Searching for an RV campsite near Salmon-Challis National Forest? Find the best information on RV campsites and dispersed camping near Salmon-Challis National Forest, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your RVing experience. Search nearby RV campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
$50 - $70 / night
At Round Valley RV in Challis, we cater to those who want to experience everything the world has to offer by traveling the open road and enjoying the natural beauty. The great thing about camping is there are so many ways to do it. Whether you wish for a more rustic experience in a tent, or to observe the views in the height of RV luxury, we have something to offer you. However you choose to experience the world around you, let us bring you our best in views, amenities, and access to a variety of activities. Enjoy the scenic landscape, outdoor activities, and convenient amenities, located in beautiful Challis, Idaho. If you are looking for a beautiful and unique experience, Challis is a goldmine for those seeking a balance between adventure and peaceful serenity.
Experience natures beauty in the heart of the mountains. Cactus River Ranch is located right along the Main Salmon River, 15 minutes from Salmon, Idaho. You can launch a boat, paddle board, kayak or sit with your feet in the water. There are 3 full RV hook-up with water, 30-50 amp power and septic (Site #1 - 30 amp, Site #2 - 50 & 30 amp, Site #3 - 50 & 30 amp). There is also 2 campsites for either a vehicle or tent, with access to the bathhouse and showers.
This campground is off the beaten path, quiet, and surrounded by nature. You can go hiking, mountain biking, trail running, or horseback riding right out the back door. Henry's Creek trail head is located 1 mile south of the RV park. Overnight horse stalls are available to rent at $10/night. Williams Lake is a 15 minute drive up the road! With 2 ponds and an irrigation ditch on the property, birdwatching and wildlife visits are a common occurance.
Pets are welcome! Picnic tables and fire pits located at each site. Starlink Internet.
$35 - $65 / night
The Challis Hot Springs is a 5th generation family-owned destination in the Round Valley, home of Challis, Idaho. The property is on the bank of the Salmon River, 70 miles from the headwaters of the “River of No Return.” Our primary amenity is natural odorless hot springs which constantly replenish with continuous freshwater supplied by nature through the river rock bottoms. Most guests enjoy the springs while camping in the RV and tent campground, which features mature trees, and irrigated grass sites, all within a stone’s throw of the Salmon River, which fronts the entire property. Our campground is the perfect location to launch your kayaking or rafting trip, fish for trout and steelhead, or just watch the wildlife. In particular, the herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep frequents the cliffside above the property.
$29 - $43 / night
We are an OHV & ATV friendly RV Park located in a remote part of the Salmon River country of central Idaho, in the heart of one of the best trail networks in the country. This area is second-to-none in terms of sportsman's and OHV recreational activities. We offer the following amenities:
$30 / night
This campground is just off Highway 21, and tucked back into the trees, overlooking beautiful Capehorn meadows. Walk across the street to overlook a marshy wetland, a hangout for breakfasting moose, elk, and a variety of birds. Each of the 5 sites is equipped with picnic tables and fire rings with cooking grills. The campground accommodates trailers and motorhomes up to 32 feet and has vault toilets and hand pumps for drinking water. Although there are no full hookups, the campground will fit trailers and RV's up to 32 feet long.
Overview: Bear Valley Campground is located along Bear Valley Creek which is one of the major headwater streams for the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. The campground is well shaded by a stand of lodgepole pine. However, many of the trees in the area are beginning to die due to a mountain pine beetle infestation. Use is moderate to high during the summer months and hunting season, and the campground is often full on weekends. Access to the campground is normally not available until June. There is no trash service, please pack it out!!! (Driveway lengths for RVs are limited. However, two sites will easily accommodate larger RV's and trailers.)
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!
LegendThe original owners really take pride in ownership. They have 6 cabins and RV park on 15 acres along the river.
Pros:
*beautifu lush green grass sites with amazing views of the Sawtooth NF
*full hookups
*wifi included
*only $48 including tax
*there is a camp store with beer, ice cream and other basic.
*reading library
*wildlife visits not unusual.
*direct river access for fishing or floating
*natural hot springs flowing into the Salmon just south. Great place for a soak
*6 cabins nestled in the pines.
Cons: *no cell service (have wifi though) *rv sites have no shade *no shower house.
TravelerGood and beautiful, full hook up, good space between sites and super friendly hosts .
