The best camping near
Salmon-Challis National Forest , IDAHO

We stopped by here but did not go in due to it being used the the wild fire suppression teams and we didn’t want to disturb them. Respect to all the men and women out there risking their lives to save the forests.

Warm Lake Shoreline Campground is a nice walk in area right on the shore of the lake. You can walk down to fish, swim or kayak/paddle board. This is one of the better areas I think in this campground. Less walk through traffic then other area but access to everything. Good size sites, your neighbors are within shouting distance but it’s still quiet. Your in the trees and off to one side of the lodge so vehicle traffic is not very noticeable either. Worth the drive for the scenery and peacefulness.

Warm Lake is BEAUTIFUL! And the locals know it, talk about a crowd. I think every spot was taken and at max capacity. We walked some of the lakeside trail and there were people all along it fishing.

The lake filled up quickly with kayakers, swimmers and other boats. Even with all that it was still possible to find a somewhat quiet spot along the lakeside. The campground has paved sites that are level and it’s all well maintained. The night sky would be very awesome, unfortunately there is the constant haze from the wild fires which is horrible. Not far up the road they are fighting a good size fire that has put out so much smoke that it overcast the sky counties away.

Warm Lake Is BEAUTIFUL! Peaceful, dark and REMOTE.

Quite a drive to this beautiful lake but apparently it is well liked by locals because it was crowded! People fishing everywhere, people all around the lodge, trail and beach.

The water is crystal clear and fishing is popular. There is a trail that goes completely around the lake but we turned back when a snake crossed our path.

There are several options to include a group camping area, a shoreline primitive area, rental cabins and a Rec vehicle area. The lodge offers pretty much everything you could need, but considering how busy they are I would try to bring what I needed.

Warm Lake Picnic Point

One of several options for the recreation area. This is a primitive area with the lodge within easy walking distance. Room for a small group with tents and hammocks. Mostly level and direct access tot he lake.

Quite a drive to this beautiful lake but apparently it is well liked by locals because it was crowded!

The water is crystal clear and fishing is popular. There is a trail that goes completely around the lake but we turned back when a snake crossed our path.

The forest fires were further into the forest but the smoke haze was ever present.

Warm Lake Campground

Quite a drive to this beautiful lake but apparently it is well liked by locals because it was crowded!

The water is crystal clear and fishing is popular. There is a trail that goes completely around the lake but we turned back when a snake crossed our path.

There is a tent area, rental cabins and a camper area. I had no signal, bring a map.

The forest fires were further into the forest but the smoke haze was ever present.

This campground slid into the lake during the March 31, 2020 Earthquake.

This spot was easy to find but we were looking for more of an adventure, and continued down this road to look at as many spots as possible before deciding.

There were places to have a fire but I did not see any restrooms. If you are looking for a pack it all in type of trip, this works well without having to haul all the camping gear too far. There is good tree coverage and it’s suitable for both ground and hang style camping.

This area is only accessible for the warm months. Be very careful as you navigate these roads because we made a wrong turn and it took a while to get reoriented.

You could show shoe up here but it’s a far distance to the campsite and you would need to be good at navigation when everything looks so similar at that time of year.

This campground is dispersed in nature and has no facilities which is why it’s free. We crossed a small stream of water so you can filter out some liquids in the warm months.

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.