Looking for the best horse camping near Salmon-Challis National Forest? Camping with horses is a beautiful way to experience nature. These scenic and easy-to-reach Salmon-Challis National Forest campsites are perfect for equestrian campers.
Casino Creek Campground is composed of 19 sites including 2 double-sites along the Salmon River. Sites 18 & 19 are for tent camping only and sites 12, 13 and 14 accommodate livestock tethered to hitching rails. Casino Creek trailhead is located within the campground leading to trails along Big Casino Creek and Little Casino Creek which lead to the Casino Lakes in the White Cloud Mountains to the east and the Sawtooth Mountains to the west. This area is terrific for fishing and hiking along the beautiful Salmon river and surrounding creeks. All sites are first-come, first-serve.
$18 - $36 / night
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.
Glacier View Campground is located next to beautiful Redfish Lake, beneath the Sawtooth Mountain Range, at an elevation of 6,500 feet.
Glacier View is in the heart of the beautiful Sawtooth National Recreation Area, where outdoor activities abound. Redfish Lake offers excellent boating, water skiing, canoeing, kayaking and fishing for rainbow trout and Kokanee salmon. Little Redfish Lake is just down the road, offering additional fishing and canoeing. The Redfish Lake Visitor Center is within 1/4-mile, offering interpretive activities, evening programs and wildlife, geology and historical exhibits.
Summer wildflowers are plentiful, lodgepole pines provide partial shade and Fishhook Creek is nearby. Temperatures are cool, with an average summer high of 78 degrees and a low of 40 degrees.
The Sawtooth National Recreation Area offers a myriad of excellent hiking and biking opportunities; an estimated 750 miles of trails crisscross the valley and surrounding mountains. Alpine Way, Fishhook Creek, Redfish Lake Creek and Bench Lakes Trails all offer trailheads in the immediate area. The Idaho Centennial Trail passes nearby. The Salmon River offers excellent fishing for rainbow trout, Westslope cutthroat trout and occasional hybrid cutbows and bull trout. Popular area events include an Arts and Crafts Fair in July, and Wagon Days, Salmon Festival, Quilt Fair, and Fireman's Ball in September.
$40 / night
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.
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.
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
5500-foot elevation. This site is nestled between the main Salmon River and the mouth of the East Fork of the Salmon River, four miles north of Clayton on Highway 75. 10 campsites at the confluence of the East Fork and the main Salmon River. Fishing for cutthroat and rainbow trout, steelhead and whitefish. Head down East Fork Road to enjoy the wildlife viewing area in the East Fork of Salmon River Canyon.
$5 - $10 / night
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.
Legend
Camped in site #15 on Sept 27, 2024. Paid $10 with senior pass. Nothing remarkable about the campground itself, but the trails leading out of the campground are really good. There is access to the Salmon River at the end of the campground road for bank/fly fishing; caught a nice rainbow trout. Sites along the river appear larger than those backing up to the hill. The river side sites are open sky, good for solar recharging and Starlink. The sites across the road have partial shade. There were a few pull-thrus; otherwise, back-ins. Campground is popular for OHV enthusiasts and hikers. Most sites are close to the dusty campground road. Vault toilet was not quite clean, although it was at the end of the summer season. There is a hand water pump. Site 15 is a small, almost level site with a pea gravel surface; it appeared to have a tent pad at the rear. This site has a table and metal fire ring. There is road noise from highway 75 across the river. It was very busy here during our stay, probably because forest service campgrounds west of Stanley were closed due to wildfires. There were a lot of drive-bys on the campground road. Nearby travel trailers with large noisy families kind of ruined the ambiance of this small campground; did not respect quiet hours. Campground probably okay for an overnight stay, fly fishing on the Salmon River or for accessing the trailheads. Overall, I did not enjoy camping here. I did, however, enjoyed hiking and fishing here. I am not likely to camp here again.
Ranger
Simple campground along Salmon River--beautiful setting, with maybe 5 spaces, not all of which are marked well but do have picnic tables to indicate. Also a vault toilet at loop campground. Buggy, even with river flowing and slight wind. Free, which is nice. Can hear US93 traffic, but not bad considering neighbor ran generator which drowned out some noise.
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.
Ranger
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.
Traveler
We drove in on a late Thursday night, June 27th, to find the entire campground packed, and even struggled to find a dispersed camping site nearby. It's a great spot, but for it being a Thursday night, expected to find a bit more available.
TravelerPulled over mid day to spend the afternoon and night. We took the second to last spot on the river side. Arrived at noon on a Tuesday, departed at 8am next day and were the only campers. Very easy river access from site, but water is moving quickly. We walked to the other side of the bridge and let our dogs jump in where the water was calmer. Overall really clean and well maintained space. The only thing that will prevent us from coming back is the cottonwood tree droppings. They’re everywhere and very sticky, so if you have long haired dogs, it’s a nightmare to get them out.
ScoutWe 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.
ScoutBeautiful and quiet area along a creek and against the forest.
ScoutI arrived July 3rd, the first of a group of 8 ladies from Salt Lake City, UT. Driving up to the campground I was in awe by the views of the mountains, the streams, rivers, lakes, and campground.
As soon as I drove into the campground the host, Kelly greeted me with a huge smile and willingness to find me the perfect spot for me and the ladies.
Never in all of my camping experiences have I ever had a host that is not only 100% invested in his grounds but as well as his guests. I watched him closely. He knew all of the names throughout the campground. He would stop and visit multiple times to check on us. We connected and he is a friend for life now.
He kept his campground spotless. When I got there my spot was beautifully raked. It was amazing. He is amazing.
If you have the choice between any lakes in this area, you need to choose this one!!
