Looking for the best dispersed camping near Sun Valley? The Dyrt provides you with a diverse selection of places to camp, from dispersed backcountry camping to boondocking, and everything in-between. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campgrounds for your Idaho camping adventure.
This dispersed campground area is north of Caribou developed campground on the left side of North Fork road. It is situated alongside the North Fork of the Big Wood River.
These sites are established but free - please stay at the sites that have already been created. Do not create your own space.
Guide
In this video we provide a comprehensive review of 3 of the free boondocking(dispersed camping) sites near Stanley, Idaho in the Sawtooth National Forest. Salmon River Designated Spots 1, 2 and 3. All locations are in the Sawtooth National Forest and there is a 10 day stay limit between May 1- September 15th with an unlimited stay limited outside of that time period.
LegendIf you show up to Redfish Lake on a busy weekend and all of the campgrounds are reserved/full, no worries. There is a bunch of free dispersed camping all along highway 75. A quick stop at the Forest Service Office down the road and I had a pretty good map of the forest roads in the area, but more importantly, a tip about free camping a stone’s throw away from Redfish Lake and Sunny Gulch campground. The road in is a bit rough with ruts and rocks, but there are several established sites with fire rings. There was a loop to the right with about 8 such sites and a loop to the right with about 5 sites as well as one that was hidden behind the site I chose that you had to walk in to(it was actually a nicer site than the one I chose, but I was tired and set up before I saw it on my explorations. There was one vault toilet that was not especially clean, but free is free, and if you really wanted to, you could walk less than a quarter mile across to the developed Sunny Gulch campground. There are no picnic tables or grills or tent pads, but definitely stone fire rings at each site so no worries as long as you brought your own camp chair. If you need a shower, head into Redfish Lake to use the public pay showers there.
Legend
Dispersed camping just north of Sun Valley. This Forest Road is popular being so close to town, but if you venture 3 to 4 miles in it's very quiet and peaceful. Lots of great hiking at the to trailheads near this campsite. We enjoyed all of the trees around our campsite and the North Fork of the Big Wood River with the sound of churning water. No cell service here. You're in a valley without a lot A visibility far out to the weather. Therefore, weather can change on you rapidly and Strongly. Be prepared.
Guide
This is a dispersed camp spot with no services at all, but it is free. Nice and quiet, but a few folks did pass by in the dirt road/trail. The road in is a bit bumpy, but not terrible, just go slow. I was able to get my 30ft dual axel travel trailer in without much trouble. The spot could fit 3/4 rigs or 5-6 tents. Great view of the night sky.
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.
Scout
Nice dispersed camping for the prepared person :)
Legend
This area along lower Iron Creek Road had some rough free dispersed spots that had cell signal from Stanley. As of June 2023 there are info boards and signage that notes dispersed camping only in designated spots marked on the ground with new signs. I saw an A group and a B group and may be more farther up but the road was so rough washboard potholed I did not check. These sites are small and not suitable for RVs and large TTs in my opinion. No toilets, no dumpsters and no water. However, this is very close to Stanley town.
Guide
Quiet, private campsites. Close to Sun Valley. Place to turn around if unable to fine a campsite. No cell coverage. Only 3 day limit.
GuideNice location, close to town. Close to road but not much traffic. Access can be difficult with steep access from main road and tricky spots along the access road. There are three access spots. Would pick the first or second. The road is difficult between the second and third access roads. Would recommend walking down to see if safe for you and your vehicle. There is more dispersed camping farther up the road but you begin to lose cell coverage.
Guide
On left, out East Fork Rd from Challis. Long ways. Decent dirt road but great drive. Just past private land into National Forest, can see Germainia trailhead from there. Old settlement remains on river. Small metal fire ring Great views and quiet!
