Salmon-Challis National Forest, ID is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Salmon-Challis National Forest and user-submitted reviews.
This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the__Recreation.gov__mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. If this option is available, you will need to__first download the free__Recreation.gov__mobile app__https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app\_\_prior to your arrival__as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.
This campground is along the__Custer Motorway just above the townsite of Custer, a boom town during the late 1800's. Visit the museum, open 9 - 5 Memorial Day through Labor Day. Facilities include 6 sites with picnic tables and fire rings with cooking grills. Campground has a vault toilet and can accommodate trailers and motorhomes up to 32 feet long.
This small, but popular campground is near Challis and along the Custer Motorway. Nearby access for rainbow trout fishing in Mill Creek. The motorized trail to the east of the campground heads south to Bayhorse Lake campground and trail system. Eight camping units contain picnic tables and fire rings, with an additional larger site that fits group camping. The campground amentities include a vault toilet and hand pump for drinking water. No garbage collection service is available. ATV use on Forest Roads only - no riding within campground.
This campground offers camping adjacent to the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River. Fishing for rainbow trout in the river, and interpretive and historical tours is available nearby. Facilities at each of the 6 sites include picnic tables, fire pits with cooking grills. Campground amenities include a vault toilet, hand pump for drinking water but no full hookups. Sites accommodate trailers and motorhomes up to 32 feet long.
Deadman Hole has 5 first come, first served primitive campsites adjacent to the scenic Upper Salmon River. Anglers have access to great fishing opportunities. Amenities include restrooms, picnic shelters, drinking water, ample parking, and a boat ramp. This site has limited cell service.
This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the__Recreation.gov__mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. If this option is available, you will need to__first download the free__Recreation.gov__mobile app__https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app\_\_prior to your arrival__as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.
Bull Trout Campground is located on the shores of beautiful Bull Trout Lake at an elevation of 6,900 feet. The lake offers great fishing and canoeing opportunities. Many trails for hiking, biking, horseback and off-road vehicle riding are in the area. Only equestrian users may reserve equestrian sites. If an equestrian site is not reserved, it may be occupied by other user groups on a first-come, first-served basis. __
Bull Trout Lake offers excellent canoeing and kayaking opportunities, as the lake is for non-motorized watercraft only. Anglers fish for brook and rainbow trout. A primitive boat ramp is located on the west side of the lake. Martin Lake is nearby, offering canoeing and fishing. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout. Many miles of trails can be found in the area, including the 11-mile Warm Spring Trail for hikers. The 35-mile Kirkham Ridge Trail is open to hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and dirt biking.
Bull Trout Lake offers excellent canoeing and kayaking opportunities, as the lake is for non-motorized watercraft only. Anglers fish for brook and rainbow trout. A primitive boat ramp is located on the west side of the lake. Martin Lake is nearby, offering canoeing and fishing. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout. Many miles of trails can be found in the area, including the 11-mile Warm Spring Trail for hikers. The 35-mile Kirkham Ridge Trail is open to hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and dirt biking.
The campground is situated in a mixed-growth forest of Douglas fir and lodgepole pine, which offers partial shade. Summer wildflowers are abundant.
$15 / night
A nice small campground in the trees along Bench Creek near Highway 21. Fishing in the stream and nearby Bull Trout Lake. Trail adjacent to the campground, heading southeast to Stanley Lake. Each of the 5 sites have picnic tables and fire rings with cooking grills. Amenities within the campground include a vault toilet. No drinking water is provided on site, and this small campground accommodates smaller trailers and motorhomes up to 30 feet long.
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.
Spend 6 nights here while exploring Stanley, the sawtooths, and Boise National Forest. Big sites, beautiful lake, and very private. Really enjoyed our stay here.
We love camping in this campground. The reason for only three stars is because of the extremely rude behavior of the"camp host". We will not be going back as long as she is still there. This is our third time camping there and we have never seen treated so poorly by a camp host.
Close to the road so you get a little road noise. Nice small quiet campground. Wasn’t to busy when visited. Got starlink but no Verizon service. Clean sites and nicely paved.
Nice clean campground. Only issue you did have some road noise since it’s right on the road. Picked up starlink service but no Verizon signal. Campground was pretty quiet not busy at all.
expected this to be free but it is not any longer. $20 per night or $10 with your senior pass. well worth it. we were camped right by the river in site 14. cleanest vault toilets ever. asphalt roads and sites in good condition. picnic table and fire ring. would come back here for sure
This campsite was a little slice of heaven, I honestly contemplated reviewing it because it want to keep this gem hidden. We were originally booking in an equestrian site but we don't own horses the camp host left us a little sticky note (there is not cell service) on the fence when we arrived to let us know that our campsite had been moved. We drove down the dirt road a little more and went to our new site, as well pulled up we were greated with the best lake view and a massive campsite. There isn't that many amenities at this campsite, it's a pack in pack our but there is a dumpster and vault toilets one for every I'd say 8 or 9 sites. The views were the best part, the camp hosts were kind and frequently driving through to make sure we are ok. They do sell wood bundles for $5 which was great because we ran out of wood multiple time and driving to Stanley they wanted $13 a bundle. This is now our favorite campsite and we will for sure be back!