Thank you Kelly for making our trip so amazing and memorable! You are the best!!! You truly are an awesome guy!
Guide
We were the only ones there, each spot is super private, there aren’t many spots. Ours was right on the river and we could easily go down and swim from our site. Fully dispersed no services, no cell signal (verizon). Only con is that it is close enough to hwy 93 that you can see and hear cars going by, but it’s not a super busy road.
ScoutThis was a quiet place across the river from the main road. Clean and well kept. It was right up the road from the hot springs and away from the main tourist area . Will visit again. 😊
TravelerLanded the spot on the far right side of the campsite, right on the river. Absolutely beautiful with all the leaves changing. Nothing like falling asleep to the sound of the river. Minimal sound from the road.
TravelerThis 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!
ScoutGot here on a Friday (8/26) around 7:30 pm. There were already some folks out here, but there were still some spaces. Although, they were a bit close to each other in the main area where you pull in. Found a spot up the way by the creek that was further away from being around everyone there for a more secluded feel. Clean and easy.
LegendWe 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!
RangerSituated next to Pettit Lake this campground served as a base camp while we explored the nearby hikes (Alice & Farley). Helpful host. Clean pit toilet. Water accessible in an adjacent trailhead (Tin Cup) parking lot. Campsites are well spaced. All sites are FF. $18/night. No cell coverage.
Only concern we had was that our site #13 was buggy given its proximity to the lake. Next time we will pick a site farther from the lake.
Legend
Another campground close to Hwy 75. This campground has paved drive throughout the campground with paved parking pads at the sites. There is also a groomed area at each site for tents, which were nice and flat and clean. There is a host on site at this campground.
Hand pump water, toilets, and dumpsters for trash though no recycling. The host had firewood for sale ($10) but fire restrictions are in effect so no fires at this time. Sites were level and some with shade but over all lots of sun. This place had a very open layout.
Quite a few campers were there compared to the others we’ve stopped at along highway 75 through Sawtooth National Forest along the Salmon River. Each site had the standard picnic table, and fire pit but as mentioned above there also had tent pads. Area was clean and appeared well maintained. This campground is nice and spread out but being right on the highway with minimal trees to block some noise the road noise was constant, at least during midday/midweek.
$18/night
Zero cell reception ATT, Verizon or TMobile
LegendAnother nice first come first serve campground along the Salmon River. Cross the bridge off of Hwy 75 and keep driving down a dusty dirt road to the campground. There is also private property near here so stay to the main road.
Most of the campsites sit above the Salmon River and just across the river is the highway so you will get some road noise.
There were a couple of hike-to sites as well (#18 + 19), where you park your car in the designated area then take your stuff up from there. Toward the end of the loop is a horse camping area and staging area for ATVs. There are plenty of trails for various activities for this place: Hiking, Biking, Horseback riding, ATV use, and Fishing.
There are pit toilets, picnic tables, fire pits, dumpster but no recycling, and hand pump water. Some sites are small but there is plenty of room near the end for bigger rigs. Parking at each site varies by levelness or size.
There was only one other camper there. Shade/sun mix for all sites.
Store food appropriately as there are no bear boxes and bears do come to this area.
Zero cell reception ATT, Verizon, or TMobile.
TravelerWe travel in a 23 foot camper van. Plenty of room for our rig. Great views! Very little Verizon service. There are three spots to camp here. One right in the river (difficult to find a level spot on the river). We had the first pull through spot and was perfect.
TravelerIt’s just a pull off. Not much for flat spots or anything else. You will need to have everything you need with you.
LegendThough 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.
Legend
This is a very well manicured campground that sits directly off of highway 75. It is very small and mostly sunny. There are nice lush grass areas where the sprinklers were running and was very tempting to just lay there after a hot drive.
Sites are close together, lined up along the outer edge of the loop, and there is zero privacy. The picnic tables are covered with a shade structure and there are fire pits. Also toilets and water.
A friendly host was also on site. Sites very in size but we saw a couple of bigger trailers there.
There was a dumpster for trash but no recycling. The campground sits well above the river and very close to the highway so there is road noise.
It was nice but we did not stay here as it seemed cramped and there are too many free options in this area.
$10/night
$5/night when the water gets shut off generally around October.
No cell reception for ATT, Verizon or TMobile
TravelerAmazing drive-in BLM campsite right on the Salmon River. Primitive site; no water/bathroom. Great stargazing.
TravelerSite: moderately clean and private. Spaced apart about 3 sites alongside the river access. Trees for hammocking and shade. Relatively even for van parking. Not buggy at all. Can see one person's cabin up the road but that's it. 360 views of mountains, placed at the bottom of a canyon.
Water: 1 minute walk to the river from all sites. No faucet for potable water, bring your own or filter from the river.
Noise: A bit of noise from US93, not that busy of a road but close enough to hear what passes except if you're sleeping in a van, ours muted that out nicely.
People: saw about 5 people total in an overnight stay. Nobody bugged us. Mostly just turning around. 1 camper next to us the following morning.
Activities: perfect view of the big dipper between the canyon view made for a beautiful night of star gazing by the fire ring. Plenty of fishing access and space to walk around the river. Beautiful place to adventure and be, would be a great spot for multiple nights. Space for people to bring their family or friends. Far away from cities and towns that it's not too busy.
Ranger
Come prepared for cold nights even in the summer. Water will be just as cold unless its August but it's refreshing and extremely clear. Clean campground with fire ring. Camp hosts were very nice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Salmon-Challis National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Salmon-Challis National Forest is Casino Creek Campground with a 4-star rating from 11 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Salmon-Challis National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 12 equestrian camping locations near Salmon-Challis National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
