Chinook

Payette National Forest — lakeside

Location: Warren, ID, ID

Price: From $10 per night

Price range: $10–$15 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (1 reviews)

Season: May through October

Forested campground situated along the Secesh River at an elevation of 5,650’. This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Drinking Water, Electric Hookups

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

Forested campground along the Secesh River with 8 tent sites at 5,650' elevation. Campers praise the isolated, beautiful setting with plenty of space and excellent white noise from the river.

Wildlife alert: Great Gray Owl, Spruce Grouse, Mule Deer present in area

Insider tips for Chinook: First-come, first-served only — physically arrive to claim sites Download Recreation.gov mobile app for QR code Scan and Pay feature if available Prepare for 30+ minute drive on dirt road (Forest Road #378) — narrow road not suitable for RVs over 30 ft Pack long pants and long sleeves for mosquito protection

Skip Chinook if: You have an RV over 30 ft — road is narrow with no turn-outs. You need hookups — no hookups available, tent camping or self-contained units only. You need reservations — first-come, first-served basis only.

Best time to visit Chinook: May-October — Official operating season per verified data.

Nearby campgrounds: Burgdorf Guard Station (Riggins, ID), Jeanette (McCall, ID), Secesh Campground (McCall, ID), Upper Payette Lake Campground (MCCALL, ID).

Cell Phone Coverage at Chinook

Cell signal at Chinook (Warren, 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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Payette National Forest — lakesideLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Chinook

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Warren, ID, ID★ 4 (1 reviews)From $10/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Forested campground situated along the Secesh River at an elevation of 5,650’. This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site.

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. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsElectric Hookups
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 have an RV over 30 ft — road is narrow with no turn-outs✕ You need hookups — no hookups available, tent camping or self-contained units only✕ You need reservations — first-come, first-served basis only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

First-come, first-served only

physically arrive to claim sites

Download Recreation.gov mobile app for QR code Scan and Pay feature if available

Prepare for 30+ minute drive on dirt road (Forest Road #378)

narrow road not suitable for RVs over 30 ft

Pack long pants and long sleeves for mosquito protection

Best: May-October

Official operating season per verified data

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: Great Gray Owl, Spruce Grouse, Mule Deer present in area

Location

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

From McCall, follow the Warren Wagon Road (21) north for 36 miles. Turn right at the Chinook Campground sign and follow Forest Road #378 for one mile to 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 — 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 Chinook cost per night?+
Chinook costs $10–$15 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
What season is Chinook open?+
Chinook is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Chinook have hookups?+
No hookups. Bring self-contained unit or tent camp.
What is the maximum RV length at Chinook?+
Chinook is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Chinook?+
Chinook 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 Chinook?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Chinook is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Chinook open, and what are check-in times?+
Chinook is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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.

$10 /night★ 4 (1)
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 Chinook cost per night?+
What season is Chinook open?+
Does Chinook have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Burgdorf Guard Station

Riggins, ID

From $160/night

Jeanette

McCall, ID

From $10/night

Secesh Campground

McCall, ID

From $10/night

Upper Payette Lake Campground

MCCALL, ID

From $10/night

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