Best Cabin Camping near Sawtooth National Forest

This is a good option between Ketchum and Stanley to go explore the sawtooth mountains. It’s a little bit of everything, lodge, yurts, cabins, rv spots, gas station, restaurant. RV spots were reasonable level. Bathrooms were clean. They had horseshoes and bean bags in a common area. No picnic tables or fire pits though. RV spots were pretty wide, which was nice

One tip, avoid spot number #17 if possible. The sewer hookup was loose and shared with a long term resident on the other side, also the water spigot was broken so we had to use the spigot for spot #16. #17 is not terrible, but other spots are much better.

A 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.

Located on one of the most beloved and popular lakes in the Sawtooth. Redfish Lake. And with good reason. It has, orgeous views sny 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.

Seeing is believing

This place is not a dream.... this campground was full. So we stayed down the street at Mtn View. Regardless. We went to investigate in order to report with first hand knowledge

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.

A membership RV camp 23 miles north of Mountain Home, Idaho. An oasis of trees in the middle of sage brush on the middle of nowhere. Located just inside Boise National Forest. The pool was closed but I'm sure it would have been very nice. If we lived in a nearby city like Boise I would buy a reasonably priced membership without batting an I. We reserved thru our RPI membership. $10 a night for us. I'm in love with Fort Running Bear.

Atlanta Idaho was once a huge gold mining booming town! It is now a small town with miles of hiking trails, hot springs just outside of town, and a cute burger and bar joint! The camp grounds are just outside of town if you plan on sticking around! If you are looking into hiking, horse riding, or mountain biking there is camping along the trail. Please know if you are hiking this trail there are obsticals to go over and under along the way. I'd rate this trail for experts, there are different routs you can take though. The terrain goes from thick forest to desert then back again with steep inclines. There are beautiful small lakes and streams along the way with plenty of fish!

What 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.

Fort Running Bear RV Park, Idaho

If you like the middle of nowhere, you will like Fort Running Bear RV Park. It is approximately 32 miles to the middle of nowhere, the last three are on a dirt road. You are driving through scrub country with no trees and hills in the distance. Then you see a copse of trees in the distance. That is where you end up. This is an older campground, private and family run. There is a shower house attached to the swimming pool and a laundry room. The sites have room around them for tents, bikes, etc; a covered picnic table , most have shade and fire rings. There are full hookup sites and basic sites. When we visited the wind was wiping through the area. The owners are personable and friendly, the campground is well maintained. The shower house ...clean and a little old. This would be a nice place to spend a quiet weekend or time with the family. It would not make sense to use this campground for a base camp due to the distance from anywhere.

New owners have downsized the RV area to only six sites. That being said I'm enjoying our trip in mid-September since only half are being filled. That being said site 1 is not very usable due to not having a table or sewer hookup.

We paid $100 a night which is a premium but given the location it felt worth it.

This is a smaller campground tucked back against the mountains.  Good shade trees.  Close to hiking, fishing and mountain biking.  Campsites have a picnic table, fire ring with grill.

Good spot not too far back the road. About 12 sites here. First come. Set against the side of the mountain. Simple bathroom. Nice creek running nearby. Quiet with good chance at wildlife sightings.

This is a fee based campground with a host that offers a first come first serve camping experience. We got in late in the day and were happy to find a spot. The ground was a bit limited for tent camping but we ended with a great location near moving water. The sound of water created a very serene environment for rest. The real treat came when we saw the beauty of the night sky unencumbered by city lights; the Milky Way was on full display.

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.

Clean, large sites

We stayed here for four nights the weekend prior to July 4th weekend. Our expectations were that it would be full and would be a bit difficult to find a site as it is first come, but we were wrong. When we arrived on Thursday morning the campground was almost completely empty. We easily found a great site that gave a view of Redfish Lake and the long stretch of lodgepoles behind us. Sockeye Campground was below us on the lake but you won’t even know from our site. The vault toilets were clean and maintained. There was a campground host on site who were friendly and provide firewood for $7 a bundle which was significantly better than in town at the Stanley market. There are several trailheads that are an easy walk through woods to find in Sockeye and trails that go around the lake with beautiful views. We will definitely be returning for another long weekend.

Rredfish Lake is absolutely gorgeous but with that beauty draws pretty big crowds. Be sure to reserve or arrive very early to get a walk in spot anywhere around the lake. There are many hikes nearby and some decent fishing but not as nearly as many salmon as when the lake earned its name.

Clean sites in lodge pole forest on Redfish Lake

We were here in the summer of 2017. we originally got flooded out of our original spot, but were able to get another spot in the same campground. it was a walk up site. however, it was beautiful! it was a short walk down to Redfish Lake. The scenery is amazing. We would definitely return!

Incredibly beautiful tent only camping sites. Wife and I did lots of swimming and hiking here. Hiked up to the bench lakes about an 8 mile round trip.