We LOVED our campsite at Bill Trout Lake. We had a lakefront spot, tons of trees around, and enough space to have privacy from other campsites. All of the campsite we’ve seen were very spacious. We had a camper van and other people had tents. The sites fit a 5-person tent plus a 2 person tent, hammocks, camping table plus camping stove. Each site has a concrete picnic table and concrete benches. All of the lakefront sites on our side had individual access to the lake. The lake is shallow and perfect for paddle boarding and kayaking. We saw one person fishing! This campsite is remote, no cell phone signal and that’s what we were looking for. We were able to disconnect, relax and reset! We had our dog with us and were able to have his lead tied to two trees to allow him to run from one side to another. Tons of chip monks (drove him nuts LOL). We saw a lot of chip monks and pretty birds. Thanks fully we did not see any bears although it is bear country! There was one bathroom by our campsite. Super clean, the campground manager came around everyday to check on the sites and she made sure only those who had a reservation were there. We had a beautiful view of the lake. It was so peaceful and beautiful. I read a book in two days! We definitely want to go back. Our campsite was number 5 and my favorite. Great shaded area. We liked the fact there was a lot of space and you are not on top of one another. We had a camper van and it got a bit chili at night but we had blankets so we were fine. There’s a small area for kids to go biking around these campsites. The closest grocery store and gas station is about 45 minutes from the campground so make sure you have everything you need, unless you plan on driving around! The roads are not paved so make sure your tires are in good conditions so you don’t get a flat. You would be on your own cuz there is no cell signal until you are back on the road (freeway/highway). Well worth the trip! We were there in the middle of the week so it wasn’t busy but it started getting crowded as we were leaving (on a Friday). We would recommend this campground! Get a lakefront spot, bring enough food, drinks, water, a paddle board or just your camping chairs, enjoy the beautiful views of the lake and mountains, disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature and have fun!
Perfectly level paved sites, incredible views you are directly on the salmon river. Very spacious lots of space between sites.
Right off of Hwy 75 you’ll find this first come first serve campground that has camping on either side of the road. The river side is currently closed for revegetation, erosion control, and habitat restoration. The other side is open. The river side is nice with campsites close to the river while the other side is just a street crossing away. Both are very similar otherwise.
Dusty gravel roads will loop you through the campground. The sites themselves are dirt and gravel with mostly level parking areas and each site varies in length. We would fit in many of them in our 26' Class C but larger rigs may have a problem. Each site has fire pit and picnic table. There are pit toilets and hand pump water available as well. There is a dumpster for trash but no recycling. There are no bear boxes so store food appropriately as bears are common in this area.
Road noise is an issue during the day as the campgrounds sit very close to the highway, but it dies down at night. Only 2 other campers there when we went.
$18/night
Fire restrictions in effect at this time so NO FIRES
No cell reception ATT, Verizon or TMobile
Though this campground sits along the highway it is easier to tolerate noise when its free!
The campground loop is gravel and has “pull next to” (bump out?) type sites with covered picnic table and a fire pit. There are also pit toilets and a hand pump water spigot. There is also a boat ramp and a day use area.
The river is very shallow and the bank is quite muddy -- our little dog sank up to her belly.
No privacy here and lots of road noise but you get to see the river and the meandering cows across the river.
Did not see any wildlife unless you count the swarms of tiny bugs of the variety that squeeze their little bug bodies through your screens.
Zero cell reception ATT, verizon or TMobile. The WeBoost was able to give us bars of LTE but still was not very usable.
Good for an overnight but not much around to keep us occupied for anything longer.
Family reunion just up the road from bull trout lake next to what we call "Frog Lake". Frog lake is up the road from Bulltrout on one of the smaller ponds. It was a little dry this year so the pond was at a lower level than normal. Still lots of trout in the pond and saw about an Osprey catch fish every morning.
Close to hwy20. Convenient but you can hear the traffic. Camp host Denny was great guy. Ask him about his impala.
Primitive campsite near the river. Vault toilets were kept clean. Fire pits.
Up near the top of the pass is Bench Creek campground. There are only 6 sites on this lollipop loop, all on the non-highway side. But you can hear the highway from everywhere in the campground. Sites 2, 3, and 4 back up nicely to the creek. Vault toilet but no water or trash, so pack in pack out. Across the highway are some OHV trails, so you will also get some of that noise in the day. Every site has the standard picnic table and fire pit, but fire season is real, so maybe skip the fire.
