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Sockeye
Campground
Sockeye campground is set in one of the more majestic areas in
the federal land system. At the heart of the area is Redfish Lake,
easily one of the most beautiful lakes we've ever seen. At 1,502
acres, 4.5 miles long, 3/4 of a mile wide and 357 feet deep, there's
enough room for everyone. Fishermen will enjoy casting for rainbow
trout with the backdrop of the Sawtooth mountains at every turn.
Again, it's hard to convey just how scenic this lake is. That's
one of the reasons why it's so popular.
As for the Sockeye campground itself, we aren't that big of fans.
While there are some nice sites, it has a parking lot feel and
seems congested because of people bringing numerous equipment
for the lake. Also, it's a desirable location for people to drive
through because it dead-ends at the lake. Competition for the
three trailhead parking spots is stiff and adds to the noise.
At Sockeye campground you'll find 23 sites, drinking water, bathrooms
and fire rings. There's a boat ramp nearby for your water craft,
or a trail that leads to the shore if you have float tubes or
kayaks. Everything surrounding the campground is top notch. So
if you're OK with noise as long as you have quick access to the
water, this is a good spot. You can find a Laundromat, gas, showers
and a dump station at the gas station near Redfish Lodge.
One thing you can expect at Sockeye is to bask in
one of the most pretty settings you've experienced.
Sockeye Campground facts:
Video Tour available: Yes.
Download now!
Open: June to September
Sites: 23
Laundry: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Showers: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Store: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Fee: $16
Handicapped Accessible: No
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 6,565 feet
Fishing: Yes (Redfish Lake)
Generator: Yes
Gas: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Repairs: No (6 miles north to Stanley)
Chinook Bay Campground
Chinook Bay campground is our pick of the Redfish
Lake area campgrounds. But there's a catch: there are only 13
sites to choose from and Chinook Bay is the first campground you
reach from the highway. Most people drive right past it in order
to get to the "good" campgrounds. Suckers.
In our experience, this is the quietest of the Redfish complex
campgrounds, and if you can get a spot in one of the sites that
borders the lake, you lucked out. These sites are gigantic-some
of the biggest we've seen. I had the privilege of staying at the
enormous site that borders Redfish Lake Creek and Little Redfish
Lake. My camp site was an entire peninsula much bigger than most
people's yards. I had a great view over Little Redfish Lake, too.
You will get some road noise here as Redfish Lake road winds past,
but it's minimal here compared to other campgrounds. If you pull
into the campground, don't get caught up in the first few sites.
Hit the back first and you'll wind past the sites that border
the lake.
Those seeking water-based recreation will love Chinook Bay campground,
as they will all the other Redfish campgrounds. It's just that
this one is far more peaceful. We can't say it enough - make the
back loop sites at Chinook Bay your priority in the Redfish Lake
complex.
Chinook Bay Campground facts:
Video Tour available: Yes.
Download now!
Open: May 15th to September 20th
Sites: 13
Laundry: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Showers: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Store: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Fee: $16
Handicapped Accessible: No
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 6,495 feet
Fishing: Yes (Little Redfish Lake, Salmon River)
Generator: Yes
Gas: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Repairs: No (6 miles north to Stanley)
Redfish
Lake Outlet Campground
The view from Redfish Outlet Campground is something
else. There before you stretches 1,502 acre Redfish Lake with
the jagged spires of the Sawtooths as a backdrop. So what's the
negative? Well, that depends on what your trip goals are. If you
want beach action (it's right there, a pebble toss from your site),
the ability to drag a kayak, canoe or float tube to the lake,
or to be in a crowd of people with lots of noise, then this is
your spot. Redfish Outlet Campground seems to be a party spot
for teens and families, and the beach was packed with people catching
rays. The sites are also fairly large, and were filled with huge
trailers carrying all sorts of stuff that was splayed out all
over the campground.
With only 19 sites, you can bet this one is difficult to get a
site you prefer. The campground is shaped like a narrow piece
of pie with Forest Road 214 on the south and Redfish Lake on the
North.
Despite the noise and people, this is still a tough campground
to pass up-especially if you are after water-based recreation.
Many of the campers had boats anchored just offshore from their
campsites which they would then wade out to.
