditioner for the shower, they had complimentary and coin washing machines, and coin dryers, all very efficient. After my shower and waiting for clothes to dry, I walked around the camp, the log cabins are adorable and cozy, each has its own porch, picnic table and adjacent fire pit. There is free put-put golf, horseshoes, tetherball and a small well stocked fishing pond with benches to watch the action or simply admire the beauty of the surroundings. It is close to the main highway but tucked back enough you feel "away" from the bustle. I enjoyed myself so much I inquired about camping there for the night & I would only need a parking space because I sleep in my truck bed canopy. They were full (accommodates RVs and tents) but offered a makeshift spot right by the creek. It was perfect. Because of COVID, they had limited reservations for dinner, and practiced social distancing and requested patrons wear masks. Not everyone participated with their request but were equally treated with kindness and respect. I highly recommend their breakfast, big fluffy pancakes and local meats. They kept the restaurant, showers & bathroom & store very very clean. The location is a landmark, the Lewis and Clark expedition camped there on their way to discover the west. I highly recommend them
Guide
What an unbelievable place. Found this place on a total random pick. I was actually a little concerned about the cell/WiFi ability with being so potential remote. When we booked our RV spot with Porter he mentioned that Verizon cell service wasn’t very good but they did offer free WiFi which was extremely important as my wife needed it for work. When we arrived we found zero cell service but the WiFi was a savor. Now depending of what your here for no cell and WiFi could be just fine, I surely enjoyed the seclusion and being disconnected from the world.
We stayed in site #2 pretty close to the lodge which I think helped with the WiFi signal. The sites are large and easily fit our 28’ trailer and truck. Definitely could fit any size class A rig. There are full hookups at each site 20, 30, and 50amp at each site as well I believe. Not sure if you can get any closer to the river. The back of the trailer was probably less than 10 ft. to the river. Outstanding view.
The fishing was spot on, right on the river you don’t have to even drive anywhere if you don’t want. They also offer kayak rentals. Unfortunately I didn’t realize how warm, calm, and popular the river was. Next time we come back we will definitely float the river.
If there was really anything they could add, would possibly be something for kids to do. Just as a family of four with a 3 and 6 year old, they can only fish so much.
But over all 5 star, unfortunately this place won’t stay a hidden gem for much longer, can’t wait to come back. A huge thanks to Porter again!
ScoutWonderful location with very little wifi services. If you want to relax in a very nice, park setting, surrounded by mountains, this would be your place.
Big spaces in the middle area. Smaller spots on the river. Modest but competent shower and laundry room.
Would stay again.
North Fork, Idaho, offers a variety of tent camping options that immerse you in the stunning natural beauty of the region. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventurous getaway, there's something for everyone.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near North Fork, ID is Bobcat Gulch with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
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