Looking for the best options for tent camping near Sawtooth National Forest? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Idaho tent camping excursion.
Redfish Inlet Trailhead
Five Points Campground is a primitive campground composed of 7 units located near Five Points Creek 17 miles north of Fairfield over Couch Summit. The newly renovated campground offers restrooms and is close to the popular Worswick hot springs. Potable water is not available at this campground.
Pioneer Campground, which is situated next to Soldier Mountain Ski Area, is a developed campground composed of 5 units on Soldier Creek. The campground can be reserved in its entirety for groups of up to 50 people. The amphitheater and adjacent picnic area can be used for group events. Campground amenities include picnic tables, fire rings, drinking water and a restroom. The South Fork and North Fork of Soldier Creek trails begin along Forest Road 093 and join a major network of trails in the Soldier Mountains.
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
Free designated dispersed campsite along Sawtooth Nation Forest Road 137. Camped here at the end of September 2024. Very large designated dispersed site set downhill from the forest road; no issues with dust from this road. The area is level. May be able to park 3 rigs. Tent camping is possible back from the parking area toward the metal firering. This area can accommodate 3 or 4 tents, or one big hot tent. Corral Creek is just down a short path from the campsite. The sound of the creek can be heard at the site. Very quiet area. Mountains on either side of the site. The parking area is dirt and gravel. The "tent" area is grass and dirt. Don't see opportunities for hammock camping. No cell service. No shade; solar recharging and Starlink possible. 3 day limit. Hiking trailheads and vault toilet at the end of the forest road.
Ranger
No need for a hotel in Ketchum Idaho. Park and camp here! Several dispersed sites after the Sawtooth National Forest boundary, with creek running by and a hot spring down the road.
The recent burn made the site a little dusty, our dogs needed a towel off.
Scout
Well cared for, easy access, fishing, green grass for day use and tent camping, private dock, wonderful folks!
Scout
It has been a long time since I have been there. Not a lot of amminites then. Best scenery and lots of tent sites away from crowds. Will go back again.
Legend
I love this campground. It’s back in the woods, on a creek. Perfect for tent camping. Campers and smaller RVs could also find spots. There is good privacy from the abundance of trees in the campground. This is one of my favorite spots off of Highway 21.
Guide
It’s located right on highway 21, a few miles south of Stanley. Very small. Description says 5 camping sites but I only saw 3. There is a running creek a few feet away from the tent sites. Very quiet.
Traveler
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.
Legend
This is not my ideal place to camp. No where to tent camp but there is camper and RV camping in what I would describe as "parking lot style". That said, if your goal is accessing the water, the boat ramp is right across the dam and this is a glorious place for boating.
Scout
Sunny Gulch is close to the Sawtooths for great hiking, next to the river if you want to cool off or fish and there were plenty of options. The tent sites are groomed pretty well, and they had the cleanest pit toilet I think I’ve ever seen.
Legend
This is one of the smaller campgrounds on the reservoir. This campground does not have a restroom, most of the others near by do. Great access to the water but not really great for hiking. This campground is best for campers or small RV's, you could tent camp her but it would not be my first choice in places to go.
Legend
This campground is bigger than many on the reservoir. There is enough room for groups if you get there early. Like most of the campgrounds on this road, you have a hill on one side and the reservoir on the other. This campground is good for campers and some RV's but not so good for tent camping. Camping here means you are looking for water access, which is great, at this site.
Traveler
I passed this place on Labor Day weekend and decided to stay. They officially don’t have tent sites but had some grassy area where I could pitch my tent anyway. That did mean there were no picnic tables or fire rings for me but the RV sites did have them.
The bathroom/showers were small but clean.
The bar/restaurant serves good food and the staff and locals were very friendly and offered all kinds of suggestions for my trip
Guide
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.
Legend
Edna Creek campground is off of Highway 21 and is a little farther off the main road that some of other near by campgrounds. It is a little more private and quiet. I like this campground because it is more geared toward tent camping. There is limited space for larger RVs. There are no RV type amenities. Just vault toilets, picnic tables and campfire rings. I believe there is also a water pump. Lots of access to hiking around here which is a plus for me!
Legend
Right off Hwy 75 in the Sawtooth National Forest is this nice campground within a grove of aspens. The road through the campground is gravel and the sites are gravel and dirt. It was quite dusty when we went but the trees were starting to change color which was nice and you can hear the wind shaking the aspen leaves so it made of a relaxing vibe here.
