Copper Basin Guard Station

Salmon-Challis National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Mackay, ID, ID

Price: From $100 per night

Rating: 5 out of 5 (10 reviews)

Season: May through October

Copper Basin Guard Station is located in Copper Basin, a rugged and beautiful area in the Pioneer Mountains of south-central Idaho.The Copper Basin Guard Station is a 900 square foot, two bedroom log cabin that can sleep up to six adults comfortably, with room for eight people total. The cabin comes furnished with one queen bed with mattress, two full sized bunk beds with mattresses, and a queen sized sleeper couch in the living room. Other amenities include a propane cook stove, propane refrige

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Flush Toilets, Showers, Electric Hookups, Fishing

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

Copper Basin Guard Station offers access to rugged recreation in the Pioneer Mountains with fishing, hiking, and mountain biking opportunities. A camper noted clean bathrooms despite proximity to the road.

Wildlife alert: Shiras Moose, American Red Squirrel, Western Tanager

Insider tips for Copper Basin Guard Station: Book early - this is a federal campground with limited availability Only 1 site available despite amenities listed Trail Creek Road transitions from paved to unpaved - check conditions before visiting

Skip Copper Basin Guard Station if: You need RV hookups - no hookups available at this site. You prefer year-round camping - seasonal operations only May through October. You want multiple site options - only 1 site total.

Best time to visit Copper Basin Guard Station: May-October — Official operating season.

Nearby campgrounds: Joe T. Fallini Recreation Site (Challis, ID), Loristica Group Campground (MACKAY, ID), Boundary (Id) (Hailey, ID), Murdock Campground (Hailey, ID).

Cell Phone Coverage at Copper Basin Guard Station

Cell signal at Copper Basin Guard Station (Mackay, 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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Copper Basin Guard Station — photo 1
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Salmon-Challis National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Copper Basin Guard Station

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Mackay, ID, ID★ 5 (10 reviews)From $100/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Copper Basin Guard Station is located in Copper Basin, a rugged and beautiful area in the Pioneer Mountains of south-central Idaho.The Copper Basin Guard Station is a 900 square foot, two bedroom log cabin that can sleep up to six adults comfortably, with room for eight people total. The cabin comes furnished with one queen bed with mattress, two full sized bunk beds with mattresses, and a queen sized sleeper couch in the living room. Other amenities include a propane cook stove, propane refrigerator, propane furnace, propane lights, wood stove, table with benches and chairs, table settings for eight, kitchen tools and cleaning supplies.

Best for:AnglersHikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites: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
Max RV35 ft
HookupsNo hookups.
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsShowers
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
Family & Pets
Flush ToiletsFishing

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 this site✕ You prefer year-round camping - seasonal operations only May through October✕ You want multiple site options - only 1 site total

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early - this is a federal campground with limited availability

Only 1 site available despite amenities listed

Trail Creek Road transitions from paved to unpaved - check conditions before visiting

Best: May-October

Official operating season

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: Shiras Moose, American Red Squirrel, Western Tanager

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
208-588-3400· Salmon-Challis National Forest
Getting there →

From Mackay, Idaho, drive north on Highway 93 approximately 17 miles and take a left on the Trail Creek Road. Travel approximately 15 miles on the Trail Creek Road. This road starts as paved and turns to gravel at approximately 12 miles. Turn left at the Wild horse/Copper Basin turnoff, and continue on this road for approximately 2 miles and bear left on Road #135. This road continues for approximately 14 miles. The Copper Basin Guard Station is on the right at the intersection of Roads 135 and

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

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Copper Basin Guard Station cost per night?+
Copper Basin Guard Station costs $100 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Copper Basin Guard Station open?+
Copper Basin Guard Station is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Copper Basin Guard Station have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Copper Basin Guard Station?+
Copper Basin Guard Station can accommodate RVs up to 35 feet.
How do I make reservations at Copper Basin Guard Station?+
Copper Basin Guard Station 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 Copper Basin Guard Station?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Copper Basin Guard Station is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Copper Basin Guard Station open, and what are check-in times?+
Copper Basin Guard Station 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.

$100 /night★ 5 (10)
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 Copper Basin Guard Station cost per night?+
What season is Copper Basin Guard Station open?+
Does Copper Basin Guard Station have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Joe T. Fallini Recreation Site

Challis, ID

From $20/night

Loristica Group Campground

MACKAY, ID

From $30/night

Boundary (Id)

Hailey, ID

From $10/night

Murdock Campground

Hailey, ID

From $20/night

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