Salmon-Challis National Forest
Dispersed camping is generally allowed
On national forest and grassland, camping outside developed campgrounds is generally permitted unless an area is posted closed or a local order says otherwise. Stay on existing surfaces, camp away from water and trailheads, and check the forest's current orders before you go — fire restrictions change through the season.
Rules change with fire season and local order. Checked 2026-08-05. Confirm on the managing office’s official page
- Area
- 6,869 sq mi
- Managed by
- Forest Service
- Campgrounds
- 67
- Longest rig
- 28 ft
Where the land is, and what fits
The official Forest Service boundary with every campground we hold inside it. Tell it how long your rig is and the map keeps only what takes it — public land rarely matches the shape people picture, and neither does what you can actually get into.
Official unit boundary · USDA Forest Service · 67 campgrounds shown
- Asher Knapp Transfer Camp TrailheadSeason not published
- Basin Creek Transfer Camp TrailheadSeason not published
- Bear Valley Horse Camp5/15 · Reservations accepted
- Bear Valley Trailhead/Upper Campground5/15 · Reservations accepted
- Beaver Creek Campground6/1 · Reservations accepted
- Bench Creek Campground6/15 · Reservations accepted
- Big Bayhorse Campground7/1 · Reservations accepted
- Big Creek Campground5/15 · Reservations accepted
- Big Eightmile Campground/Trailhead5/15
- Bighorn Crags Campground7/1 · Reservations accepted
- Blind Creek Campground5/22 · Reservations accepted
- Bonanza Group Campground5/25 · Reservations accepted
- Boundary Creek Campground ComplexReservations accepted
- Buster Lake TrailheadSeason not published
- Cape Horn Winter Rental Cabin12/15 · Reservations accepted
- Copper Basin Guard Station Rental CabinJune 1 · Reservations accepted
- Corn Creek Boat Ramp & Campground3/1
- Cougar Point Campground6/1
- Custer #1 Campground6/15 · Reservations accepted
- Dagger Falls Campground6/1 · Reservations accepted
- Deep Creek Campground6/1
- Ebenezer Campground3/1 · none
- Eightmile Camping AreaReservations accepted
- Flat Rock Campground06/01 · Reservations accepted
- Flat Rock Extension Campground6/1 · Reservations accepted
- Hawley Creek Lower Campground5/15 · Reservations accepted
- Hawley Creek Upper Campground5/15 · Reservations accepted
- Horse Creek Hot Spring & CampgroundSeason not published
- Indian Springs Campsite7/1 · Reservations accepted
- Iron Bog Campground5/25 – 9/30 · Reservations accepted
- Iron Lake Campground6/15 · Reservations accepted
- Jerry's Creek Camping Area6/1 · Reservations accepted
- Josephus Lake Campground7/1 · Reservations accepted
- Lake Creek Trailhead & Campground5/25 – 9/30 · Reservations accepted
- Little Bayhorse Camping Area7/1 · Reservations accepted
- Little West Fork Morgan Creek Trailhead7/1/2012 · Reservations accepted
- Lola Creek Campground6/01 · Reservations accepted
- Loristica Group Campgroundto 25 ft · 1 sites · Pull-through6/15 – 09/30 · Reservations accepted
- Lost Spring Campground7/15 · Reservations accepted
- Mcdonald Flat Campground5/25
- Meadow Lake Campgroundto 28 ft · 2 sitesYear round · Reservations accepted
- Mill Creek Campground6/1 – 9/30 · Reservations accepted
- Mill Creek Trailhead & Campground5/20 · Reservations accepted
- Monte Cristo Camping AreaReservations accepted
- Morgan Summit TrailheadSeason not published
- Morse Creek Campground6/1 · Reservations accepted
- Mosquito Flat Reservoir Campground6/1 · Reservations accepted
- Mt. Borah Trailhead and Camping Area5/20 · Reservations accepted
- Park Creek Campground06/01 – 09/30 · Reservations accepted
- Phi Kappa Campground05/31 – 09/30 · Reservations accepted
- Pole Flat Campground5/25 · Reservations accepted
- Reservoir Creek Campground5/15 · Reservations accepted
- Spring Creek Campground3/1
- Star Hope Campground5/30 – 09/30 · Reservations accepted
- Thatcher Campground5/25 · Reservations accepted
- Timber Creek Campground5/20 – 09/30 · Reservations accepted
- Tin Cup Campground7/1 · Reservations accepted
- Twin Creek Campground & Group Picnic6/1 · Call the North Fork Ranger District for more information regarding reserving the GROUP PICNIC AREA. 208-865-2700
- Twin Peaks Camping Area7/1 · Reservations accepted
- Wallace Lake Campground6/15
- West Fork Morgan Creek CampgroundReservations accepted
- West Fork Upper Pahsimeroi TrailheadSeason not published
- Wildhorse Campground06/15 – 09/30 · Reservations accepted
- Williams Lake Campground5/15
- Yellowjacket Guard Station Rental CabinMid June · Reservations accepted
- Yellowjacket Lake Campground7/1
Salmon-Challis National Forest
Salmon–Challis National Forest is located in east central sections of the U.S. state of Idaho. At 4,235,940 acres it is one of the largest national forests in the lower 48 states and also has most of the land area of the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness, which is the largest wilderness area south of Alaska.
Extract from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Agency description not published.
No vehicles past these lines
Designated wilderness is closed to every wheeled vehicle, including bicycles. You can walk in and camp; you cannot drive or park a rig inside one.
- Jim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness94,825 acres
Byways through this country
Places worth pulling over
Drive to Salmon-Challis the long way
Byway plans the road in, not just the destination — real places along the way, weighted to what you like, with nothing invented.