Redfish Lake Outlet Campground facts:
Video Tour available: Yes.
Download now!
Open: May 15th to September 14th
Sites: 19
Laundry: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Showers: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Store: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Fee: $16
Handicapped Accessible: No
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 6,555 feet
Fishing: Yes ( Redfish Lake)
Generator: Yes
Gas: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Repairs: No (6 miles north to Stanley)
Mount
Heyburn Campground
Mount Heyburn campground is a good backup to Sockeye
Campground. It's also quieter, and borders a chunk of wild national
forest. The sites are mostly nice and large and offer decent privacy.
But be careful. We've seen a ton of campgrounds, and this was
the worst one ever in regards to food left out at the campsites
while unattended. In fact, this campground had a huge steel bear
trap set up while I was there. Amazingly, the four occupied sites
next to the trap all had coolers out or other various food-related
items with no campers in sight. I've never seen anything like
this. To top it off, other areas of the campground also had these
items laying out. So it wasn't any surprise that the "bait"
in the bear trap was nothing more than a blue cooler. It's a shame
that a harmless bear might be trucked off and killed because people
are either too lazy to follow simple food guidelines in bear country,
or perhaps, too lazy to properly enforce these regulations.
If you stay here, please exercise good bear country discipline
and do not leave out any food-related items such as coolers, water
bottles, grills, anything while you are not using them. Bears
are attracted to this and by leaving it out you may be killing
a bear. I often wonder if the Mount Heyburn bear was ever trapped,
and if so, what happened to it. I still shake my head when I view
the video of the four campsites surrounding the trap. People need
to be smarter. I hope the Sawtooth National Forest can rectify
this problem.
Mount Heyburn Campground facts:
Video Tour available: Yes.
Download now!
Open: June to September
Sites: 20
Laundry: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Showers: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Store: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Fee: $16
Handicapped Accessible: No
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 6,687 feet
Fishing: Yes ( Redfish Lake)
Generator: Yes
Gas: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Repairs: No (6 miles north to Stanley)
Sunny Gulch
Campground
Sunny Gulch is a decent-sized campground near the
Salmon River. It seems a bit drier to me than the campgrounds
across the road in the Redfish Lake complex. Sites vary from small
to large, with a general lack of privacy thanks to the sparse
understory. Sunny Gulch campground is a quiet campground compared
to most in the Redfish Lake complex, and it's an excellent place
to camp for views of the majestic Sawtooths. You will hear Highway
75 noise, and there were quite a few big RV's while we were there.
One of the things about Sunny Gulch I liked was that I didn't
feel as "hemmed in" as I did by the busy campgrounds
on Forest Road 214. Those looking for a quieter experience may
find this a more pleasing campground. Redfish Lake and Little
Redfish Lake are still a short drive away, so you can get the
best of both worlds. Just bring some sun block. They don't call
it Sunny Gulch for the heck of it. And set your tent or park your
rig under a tree if you can.
One of the neat things about Sunny Gulch is the pavilion, which
is available for reservation to large groups.Sunny Gulch also
offers vault toilets, drinking water and a dumpster.
Sunny Gulch Campground facts:
Video Tour available: Yes.
Download now!
Open: May 15th to September 20th
Sites: 45 + group pavilion
Laundry: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Showers: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Store: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Fee: $16
Handicapped Accessible: No
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 6,500 feet
Fishing: Yes ( Salmon River)
Generator: Yes
Gas: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Repairs: No (5 miles north to Stanley)
Alturas
Inlet Campground
Alturas Inlet campground is located 24 miles south
of Stanley Idaho on Highway 75, via Alturas Creek Road (Forest
Road 205, west side of the highway) in the majestic Sawtooth National
Forest and Recreation Area. Alturas Lake is between Redfish Lake
and Pettit Lake in size, offering numerous opportunities for fishermen
and other water-based recreationists. It is my understanding that
the lake is great for rainbow trout and massive bull trout, but
I did not get the chance to fish it unfortunately.
