Sunny Gulch Campground

Sawtooth National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: STANLEY, ID, ID

Price: From $24 per night

Price range: $24–$125 per night

Rating: 4.8 out of 5 (64 reviews)

Season: May through October

Sunny Gulch Campground sits along the shores of Salmon River in the forests of central Idaho.The campground offers spectacular views of the Sawtooth Mountains. Summer wildflowers are plentiful and lodgepole pines provide partial shade. Temperatures are cool with an average summer high of 78 degrees and a low of 40 degrees.The Alpine Way Trail begins less than a mile from the campground, and the Idaho Centennial Trail passes nearby.

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

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

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

Sunny Gulch Campground sits along the Salmon River in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area with excellent fishing for rainbow trout and cutthroat trout, plus abundant hiking and biking trails. Campers praise its spacious sites, clean facilities, and serene riverside setting with good cell reception.

Wildlife alert: Red Fox, Mule Deer, Wapiti, Pacific Marten, Pronghorn, Franklin's Grouse, Clark's Nutcracker, Black-headed Steller's Jay, Brewer's Blackbird, and Wandering Garter Snake present in area.

Insider tips for Sunny Gulch Campground: Book early — federal campground fills quickly Request spots with river views like site 39 which offers river access within 100 yards Grandpa Frog is the camp host and known by campers as helpful

Skip Sunny Gulch Campground if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available, only suitable for self-contained RVs. You require year-round camping — seasonal May-October operations only.

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

Nearby campgrounds: Chinook Bay Campground (Stanley, ID), Glacier View Campground (STANLEY, ID), North Shore Picnic Area (STANLEY, ID), Outlet Campground (STANLEY, ID).

Cell Phone Coverage at Sunny Gulch Campground

Cell signal at Sunny Gulch 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›Sunny Gulch Campground
Sunny Gulch Campground — photo 1
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Sawtooth National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Sunny Gulch Campground

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STANLEY, ID, ID★ 4.8 (64 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Sunny Gulch Campground sits along the shores of Salmon River in the forests of central Idaho.The campground offers spectacular views of the Sawtooth Mountains. Summer wildflowers are plentiful and lodgepole pines provide partial shade. Temperatures are cool with an average summer high of 78 degrees and a low of 40 degrees.The Alpine Way Trail begins less than a mile from the campground, and the Idaho Centennial Trail passes nearby.

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 RV35 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites45 sites
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
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, only suitable for self-contained RVs✕ You require year-round camping — seasonal May-October operations only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

federal campground fills quickly

Request spots with river views like site 39 which offers river access within 100 yards

Grandpa Frog is the camp host and known by campers as helpful

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: Red Fox, Mule Deer, Wapiti, Pacific Marten, Pronghorn, Franklin's Grouse, Clark's Nutcracker, Black-headed Steller's Jay, Brewer's Blackbird, and Wandering Garter Snake present in area.

Location

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

From Stanley, Idaho, take Highway 75 south approximately 3 miles. Campground is on the north side of the road, between the highway and the Salmon River.

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 Sunny Gulch Campground cost per night?+
Sunny Gulch Campground costs $24–$125 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Sunny Gulch Campground open?+
Sunny Gulch Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Sunny Gulch Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Sunny Gulch Campground?+
Sunny Gulch Campground can accommodate RVs up to 35 feet.
How do I make reservations at Sunny Gulch Campground?+
Sunny Gulch 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 Sunny Gulch Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Sunny Gulch Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Sunny Gulch Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Sunny Gulch 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.

$24 /night★ 4.8 (64)
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 Sunny Gulch Campground cost per night?+
What season is Sunny Gulch Campground open?+
Does Sunny Gulch Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Chinook Bay Campground

Stanley, ID

From $20/night

Glacier View Campground

STANLEY, ID

From $26/night

North Shore Picnic Area

STANLEY, ID

From $20/night

Outlet Campground

STANLEY, ID

From $26/night

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