Legend
Grandjean has several campsites, some on the river, some not. Some of the sites would accommodate smaller truck bed campers and maybe trailer campers. We tent camp and needed the 4-wheel drive to get to the end of the road. I didn't see any RV sites, there might be one or two around but its unlikely that there would be hookups of any kind. There might be a restroom off the main road on the way toward Grandjean but there were none close to any of the campsites around us. I would describe this as remote car camping. Established tent sites and fire pits, beautiful scenery, privacy and not a lot of extras. The Sawtooth Lodge is up the road and does offer RV space, tent camping and cabins. I am speaking of the rustic camping sites between Highway 21 and the Sawtooth Lodge.
Legend
Very nice shaded group area. 4 # sites but it is likely used by one group at a time using all 4 sites. Vault toilet, dumpster and hand pump water. Only issue is noise from the close hwy. No cell on TMobile. 10 mi to Stanley for supplies and gas. No RV dump or full hookups.
Guide
We found this little gem while planning a stop over from Missoula to Sun Valley. It served us well for the night. It was very spacious, accessible roads, very friendly and accommodating staff. Our site had plenty of space for our trailer and truck and then some. It has recently opened so a work in progress. The gravel is a bit sharp at the sites, but it didn't do any harm for us and didn't seem to be affecting any others in the park. You are nestled up against the beautiful foothills and apparently is a good spot for those with ATVs. We didn't have a picnic table or fire pit- not needed since we were only staying for a night. This area is very remote and we didn't have any AT&T cell service the entire time. We also logged into their wifi but it never worked for us. I was able to send an imessage, but that was it. It was kind of nice to be forced to shut technology down for a night, although I wouldn't recommend this place during a work week if you work remote. You might be completely out of luck. They even have a cafe and patio in the office where you check in that has delicious food, milkshakes, cocktails, etc. They accept Good Sam membership. I'm giving them a 4 out 5 because their friendly staff, the cafe, the unique setting, the spacious site all made up for an overnight with no cell service or wifi. If they could get their wifi up to speed for the entire park, they'd be golden!
Guide
We visited the Stanley area last year just before the solar eclipse and everything in the area was booked or very busy. We came upon Blind Creek and found a nearly empty campground. It was fabulous. My wife wants to live there. Vault toilets, fire rings and picnic tables. Several good spots for RVs and lots of good tent spots. Can make reservations.
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.
Legend
This campsite is located east of Cascade Lake and Donnelly, Idaho. It's a scenic road to get there. The camsite we were in was dry camping with no hook-ups. The camping pad for our 27' Travel Trailer was nice and level. Each campsite had a picnic table and a firepit. There are some nice hiking trails in the vicinity. Mountain biking and horse riding is acceptable there as well. Since we had kayaks, we had a short drive to the boat ramp. There is excellent trout fishing. There is a small swim beach near the Warm Lake Lodge and Restaurant, near where the cabins are. All in all, a great stay, away from the city :-) It's a nice peaceful setting.
Scout
No hookups but water spigots are scattered about the cg. Very private sites widely spaced out. Level, gravel back in spots with metal picnic tables on concrete pad. Some highway noise but not a problem and quiet at night. Very nice.
Traveler
We visited in the off-season, so camping was free, but amenities were limited. We took our tiny homebuilt teardrop camper (no hook ups). The stream was going strong and added great white noise. There were quite a few other visitors. There's a short walk to the hot springs, but they were great -- and very hot! I'd totally recommend this campground. There weren't a ton of sites, and I'd bet it gets full quickly in the summertime.
Guide
This campground has paved roadways, paved parking, and pretty good separation between campsites. Most sites have good shade from pine trees, and some have views of the Sawtooth Mountains. Unfortunately, there are no hookups, so prepare accordingly. There are water spigots about every 3 sites, so filling your tank via 5 gallon bucket is possible if you don't mind the labor. There is an RV dump nearby on the main road, so If your Black or Grey tanks get full you can make a dump trip. All 3 loops are within easy walking distance of Redfish lake, and there are trails to the main lodge for extended walks or bike riding. The camp site has picnic table, fire ring, and nice sand constructed tent pads. The only thing that keeps this awesome camp site from being a 5 star is the lack of hookups. We really like to stay for the longest time possible (10 days) but it is really tough on battery power without running the generator constantly, and the bathrooms are busy, so it would be great to have sewer dump at each site.
Scout
Good Wifi, nice hookups, just wish the hydrants were frost protected.
Legend
This place has it ALLLLL. Tent sites, RV sites w/electric and water, dry sites; boat ramp; playground, volleyball net, clothes lines, hot springs pools(2!); showers; camp store with ice; WiFi; wildlife(two mountain goats lead me in on the road); walking trail; shade trees(no hammocks allowed). And it is next to the Snake river. Seriously?? Ok, so the tent sites are really close to the RV sites, but with electric there aren’t any generators running. And the pools close at 9pm, which seems kinda early when the sun doesn’t set until almost 9:30. But I get it. And you are close to the town of Challis with two grocery stores and two gas stations and a Family Dollar. If you can’t find what you need, you probably don’t need it. Besides, you are going to spend all of your time in the water or playing land games. The bathrooms and showers are open 24hrs a day so you don’t even have to use the porta potties scattered around the property if you don’t want to.
Guide
Blacktop drive and parking pads with a few pull through sites. You can fish from your camp site. No hookups but water is available. Plenty of space between sites. Fire rings and picnic tables were provided. Firewood was for sale. Bring your bug spray for late afternoon and evening. We needed it in early July.
GuideThis campground has scenic beauty all around it. If you like taking pictures of dramatic mountain peaks reflected in a lake, or fields of colorful wildflowers amongst the boulders,you will find plenty of opportunity here. Despite the fact that we were there over the 4th of July, the only busy place was at Redfish Lake. Many people walked down to the lake to fish or to paddle on inflatables, and a few braved the cold lake temperature to swim. We had the trails to ourselves, and the campground itself was reasonably quiet and never filled to capacity while we were there midweek. The campsites are large, with paved and relatively level driveways for campers and RVs, and flat cleared areas to set up a tent. Bathrooms are clean, with flush toilets. No showers here, but they are available within the Redfish Lake area. The drinking water was cool and tasty. Firewood is available for purchase, and the campground host, Wally, was very friendly and helpful.
LegendJust down the road from the entrance to Redfish Lake is where you will find this campground on the backs of the Salmon River. I never did really figure out if this is part of the Redfish Lake campground group or not, but I do know I enjoyed camping here and that this campground is owned by the Forest Service. There are two main loops, an upper and lower, and there is no distinction between tent and RV sites as there are no hookups available. The upper loop is closer to the river but doesn’t really have what I could see as great access. I was on the lower loop, which gets more sun as it is further away from the bluffs on the river (and had less trees). I was able to walk from my site to the river fairly easily even though there were no trails and as a result was able to watch rafting groups float on by. The campground was really well maintained and actually looked very new, though the host said it had been around for several years. The vault toilets were very clean and odor free, and it looked like most sites had nice gravel tent pads. Good steel picnic tables and prep tables(I am loving the prep tables the forest service is installing in campgrounds!!) as well firepits and large car/rv pads were really nice too. Showers and laundry are across the road at Redfish Lake along with great trails, horse rentals, and lake activities. Other nearby activities include hot spring sitting and white water rafting.
Ranger
not many shade trees during the day but it's a cool spot not really for large rvs
ScoutWhat a nice campground! We had very low expectations staying at a campground that is almost always booked solid (we figured it would be crowded and loud) and is in one of the most popular parts of Idaho. However, the camping spots are large and are nicely spaced. Even though almost every spot was taken, the campground was quiet and peaceful. We prefer dry camping, so liked the spots not having hook-ups and drains. Paved roads made for fun riding of bikes, the flushing toilets in the clean bathrooms were a plus, the fresh drinking water was clean and tasted great, there were trash bins close by and our host "Wally" was so kind. With a short walk, you are on the North shore or Dog Beach and a little further is Redfish Lodge, beach and restaurants. The food was so good and priced well, next time I will likely take less camping food and just eat at the lodge! (Easy!) The water in the lake is the cleanest you'll ever see....LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY PEOPLE! Unfortunately, this campground is booked out almost the entire summer, so while we want to go back - it may have to wait until next year.
Traveler
We stayed here in May 2022. It was snowing. Lake was frozen. BUT the site itself was great. Level concrete pad. Walk a few steps down to a tent pad and picnic table. There were all sizes of rigs here. From tent campers to bigger RV's. Had it been warmer and we could see the views and use the lake, it would have been amazing. With the snow we couldn't even hike the trails.
Legend
This location is not too far east out of Cascade, Idaho and easy to access. Once we turned off the warm spring highway to the right, southbound, we made a decision at the Y to go left. it turns out that this is older camping going clockwise around. The lake itself And these campgrounds were kind of rundown and less attractive to us with our travel trailer. we came back out and went to the right. at the Y so that we were going to go counterclockwise around the lake. And we wound up in the improved campgrounds that are run by the YMCA. nice little loops with good parking, good roads and easy access Pulling our 30 foot travel trailer. We really enjoyed staying here. It was quiet, peaceful, not overrun, not full at every space in the campground. Great little reservoir for kayaking and fishing and hiking around the shores. we really like this place 'cause all of the various campground loops were well taken care of. we also liked the fact that if we wanted to run back into Cascade for dinner or supplies, it wasn't very far at all. we'll come back to this place and put it on our list of
Traveler
This Campground is BUSY once the float season begins! Most Middle Fork Of the Salmon River trips camp overnight here before their launches. It can be filled with excited and noisy folks who are celebrating their good fortune in being awarded a permit!
in the fall, after the float season slows down this is a great campground with lots of hikes and fishing close by.
Guide
Nice campground. $12 night. Agree that sites 7,8,9 and 10 are the best. Closes September 15 for the season
Legend
Shaded CG next to wilderness. 21sitea, three vault toilets, dumpsters, one hand water pump. No host. $10/$5 senior, 14d limit. Too shady for good solar or Starlink use by me! Sites are small and not suited for large TT or Rvs. CG road is narrow. No cell service TMobile.
RangerA trip into the Sawtooth mountains and a visit to Redfish Lake has been de rigeur for any visit to Grandma’s for as far back as I remember... beginning with a trip in ‘84 when my younger brother heeded the call of the wild spirits and disappeared into the forest for hours, only to be found munching happily on the assorted snack foods of a group of elk hunters he had surprised. This area still retains a wilderness experience despite numerous infrastructure improvements and new campground development. Of note, Redfish lake is within the 1416 square mile Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, the first Gold Tier site in the United States. The result is world class spectacular night sky astronomy unimpeded by light pollution, and makes this area a top pick to do some star gazing or meteor watching.
Fauna is abundant in the surrounding area. Deer, elk, bear, marten, moose, and pronghorn antelope all made appearances during my last rip to the area. Fishing at the beginning and end of season might net you Dolly Varden, Rainbow Trout, and Kokanee. The general store has some basic tackle, but the nearest gear and license is in Stanley.
The lodge, separately owned and seasonally operated under USFS special permit, has been in operation since 1929 and offers day rental bicycles of multiple types, horseback riding, boat/canoe/kayak/SUP rentals, a general store, a restaurant, and minimal WiFi and cell service, staying true to its roots wherever possible.
Pro tip: Enjoy the 17 1/2 mile lake loop hike, but if you’d like to split that distance or have other destinations in mind, the marina operates an on demand boat shuttle for hikers to the trailhead at the far end of the lake during daylight hours. No reservation is required, but you can call to schedule pickup.
Legend
Keep going on the road past Lower O’Brien Campground and you see a sign warning of no turn arounds for rv’s. Don’t worry, the campground is in a loop. The road is very narrow. I don’t know what I would do if another camper met me going around that stretch.
The gurgling of the rapids occupy your attention so the vehicles are not really heard. Rafters pass by at eye level giving an opportunity to spread joy and wave. Choose a site that has a riverside beach or one on the interior of the loop. Our site had multiple levels which allowed us to move around as the shade traveled. With July temperatures, the rocks piled into a circle in the river gave us a perfect spot to take a dip. The sun dried us off quickly and we are now a bit cleaner. Warning: fisher people walk up and down the river as well as rafting folk so pick an appropriate time for bathing. Even my dog came right in.
This river is popular for fishing and rafting. We didn’t find many hiking opportunities but that’s ok with us. A day relaxing in this beautiful setting is worth our time.
TravelerWe stayed here during the off season so we had the hot spring to outselves. It was so beautiful and fun. The snow was packed down to form a trail.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Salmon-Challis National Forest is Stanley rv + camp with a 3.8-star rating from 6 reviews.
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