I have to say I enjoyed this campground. The sites were a bit
rough and the trees not as thick (privacy) as I'd like, but overall
the Alturas Inlet campground is one of the quieter campgrounds
we've experienced in the Sawtooth National Forest and Recreation
Area. While Alturas Lake isn't as pretty as Redfish Lake, it's
close, and seems to offer a much more relaxed environment. If
you're not a fan of jet skis, camp along Alturas Lake rather than
Redfish lake. You can expect restrooms, picnic tables and fire
rings at Alturas Inlet. I was badly tempted to fish this beautiful
lake but didn't have enough time. If you have any interest in
fishing, don't make the same mistake. This place is a fishermen's
dream-especially with the Salmon River just a couple miles to
the east and numerous alpine lakes up the trail. Alturas Inlet
campground would make for a nice lake/river combo fishing trip
with more time on the water and less time behind the wheel. You
can't beat that.
Alturas Inlet Campground facts:
Video Tour available: Yes.
Download now!
Open: June 5th to September 20th
Sites: 28
Laundry: No (22 miles to Redfish Lodge area)
Showers: No (22 miles to Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: No (22 miles to Redfish Lodge area)
Store: No (22 miles Redfish Lodge area)
Fee: $15
Handicapped Accessible: No
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 7,018 feet
Fishing: Yes (Alturas Lake, Salmon River)
Generator: Yes
Gas: No (24 miles north to Stanley)
Repairs: No (24 miles north to Stanley)
Smokey Bear Campground
Smokey Bear campground is the first campground I
stayed at in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. I pulled in
late at night and was awed by what I saw in the morning. The scenery
is excellent, and the calm waters of Alturas Lake rimmed by thick
forest were a great sight to wake to. I wish I could have fished,
and the next time I'm in this area you can bet I will. I was lucky
to get a campsite at the end of Smokey Bear Campground fairly
close to the lake. Form my site I could walk down to the shore
where trout were rising in the morning light.
Smokey Bear campground is located 23 miles south of Stanley Idaho
on Highway 75, via Alturas Creek Road (Forest Road 205, west side
of the highway) in the majestic Sawtooth National Forest and Recreation
Area. You can expect drinking water, accessible vault toilets,
picnic tables and fire rings. There's also a boat ramp with a
$5 day use fee. There's ample parking as well. You're going to
get a bit more noise at Smokey Bear compared to Alturas Inlet
because of the boat ramp, but it's not too bad as the ramp is
on the far side of the campground and away from the sites.
I can definitely recommend Smokey Bear Campground. It's a good
place to go if you want a water-based camping experience without
all the people that Redfish Lake offers. Try to get the sites
at the western end of the campground.
Smokey Bear Campground facts:
Video Tour available: Yes.
Download now!
Open: June 5th to September 20th
Sites: 15
Laundry: No (21 miles to Redfish Lodge area)
Showers: Yes (21 miles to Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: No (21 miles to Redfish Lodge area)
Store: No (21 miles Redfish Lodge area)
Fee: $15
Handicapped Accessible: Yes (toilets)
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 7,018 feet
Fishing: Yes (Alturas Lake, Salmon River)
Generator: Yes
Gas: No (23 miles north to Stanley)
Repairs: No (23 miles north to Stanley)
Pettit
Lake Campground
Pettit Lake Campground is another in a fine collection
of water side campgrounds in the Sawtooth National Forest and
Recreation Area. The key feature is Pettit Lake, which clocks
in at 395 acres and 85 feet deep. It's a scenic lake as you can
see. The image at the top of this page was taken at Pettit Lake.
Fishermen will find this another great choice, and since there's
a boat ramp access to the water is as easy as backing up your
trailer or dragging your kayak.
While the sites don't offer great privacy (if any at all), they
retain a simple charm. Try and get the sites in the back loop
as they border the lake. Pettit is a small campground with only
twelve sites. You can expect handicapped vault toilets, drinking
water, picnic tables, and fire rings. Be careful of private property.
There are homes on the lake (unfortunately) and they tend to spoil
a good view but it's not too bad. The bummer about this is that
people who own these homes tend to be working on them rather than
enjoying the country, and you can hear that noise. That's why
I've always recommended a tent. ;) Hikers will be happy to know
that Pettit Lake Campground borders the 16 mile Tin Cup Trail.
There's a huge parking lot which allows for both day use at Pettit
Lake and trailhead use.
