Lower O'Brien Campground
Sites are first-come, first-served. Recreation.gov lists this campground for paying on site, and you may be able to pay with the Scan and Pay feature of its app.
More like this: first-come in Idaho
Season & status
| Status | Open |
| Season | June to September |
| Forest | Sawtooth National Forest |
| Fees | Sawtooth NRA Camping Fees and Information |
| Rules | Pets must be on a leash. All occupancy (includes developed/dispersed camping, boats, boat trailers, travel trailers, tents, etc): Occupancy limit is 10 days in a 30 day period within a 30 mile radius for all of SNRA. You must occupy the campsite the first night and campsites cannot be left unattended for more than 24 hours. |
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 44.2565° N, 114.6933° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedBartlett Creek Rx
35 mi from the campground · 2,000 acres
- PrescribedRx Lowman Wui
39 mi from the campground
- PrescribedParadise Rx
39 mi from the campground
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 31.5 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
No site-by-site records, no amenities, no fee schedule, no directions or photos in the Recreation.gov record. What is here comes from the agency's own listing. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the record fills in.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 3.4 miSnyder Springs Picnic Area ↗Day use
- 8.2 miWest Fork Transfer Camp Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 8.8 mi
- 13.8 miSandy Beach Boat Ramp - Day Use Location ↗Boat launch
- 14.1 miOrval Hansen Point Beach ↗Swimming
Trails nearby
- 0.4 miLower Muley Creek0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
- 0.6 miLower Muley Creek4.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
- 0.9 miWarm Springs Creek ↗20.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 3 miPeach Muley Cutoff3.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 3.2 miGardner Creek ↗6.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 3.6 miSilver Creek2.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
This campground sits inside Sawtooth National Forest.
- inSawtooth National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 2,190,139 acres
- 2.1 miCecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness ↗Wilderness · BLM/FS · 90,776 acres
- 4.1 miSalmon-Challis National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 4,396,382 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Yankee Fork Gold DredgeStructure · Stanley · 8.5 mi
- Stanley Ranger StationBuilding · Stanley · 11.9 mi
- Niece Brothers' StoreBuilding · Stanley · 12.5 mi
Guidebooks for Idaho
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Lower O'Brien Campground?
No. Lower O'Brien Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Lower O'Brien Campground?
Sawtooth NRA Camping Fees and Information
Source: Forest Service
Is Lower O'Brien Campground open right now?
Open as of Oct 16, 2026. Season June to September.
Source: Forest Service status
What if Lower O'Brien Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Upper O'Brien Campground (0.2 mi, first-come), Elk Creek Campground - Hwy 21 (1.6 mi, partly first-come), and Blind Creek Campground (2.6 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby