Chemeketan Campground

Sawtooth National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: STANLEY, ID, ID

Price: From $20 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (4 reviews)

Season: May through October

Chemeketan Campground sits near the headwaters of the Salmon River, at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountain Range.Chemeketan is a secluded, peaceful campground situated among lodgepole pines, which provide partial shade. Rugged peaks of the Sawtooth Range surround the area and the Salmon River flows at the campground’s edge. Temperatures are cool, with an average summer high of 78 degrees and a low of 40 degrees.The Sawtooth National Recreation Area offers a myriad of excellent hiking and biking op

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Fishing

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

Chemeketan Campground sits near the headwaters of the Salmon River at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountain Range within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The Salmon River offers excellent fishing for rainbow trout, westslope cutthroat trout, and occasional hybrid cutbows and bull trout.

Wildlife alert: Gray wolves and pronghorn present in area; also mule deer, golden-mantled ground squirrels, dusky grouse, rufous hummingbirds, long-eared owls

Insider tips for Chemeketan Campground: Book early - this is a federal campground with high demand Idaho Centennial Trail can be easily accessed nearby for hiking and biking Nearby lakes include Alturas, Perkins, Pettit and Yellowbelly Lakes for additional fishing and canoeing opportunities Approach requires fording a stream - check conditions before arrival

Skip Chemeketan Campground if: You need RV hookups - no hookups available at most sites, only suitable for self-contained RVs. You're planning to visit outside May-October - campground is seasonal.

Best time to visit Chemeketan Campground: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) (STANLEY, ID), Smokey Bear Campground (Ketchum, ID), Alturas Lake Inlet (STANLEY, ID), North Shore Campground (Ketchum, ID).

Cell Phone Coverage at Chemeketan Campground

Cell signal at Chemeketan Campground (STANLEY, 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.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›ID›Chemeketan Campground
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Sawtooth National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Chemeketan Campground

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STANLEY, ID, ID★ 4.5 (4 reviews)From $20/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Chemeketan Campground sits near the headwaters of the Salmon River, at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountain Range.Chemeketan is a secluded, peaceful campground situated among lodgepole pines, which provide partial shade. Rugged peaks of the Sawtooth Range surround the area and the Salmon River flows at the campground’s edge. Temperatures are cool, with an average summer high of 78 degrees and a low of 40 degrees.The Sawtooth National Recreation Area offers a myriad of excellent hiking and biking opportunities, and an estimated 750 miles of trails crisscross the valley and surrounding mountains.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites:TentRV
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
Max RV30 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

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 RV hookups - no hookups available at most sites, only suitable for self-contained RVs✕ You're planning to visit outside May-October - campground is seasonal

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early - this is a federal campground with high demand

Idaho Centennial Trail can be easily accessed nearby for hiking and biking

Nearby lakes include Alturas, Perkins, Pettit and Yellowbelly Lakes for additional fishing and canoeing opportunities

Approach requires fording a stream - check conditions before arrival

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

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: Gray wolves and pronghorn present in area; also mule deer, golden-mantled ground squirrels, dusky grouse, rufous hummingbirds, long-eared owls

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
928-537-8888· Sawtooth National Forest
Getting there →

From Stanley, Idaho, take Highway 75 south. Turn southwest off highway onto a dirt road located between mile markers 163 and 162. The campground is located 4 miles beyond the turnoff. Fording a stream is necessary to access the campground.

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 — Sawtooth National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Sawtooth National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Chemeketan Campground cost per night?+
Chemeketan Campground costs $20 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Chemeketan Campground open?+
Chemeketan Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Chemeketan Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Chemeketan Campground?+
Chemeketan Campground can accommodate RVs up to 30 feet.
How do I make reservations at Chemeketan Campground?+
Chemeketan Campground 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 Chemeketan Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Chemeketan Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Chemeketan Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Chemeketan Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Forest Service Concessionaire
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●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.

$20 /night★ 4.5 (4)
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 Chemeketan Campground cost per night?+
What season is Chemeketan Campground open?+
Does Chemeketan Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)

STANLEY, ID

From $125/night

Forest campground camping

Smokey Bear Campground

Ketchum, ID

From $20/night

Alturas Lake Inlet

STANLEY, ID

From $24/night

North Shore Campground

Ketchum, ID

From $20/night

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