To get to Pettit Lake campground, drive 19.63 miles south on Highway
75 from Stanley and turn right at the sign for Pettit Lake. Travel
two miles and take your next right to the campground.
Pettit Lake Campground facts:
Video Tour available: Yes.
Download now!
Open: May 22nd to September 14th
Sites: 12
Laundry: No (19.63 miles north to Stanley)
Showers: Yes (19.63 miles north to Stanley)
Dump Station: No (19.63 miles north to Stanley)
Store: No (19.63 miles north to Stanley)
Fee: $12
Handicapped Accessible: Yes (toilets)
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 7,009 feet
Fishing: Yes (Pettit Lake, Salmon River)
Generator: Yes
Gas: No (19.63 miles north to Stanley)
Repairs: No (19.63 miles north to Stanley)
Glacier View Campground
Glacier View campground is located in the Redfish
Lake Campground complex on Forest Road 214, 6 miles south of Stanley,
Idaho. Glacier View is one of the bigger campgrounds in the complex,
offering 65 sites, many of which sit on hill that overlooks the
majestic Sawtooth Range and Redfish Lake. If you'd like to get
away from the lake and road noise, pick out a site in the back
loop of Glacier View.
Those thinking of camping here can expect flush toilets, drinking
water, trash service, picnic tables, and fire rings. Like other
Sawtooth area campgrounds, the scenery is terrific. What I liked
about Glacier View was the increased privacy and the lack of a
"parking lot" feel compared to Sockeye Campground.
Glacier View Campground facts:
Video Tour available: No
Open: May 15th to September 14th
Sites: 65
Laundry: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Showers: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Store: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Fee: $16
Handicapped Accessible: Yes(restroom)
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 6,570 feet
Fishing: Yes (Redfish Lake)
Generator: Yes
Gas: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Repairs: No (6 miles north to Stanley)
Mountain
View Campground
Mountain View campground seems to me as nothing
more than an overflow campground for Chinook Bay campground in
the Redfish Lake complex. But that's not to say it isn't a nice
campground. It certainly is. The problem is there are only seven
sites, and you're going to have a heck of a time getting one since
they're right on Little Redfish Lake. To make matters worse, you
can't reserve a site. If you want a spot at this charming campground,
get there early and wait people out. Look for campers breaking
down tents or RV'ers folding up the lawn chairs.
To get to Mountain View campground, take Highway 75 south from
Stanley four miles and hang a right on Forest Road 214 until you
see the campground sign for Mountain View. Since Chinook Bay campground
is first, pull in there and see if you can't get one of the huge
sites along the lake. If those are taken, bump on down to Mountain
View and try your luck.
You can expect excellent views, flush toilets, drinking water,
picnic tables, fire rings and a dumpster at Mountain View Campground.
Little Redfish Lake is very scenic and offers excellent fishing
for various species of trout.
Mountain View Campground facts:
Video Tour available: No
Open: May 15th to September 20th
Sites: 7
Laundry: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Showers: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Store: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Fee: $16
Handicapped Accessible: Yes(restroom)
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 6,495 feet
Fishing: Yes (Redfish Lake, Little Redfish Lake, Salmon River)
Generator: Yes
Gas: Yes (Redfish Lodge area)
Repairs: No (6 miles north to Stanley)
Lake
View Campground
Lake View campground is a small but scenic campground
located 7 miles northwest of Stanley, Idaho. Head northwest from
Stanley on State Road 21 for 4 miles until you reach Stanley Lake
Road/Forest Road 455. Hang a left and Stay on this for three miles.
The view from the campground is outstanding, with beautiful Stanley
Lake framed by McGown peak. This is a great place to fish. Campers
can expect vault toilets, garbage service, picnic tables, fire
rings and drinking water. The combination of only 6 sites and
no reservations means that getting a spot here can be tricky.
Show up early on weekdays to secure one of the excellent sites.
Lake View Campground facts:
Video Tour available: No
Open: May 15th to September 7th
Sites: 6
Laundry: No (7 miles southeast to Stanley)
Showers: No (29 miles southeast to Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: No (29 miles southeast to Redfish Lodge area)
Store: No (7 miles southeast to Stanley)
Fee: $15
Handicapped Accessible: No
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 6,525 feet
Fishing: Yes (Stanley Lake)
Generator: Yes
Gas: No ( 7 miles southeast to Stanley)
Repairs: No ( 7 miles southeast to Stanley)
Stanley
Lake Campground
Careless campers at Stanley Lake leave food items
unattended.