Just a short ways out of Lower Stanley is the Salmon River campground. There are sites on both sides of the road, but the best sites are riverside, especially numbers 7,13, 14, and 15 as they are closest to the river and have short trails to the water. Otherwise, the sites are pretty much the same with level areas for tents, some shade trees (might. Ot be mature enough for hammocks), and the campground is clean even after a holiday weekend. The super friendly hosts will come by to take your payment, exact cash is much appreciated. One of the draws of this campground is the fishing. The other is that you are fairly close to Boat Box Hot Springs.
This small campground is along the Adventure Road going up the pass between Custer and Challis, on the Custer side of the pass. Really cool massive boulders are in and around the campground, and even though it is along the pass and near a beautiful gorge, you really can’t see anything beyond the campground due to the terrain. Sites are on the larger side, but not necessarily level. There are picnic tables and fire rings and a clean vault toilet, but not much else. Shade trees are on the skinny side so it may be difficult to hang a hammock. During the day it can get dusty with OHVs going up and down the road. For a cool experience, check out the ghost town of Custer or go further along the Adventure Road to see the ruins of some of the stagecoach stops.
Small and up in the mountains, this campground has 9 first come sites with about half backing to the creek and the other half to the trees on the lollipop loop. The only sounds I heard while there were the wind in the pines, birds, one large group of OHV’ers, and the very infrequent truck going by out on the Adventure Road. Some of those trucks belonged to the road crew who were grading the road on this side of the pass. They kicked up a bunch of dust, but it blew away quickly. The two vault toilets were clean and stocked with TP. The campground was spotless. My top sites of choice are sites 2 and 3 because of the shade and proximity to the creek. Site 3 is closer to the vault toilet and the working water pump. There is also a nice day use group picnic site. Just down the road less than a mile is the foundation of the former Greenwood Ststion, a stagecoach stop on the road.
On one of the most beloved and popular lakes in the Sawtooth. Redfish Lake. Gorgeous views. Any kind of water sports you crave. Backpacking destination trails. Short or long hiking. Biking. The lodge next door offers live music on the lawn. A restaurant with really good food, full bar, ice cream stand, camp store, sandy beach, boat/kayak/SUP rentals. Boat shuttle. All this and close to Stanley to boot. It reminds me of the lake retreat in Dirty Dancing. There are pay showers $3, laundry and dump station on the main road. Very limited, ok just say no AT&T cell, but you can get wifi at the lodge.
$5 a night but only 6 pull in spots to choose from with all being about the same as far as benefits. Tables and fire pits in each one & 4/6 have shade.
One pit toilet which was very clean during my visit.
I pulled in on a Saturday @ 6pm and only one spot was taken so lucky me.
NO cell service whatsoever here either(AT&T)
Location works for exploring the local areas up and down the fork
Decent number of sites and tend to fill up last as there are only 4-5 sites actually on the water. The rest are on the other side of the highway. It has several bathrooms and dumpsters, at least one on each side of the highway. Site 15 was were I ended up. Last on the river and definitely overlooked because it is next to the dumpster by the water but not bad for getting there at 7pm on a Saturday.
Pros: *Views for miles *Steps from the Salmon River *Boat launch for rafting,kayaking,fishing *Covered picnic table *Generous spacing between sites *Serious star gazing opportunities
Cons: *No shade *Close to road, so some road noise.
Pros out weigh the cons for us. 2 thumbs up.
This is a first come first serve for tent camping, and we grabbed the last spot on this trip. However, it was within walking distance of the water for swimming and fishing.
Also VERY clean toilets!
Other than it was hot mid-day, it was beautiful, plus an amazing hiking trail is close too.
**Plenty of paths down to Salmon river level to fish or nap. **
Limited unlocked bathrooms toilet paper in early spring.
**Goose poop and ants everywhere around camp sites. **
Located on the banks of the salmon river beautiful spot just outside of town. Several sites located right on the river. Water available in the campground, firewood from the camp hosts, and clean bathrooms.
not many shade trees during the day but it's a cool spot not really for large rvs
Awesome campground near Stanley. Hiking, biking, hot springs
Camping near Salmon-Challis National Forest, Idaho, offers a fantastic escape into nature with stunning views and plenty of outdoor activities. Whether you're looking to hike, fish, or just relax by the water, this area has something for everyone.
Camping near Salmon-Challis National Forest, Idaho, is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. With beautiful scenery, plenty of activities, and well-maintained campgrounds, it’s a perfect getaway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Salmon-Challis National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Salmon-Challis National Forest is Salmon River Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Salmon-Challis National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 glamping camping locations near Salmon-Challis National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