Legend
Alpine lake is approx. 5.5mi from the Redfish Lake Inlet. With a 2000ft elevation gain and some killer switchbacks as you hike into altitude, the lake rests at about 8300ft. Never have I witnessed such beauty and serene, crystal clear waters. Absolutely no services, only dispersed camping—pack in/pack out and worth every step! We have snow mid-June that was up to our thighs on the way up (ouch!) but by two days later had melted enough to reveal the trail floor. Don’t forget your sunscreen ;) You will not regret visiting this heaven on earth spot
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.
Legend
This is an amazing secluded spot deep into the Sawtooth Mountains of Central Idaho. We've been coming here for years and my fathers been coming here since the 60's. Not much has changed except for better upkeep of the roads and the occasional vault toilet that are scattered across the area. The campground is free to stay at and has a dispersed feeling to it. There are no developed rings or tables but you can tell where people usually set up camp. For the most part this is an RV campsite mostly because of how the spots are arranged. You could put a tent in here if you wanted but there are way better spots just up the road out of the RV'ers reaches. These forests are pretty wild still so definitely keep an eye out for black bears. We haven't seen any Grizzly in this area but they are definitely in the Salmon/Challis area which isn't too far away. Also if you're from Idaho this is a good spot to ride around on your motorcycle or ATV and get some pristine alpine fishing in!
GuideThe first part of the road allows for 3-day max camping, but a little further in, you’ll hit 16-day max stay! The sites further up are away from the others and run along a stream. Still further in, you’ll hit a Y in the road. The right side leads you to a small parking lot with bathrooms and access to a small pond, the left leads you up to more sites. Not too far past the pond, the dirt road is less smooth and has tall grass growing in the middle of the road. I scored a gorgeous site, with a campfire pit already established. The site overlooks the pond, with the Sun Valley Ski Resort seen in the distance and has a gorgeous Mountain View on the opposite side. Absolutely stunning! Plenty of ground squirrels and butterflies and have only seen 2 cars all day.
Scout
Delightful creekside free campsites! Turn at the BLM sign and take a little gravel road to several free creekside spots! There are at least two pit toilets, one at a spot with two picnic tables, each has a great shade, fire pit, and a place for a camp stove! One has a flat raised gravel spot for a tent, which was good because we actually saw a couple mice. The second pit toilet was further down the road at a more separated spot, it looked like it was ADA accessible and also had a picnic table, etc. Close enough to Carey to get gas/ice. Only giving it 4 stars because of the mice (pack out your own trash guys! It isn’t hard!) and the complete lack of trees, the covers over the picnic tables did proved shade, but it still got crazy hot.
Guide
I drove up to check out this area since we were staying in Salmon River Designated Spot 2 and there are now no camping signs all over in this area. It is very hard to tell if the signs are meant just for the specific area where they are posted as it is clear those are in previous camping spots, but there are other spots that do not have signs right next to those. You may want to check with the ranger station before heading up to see if camping is still allowed in this area. On a side note, as others have mentioned the road up is pretty steep and rutted so enter with caution. I would not have pulled my 30ft travel trailer up there for sure.
Guide
A good friend of ours brought us up to Stanley, ID to explore for a week on horseback, hiking, and camping. I have been a professional photographer for many years, although I have seen stunning jaw dropping landscape photos in magazines I had yet to find myself in a location that would take my breath away… Until the day we set up camp at Decker Flatts.
I wont rattle on about how we were within 2 mins of a hiking trail that leads you to "Hell's Roaring lake", or about the amazing Trout fishing within 10 feet of my tent, or even the stunning sunrises every morning. I wont even describe the Beauty of the 5 other lakes that were all within a 10 min drive and a 5-10 mile hike or horseback ride from our camp. (Upper Marshall Lake, Alice Lake, Petti Lake, Alpine Lake & Sawtooth Lake) I'll just let you see the photos attached to this review and hope you'll make the life changing camping trip we did.
a few things to know:
The Sawtooth Mountain camping areas are designed for self-sufficient camping. the USFS campgrounds do not offer trailer hookups for water, sewer, or power. Because of heavy winter snows, most area campgrounds are open only from mid-May through Labor Day. The area you'll find Decker Flatts will amaze you when you see that the terrain flattens and broad meadows push back the forests. This sprawling preserve encompasses four mountain ranges, several large lakes which i have only explored a few. It's the sort of place that begs you to unplug your phone chargers let them die, lock the car, and put some ground under your feet, maybe even get knee deep in the crisp cool water of the river nearby.
Natural Features:
Dispersed campsites are stung along the flat river side, find yourself between pine and spruce trees that tower in stark contrast over the surrounding sprawling meadows. Although, this area is inaccessible during the winter months the meadows are wide and utilized by local ranchers to rise cattle.
Visitors may want to keep their eyes out for elk, deer, coyotes, and hawks as you take in the surroundings. Bobcats, mountain lions, and bear do live in the park, however they are rarely seen near humans.
Recreation:
Hikers, fisherman, photographers, mountain bikers and the average nature junkies flock to the Sawtooth Mountain range for the variety of available activities of the park.
Legend
This site is across the highway from the entrance to the Shoshone Ice Cave attraction on highway 75. If you are heading north on 75, turn right at the gift shop on the right side of the road. Proceed down the gravel road east and make a left at the first curve to the left. Right after the curve, you'll see a small concrete bridge on the right that crosses the canal. Park in the open area just across the canal. You are between the canal and the Big Wood river which is dry in the summer months. What's nice about this spot is privacy and isolation. It's a great spot near both Shoshone Ice Cave and Just a few miles from Mammoth Cave. The site is next to an old lava flow which is incredible to see and explore. Wildlife we saw includes deer and owls, wood peckers and many other birds.
There's a couple bars of Verizon here. Nice hiking and exploring the river bottom and some water-carved rocks. Just a few miles north on 75 is Black Magic Canyon which has some larger more impressive water carved rocks. You can hike the stream bed. There is an information sign about this at the intersection of 75 and Black Magic Road. Be careful as the water agencies can release water anytime. They suggest you call before hiking the stream bed. By the way - free RV dump station in the town of Shoshone 16 mile south.
Guide
Large campsites next to stream nestled in a beautiful valley. Hiking/mtb trail next to campsites.
TravelerThe road first takes you through a canyon with a few dispersed spots with tables and fire pits. Saw one vault toilet too. As you continue to this spot, there’s lots of places to pull off and camp. The road goes for quite a while and you can get to some beautiful creek/forest spots with 4WD. Lots of wildflowers :)
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.
GuideThis site was pretty easy to find. There were a couple of campers camped closer to the road from the turn-off but we managed to find a spot that was secluded and perfect for us right next to the creek. Tons of space, especially since we were by ourselves. Had a real fire pit! This was a cold stay and our tent was covered in frost in the morning, but a good spot to be. Close enough to town, close enough to hiking.
Guide
We came here second week of May just after the rangers opened FR-146. We travelled all the way to the end where there is a trailer turn-around. All sites looked nice and we counted 12 designated dispersed sites, #1 was the furthest in. We ended up in 2C(the furthest in of three sites of area #2. The site was next to the river. It was 4.5 miles in on the dirt road and our closest neighbor was back up the road 3.5 miles in camp Murdock, roughly a twenty minute drive. The only animals we saw were ground squirrels. It was so peaceful and a wonderful experience.
Traveler
I selected this campground after missing out on a nearby first come first serve that was fully booked. I am just thrilled with the campsites and cleanliness of the pit toilets and nearby stream and fishing.
GuideOn salmon river right off hwy. can’t complain it was free
LegendThere are many camp sites along the road. Good cell service. Verizon. Only a mile or so to Redfish lake. Awesome lake. There is a paid shower, laundry and dump available there. Road narrow and is loose gravel.
ScoutPrimitive campsites along the Salmon River. There was road noise from the nearby highway but otherwise it was quiet. I saw people fishing so I assume it's good for that. The river is great for rinsing off as well. Beautiful views, close to Stanley for essentials.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Sun Valley, Idaho, where nature meets tranquility. This area offers a variety of sites that allow campers to immerse themselves in the great outdoors without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
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