Stanley Lake campground is similar to Lake View
campground in that they share the same lake. There are differences,
however. Stanley Lake is three times the size with 19 reservable
campsites. The views are just as nice at Stanley Lake campground
and the fishing on this part of the lake just as good. We'd advise
you to be careful, as we saw the same issues here that we saw
at the Redfish complex in terms of food and food items left out
while unattended.
To reach Stanley Lake campground, head northwest from Stanley
on State Road 21 for 4 miles until you reach Stanley Lake Road/Forest
Road 455. Hang a left and Stay on this for three miles. Campers
can expect vault toilets, fire rings, picnic tables, drinking
water, and a dumpster.
Stanley Lake Campground facts:
Video Tour available: No
Open: May 15th to September 7th
Sites: 19
Laundry: No (7 miles southeast to Stanley)
Showers: No (29 miles southeast to Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: No (29 miles southeast to Redfish Lodge area)
Store: No (7 miles southeast to Stanley)
Fee: $15
Handicapped Accessible: No
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 6,525 feet
Fishing: Yes (Stanley Lake)
Generator: Yes
Gas: No ( 7 miles southeast to Stanley)
Repairs: No ( 7 miles southeast to Stanley)
Sheep Trail
Campground
Sheep Trail campground is tiny, with a whopping
4 sites. Groups of up to 40 people can reserve the entire campground,
but those seeking a single site can only obtain them on a first-come,
first-serve basis. To get to Sheep Trail campground, take Highway
21 northwest 9.15 miles between marker 121 and 122. At this point,
turn left on Forest Road 613 and you're right at the campground.
Sheep Trail is a good campground for those who don't like camping
next to a bunch of people. There is a bit of highway noise, but
it's not a big deal. If you can get a site here, go for it. Although
this campground is farther from the main attractions of the Sawtooth
NRA, there's a certain appeal to it. Visitors can expect picnic
tables, fire rings, garbage service, a vault toilet and drinking
water.
Sheep Trail Campground facts:
Video Tour available: No
Open: May 15th to September 14th
Sites: 4
Laundry: No (9.15 miles southeast to Stanley)
Showers: No (15.72 miles southeast to Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: No (15.72 miles southeast to Redfish Lodge area)
Store: No (9.15 miles southeast to Stanley)
Fee: $13
Handicapped Accessible: No
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 6,609 feet
Fishing: Yes (Elk Creek, Meadow Creek, Valley Creek)
Generator: Yes
Gas: No ( 9.15 miles southeast to Stanley)
Repairs: No ( 9.15 miles southeast to Stanley)
Trap Creek
Campground
As you can see in the above photos, Trap Creek campground
is quite beautiful. The catch is there are only 3 sites, and they
are first-come, first-serve unless you plan to take the entire
campground as a single group.
Trap Creek is similar to Sheep Trail in that it's a satellite
campground removed from the popular areas of the valley. This
may appeal to certain campers and the scenic meadows sure don't
hurt its case. Those who don't care for campgrounds with high
numbers of campsites will want to give Trap Creek a look. There's
a bit of highway noise, but it's not too bad. Campers can expect
picnic tables, fire rings, garbage service, a vault toilet and
drinking water.
Trap Creek Campground facts:
Video Tour available: No
Open: May 15th to September 7th
Sites: 3
Laundry: No (11.61 miles southeast to Stanley)
Showers: No (17 miles southeast to Redfish Lodge area)
Dump Station: No (17 miles southeast to Redfish Lodge area)
Store: No (11.61 miles southeast to Stanley)
Fee: $13
Handicapped Accessible: No
Toilets: Yes | Tables: Yes | Fire rings: Yes
Water: Yes
Elevation: 6,680 feet
Fishing: Yes (Trap Creek)
Generator: Yes
Gas: No ( 11.61 miles southeast to Stanley)
Repairs: No ( 11.61 miles southeast to Stanley)
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