$18/ night, $10 firewood (fire restrictions in effect). Sites are reservable on recreation.gov.
Hiking/biking trails nearby and this campground also sits along the Big Wood River. There were garbage dumpsters and pit toilet bathrooms and water spigots throughout.
Each site had mostly level parking spots with picnic tables and fire pits. Each site was fairly private and offered nice amount of shade. There were plenty of sites open and there are some pull throughs for bigger rigs.
Good for RVs, vans or tents.
Zero cell reception from ATT, Verizon or TMoblie
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
Legend
This campground is off Hwy 75 in Sawtooth National Forest somewhat in a grove of aspens. The road in has some navigable large pit holes but the campground itself is fairly smooth gravel and dirt loop.
Sites are dirt and gravel and each had fire pit and picnic table. Semi private to private depending on where you get a site. There were plenty of open spots available when we checked it out in September.
Amazing views so if you are into hiking, biking or photography then this place is great. There is no host on site and this is a self pay campground at $16/night.
This is bear country but no bear boxes are provided here. There are water spigots and dumpsters and pit toilets. Zero cell service. Also nearby there are hot springs across the bridge though we did not check these out. No fires at this time!
Traveler
We spend two days this July. Staff was friendly and informative. Don’t forget a mask if your going during Covid times. (Office requires it). Facilities are clean and nice. The small pool was great for the kiddos. We tent camped and where lucky to get the pick of the spots. The tent area has two covered areas with power. While we where there they’re where about. 7 tents with probably room for about 4 more. The group fire pit is also large and nice. One family in our group brought their RV and had a nice spot and hooks up where all working. We are considered locals so we didn’t make the trek the Anderson reservoir since we know all about it but if your not local make the short drive to enjoy some boating or swimming. The put put course want not available since it was getting worked on but was getting a overhaul so next time should be great. They have a community building but it was closed due to CoVid19. All in all it was a great weekend and spot.
Traveler
This campground is the only no reservation campground accessible by car on Redfish Lake. It’s great if you are looking to score a campsite without a reservation. It’s a great location on the lake, beautiful view of the sawtooth range and a short walk to the beach. The campsites have flat tent sites, concrete pads for the picnic tables and fire rings and most have trees for some shade. The only down side is the boat and jet ski noise during the day. If you are looking to get away from everything you may want to look at some of the nearby river campgrounds. The bathrooms and campsites were very very clean and the camp hosts were very friendly. If you are looking for a good hike take the ferry from the lodge to the far side of the lake!
Guide
This is a fantastic campsite. The host is super friendly and helpful without being intrusive. It’s on a bluff over a creek and there are hot springs a mere 1/4 mi away. Epic! There were several campsites that over looked the creek (which was easy to hike down to). We had an epic sunrise hot spring experience. We were on site 22 on the RV side which was great because there was more space between sites. There a vault toilet on the tent site and a water pump. We wished we could have stayed longer. Recreation.gov listed a bunch of their sites as first come, first serve which the host informed me they are not. Either way he found us an open spot but with such a nice location I don’t know if that happens often. 10/10 would stay again
Guide
If you've ever gone up to Stanley and don't believe in having to reserve a campsite on line (it's against my religion) this is your spot. About 20 minutes away from the "hussle and bustle" of tiny mountain town, Stanley, Blind Creek is situated in the Yankee fork of the Salmon River. If you're looking for amenities, don't come here--there's a out toilet, but that's it, no water or trash service. But with the river running right by camp you can easily filter your own water and there's a large dumpster at the Sunbeam pullout right before turning off the highway. Blind Creek only has 5 spots but I've never not been able to camp there, and at $5 a night you can afford to drive a little further to get into the Sawtooths or make the drive over to Challis. Beat for tent camping, though they do have two good sights you could back a trailer into, just do us all a favor, if you're going to run your generator, camp somewhere else. Keep this place quiet!
Legend
$10 ($5 with interagency pass). First-come, first-served. Camped one night in site #13 on Sept 24, 2024. Gravel road to this out-of-the-way campground was in good condition. Pretty part of the Challis National Forest. Nothing remarkable about the campground itself. Looks like some of the sites have not been maintained in a while; overgrown with weeds, grass and sagebrush. Sites have tables and fire rings; some had shade-awnings over the tables. The vault toilets were clean. The hand water pump did not pump water; water was probably turned off for the season. No payment envelopes were provided - maybe because it was the end of the season. No hiking trails. Most sites are in the open with no shade; a few were shaded near the creek. Gravel campground road and site driveways. Site sizes varied. No privacy between sites. Tent camping possible. Solar recharging possible at my site. Great views of the mountains around the campground. Very quiet, peaceful evening; only one other site was occupied during my visit. No T-Mobile and AT&T cell service. There were several boondocking sites on the way to the campground.
Guide
Alturas Lake Inlet campground is tucked into the lovely, shady forest around it. We saw plenty of birds, chipmunks and tiny wildflowers were all over our site in early July. The lake is a short walk but some campers drove over just to make it easier to tote their chairs and water gear. Bring layers - it can is cool in the evenings and at night (40s F) even in July but warm in the day, especially if you are out by the lake. We tent camped at site 17 and although it was near one of the many vault toilets, smaller trash dumpsters, and water spigots, our site was bigger and we set up a decent distance from it. Most sites seemed to have a good distance between each other and enough privacy courtesy of trees and various plant life. We didn’t have any issues, but there plenty of signs reminding campers to be bear aware. (We are pretty careful to keep our food, cooking supplies, toiletries and whatnot in our car when not in use anyway). We did not have cell service (Verizon) and it was a bit of a drive before we got it again. Overall, it’s a beautiful retreat well suited to escaping the heat of summer if you have a tent or small trailer/pull behind.
Guide
CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO FOR DISCOUNT CODE
This is our second stay here since new ownership. First trip was June 2022 and October 2922. Both trips we had an awesome time. Just in a few months this place has made some very nice improvements and still has amazing views surrounding the camp ground. After staying a few places in the area over this past summer, Trinity View Resort for us is our top pic and will be spending a lot more time here in the future. Both trips we had our E-Bikes and took some amazing rides through the valleys and mountains and still haven't explored all the areas available here.
Cell service is good here. We have Verizon hot spot that worked perfectly and AT&T cell phones have good signal as well,
There are different options for all kinds of campers from, Full hook ups ( Big rig friendly) to tent camping. On site RV rentals and cabins are also available.
Lots of fun stuff to do here for the whole family or even groups.
The people here are friendly and respectful to other campers as well as super friendly staff and owners. Very friendly to work with and communication with changes if need depending availability.
This resort is well on its way to be one of the best camp resorts in this area. Well worth the trip for sure.
Legend
This forest service land is a quick drive down Lake Creek Rd from Hwy 75 just past the town of Ketchum in the Sawtooth National Forest. You'll drive through a residential area so mind your speed as there are kids around and lots of cars parked that were crowding into the road a bit as there were construction workers building one of the massive houses along this road.
The paved road comes to an end with a large parking or turn around area then turns to a very washboarded dirt/gravel road that runs behind people’s houses so maybe drive a bit slower to keep the dust down until you pass that point.
There are multiple areas that are large and mostly flat that pull off the side of this main dirt road. The views are amazing and it seemed quiet. We did not stay here as it was too hot at the time, but we would have because you have nice hiking or biking opportunities here. The pullout spaces are large enough for a good sized rig, we had plenty of space for our 26’ class C. A couple of the sites had stone fire pits but fire restrictions are in effect so no fires at this time. There are plenty of sites here and they were almost all free when we visited in September.
There are no amenities here. No garbage or water. You are fully in the sun with no shade.
The camping limit is 3 days only. There is one garbage can at near the large turn around/parking area before the road turns to dirt but it was small so just take your trash with you.
Good ATT and Verizon cell reception.
Guide
This campground is just outside sun valley, Idaho. When we stayed it was very quiet and many different choices of campsites, you can here the road from your site but it was not disruptive. The bathroom is far from most sites and no cell service but consequently was not the issue, the views were breathtaking. The creek was accessible. Firewood is easily available if you’re willing to collect it. The roads are a little rough but animals were no concern. We camped in our tent and had a wonderful time, and it was free!
Tent camping near Sawtooth National Forest in Idaho offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in stunning natural landscapes, with a variety of campgrounds catering to outdoor enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Sawtooth National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sawtooth National Forest is Redfish Inlet Trailhead with a 4.6-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Sawtooth National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 82 tent camping locations near Sawtooth National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
