Murdock 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 · dark sky in Idaho
Amenities & rules
| Dark sky | 8.1 miles from Sun Valley Resort, a certified International Dark Sky Park |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Open |
| Season | May to September |
| Forest | Sawtooth National Forest |
| Fees | Sawtooth NRA Camping Fees and Information |
| Rules | Please keep pets 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. Campers must occupy the site the first night and cannot go more than 24 hours thereafter without occupying the site. |
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 43.8036° N, 114.4194° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedBartlett Creek Rx
13 mi from the campground · 2,000 acres
- PrescribedParadise Rx
24 mi from the campground
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 0.3 miMurdock Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 1.6 miOregon Gulch Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 5.1 mi
Trails nearby
- 0.1 miMurdock Loop Ski0.8 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
- 1 miNorth Fork Loop Ski1.7 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
- 1.1 miNorth Fork Cutoff Ski0.08 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
- 1.2 miHarriman Trail ↗18.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.2 miHarriman Trail Ski ↗18.4 mi trail · snowshoe, ski
- 1.3 miMurdock Creek3.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
Trailheads within three miles
- 0.3 miMurdock Trailhead ↗Sawtooth National Forest
- 1.6 miOregon Gulch Trailhead ↗Sawtooth National Forest
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
- 1.7 miHemingway-Boulders Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 67,993 acres
- 10.5 miJim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness ↗Wilderness · BLM/FS · 116,843 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
On the National Register nearby
- Proctor Mountain Ski LiftObject · Sun Valley · 7.9 mi
- Greenhow and Rumsey Store BuildingBuilding · Ketchum · 9 mi
- Bald Mountain Hot SpringsBuilding · Ketchum · 9.1 mi
Guidebooks for Idaho
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Murdock Campground?
No. Murdock 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 Murdock Campground?
Sawtooth NRA Camping Fees and Information
Source: Forest Service
Is Murdock Campground open right now?
Open as of Oct 16, 2026. Season May to September.
Source: Forest Service status
Is Murdock Campground good for stargazing?
Sun Valley Resort, a certified International Dark Sky Park, is 8.1 miles away. Skies that dark carry for miles; a moonless night here should show the Milky Way.
Source: DarkSky International
What if Murdock Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are North Fork (1.1 mi, partly first-come), Caribou Campground (1.2 mi, first-come), and Wood River Group Overnight Area (Tent Only) (2.1 mi, partly first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby