Big Creek

Payette National Forest — riverside

Location: Yellow Pine, ID, ID

Price: From $10 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: May through October

Located next to the Big Creek airstrip this four unit campground offers a good staging place to access the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. It is popular with pilots camping overnight in Big Creek. The campground is near the Big Creek Work Station.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Drinking Water

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/big-creek to be notified when sites open up.

Four walk-in campsites near a small stream flowing into Big Creek, offering a good staging place to access the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Popular with pilots camping overnight.

Wildlife alert: Rocky Mountain Mule Deer, Mule Deer, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Sandhill Crane, Northern Rubber Boa, and Wandering Garter Snake documented in the area.

Insider tips for Big Creek: First-come, first-served only—no reservations available Book early during peak season as this is a federal campground with only 4 sites Located next to Big Creek airstrip, making it ideal for pilots Physically arrive at campground to purchase and claim your site

Skip Big Creek if: You need hookups—no hookups available. You prefer reservations—first-come, first-served only. You're visiting outside May-October—seasonal operations only.

Best time to visit Big Creek: May-October — Verified seasonal operations period.

Nearby campgrounds: Yellow Pine Campground (Cascade, ID), Golden Gate Campground (ID), Johnson Creek Guard Station (Cascade, ID), Ice Hole Campground (Cascade, ID).

Cell Phone Coverage at Big Creek

Cell signal at Big Creek (Yellow Pine, ID): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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CamperWatch›ID›Big Creek
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Payette National Forest — riversideLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Big Creek

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Yellow Pine, ID, ID★ 4 (0 reviews)From $10/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Located next to the Big Creek airstrip this four unit campground offers a good staging place to access the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. It is popular with pilots camping overnight in Big Creek. The campground is near the Big Creek Work Station.

Best for:CampersNature loversFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire Rings
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Drinking Water

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need hookups—no hookups available✕ You prefer reservations—first-come, first-served only✕ You're visiting outside May-October—seasonal operations only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

First-come, first-served only

no reservations available

Book early during peak season as this is a federal campground with only 4 sites

Located next to Big Creek airstrip, making it ideal for pilots

Physically arrive at campground to purchase and claim your site

Best: May-October

Verified seasonal operations period

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Rocky Mountain Mule Deer, Mule Deer, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Sandhill Crane, Northern Rubber Boa, and Wandering Garter Snake documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
N/A· Payette National Forest
Getting there →

From Yellow Pine, go 18 miles northeast on Forest Road 412, FR 340, and FR 371. Eighty-six miles northeast of McCall on Big Creek Road (#371).

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Payette National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Payette National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Big Creek cost per night?+
Big Creek costs $10 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Big Creek open?+
Big Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Big Creek have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Big Creek?+
Big Creek is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Big Creek?+
Big Creek is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Big Creek?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Big Creek is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Big Creek open, and what are check-in times?+
Big Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$10 /night★ 4 (0)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Big Creek cost per night?+
What season is Big Creek open?+
Does Big Creek have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Forest campground camping

Yellow Pine Campground

Cascade, ID

From $10/night

Golden Gate Campground

ID

From $10/night

Johnson Creek Guard Station

Cascade, ID

From $100/night

Ice Hole Campground

Cascade, ID

From $10/night

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