U.S. Forest Service · Payette National Forest · Idaho

Poverty Flat

Located along side the South Fork Salmon River, this paved campground offers 10 campsites, including 4 walk in tent sites.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-served9 sitesPets ok

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 · pets allowed in Idaho

Forested campsite with picnic table and fire pit.Poverty Flat Walk-in SitePoverty Flat campsite in a forested setting with picnic table and fire pit.Poverty Flat Campsite overlooking the South Fork Salmon River.
Photos courtesy of USFS · Recreation.gov
4fires
active
Meadow Marsh Rx (prescribed burn) · 20 mi away · 70 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups4
Walk-in4
Host/management1
No reservations, so arrive before checkout on a weekday, usually 11 a.m. to noon, and take what is open. In season, weekends fill by Thursday. The first-come playbook

Amenities & rules

PetsAllowed

Fire rings, hitching rails, toilet, drinking water, pack in/pack out. Please pack out all your trash. No hook-ups.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
ForestPayette National Forest
Fees$10 single units

Payette National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Poverty Flat20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.69 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.97 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.67 inches of precipitationApril: 2.10 inches of precipitationMay: 1.79 inches of precipitationJune: 2.13 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.91 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.71 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.33 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.05 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.72 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.97 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 24.2°F averageFebruary: 28.2°F averageMarch: 34.6°F averageApril: 42.3°F averageMay: 49.7°F averageJune: 57.7°F averageJuly: 65.8°F averageAugust: 65.5°F averageSeptember: 56.8°F averageOctober: 44.7°F averageNovember: 32.5°F averageDecember: 24.1°F average0 in1 in2 in3 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Yellowpine, 14 miles from the campground at 5,050 feet, station USC00109950 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 24 inches a year.

Getting there

From McCall, go 30 miles northeast on Forest Road 48 (Lick Creek Road), then 13 miles south on FR 674 (South Fork Road). The South Fork corridor is about 30 miles from Cascade along the Warm Lake Highway. Usually by July, Lick Creek Pass (Road #48) is snow-free, providing a faster access from McCall (35 miles) to the South Fork corridor.

Coordinates44.8247° N, 115.7024° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Meadow Marsh Rx

    20 mi from the campground · 70 acres

  • Prescribed
    Goose Rx

    25 mi from the campground · 529 acres

  • Prescribed
    Mill Creek Council Mtn Rx

    30 mi from the campground · 1,817 acres

  • Prescribed
    Cold Rx

    38 mi from the campground · 1,094 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Explore

Worth a stop

The South Fork of the Salmon River is a highly popular area of the Forest and is one of the earlier areas to be snow-free in the spring. Several campgrounds and dispersed campsites can be found along the South Fork Road (FS Rd #674). The southern-most 7 miles of the South Fork Road are on the Boise National Forest.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

Trailheads within three miles

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

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Payette National Forest.

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.

Recreation

The campground serves as take-out for those floating the South Fork of the Salmon River from Goat Creek. Serves as the trailhead for an extensive trail system. Many loop hikes are possible from here, of varying lengths and difficulties. Open to those on foot, horses, mountain bikes, and trail bikes. Fishing in the river.

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 Poverty Flat?

No. Poverty Flat 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 Poverty Flat?

$10 single units

Source: Forest Service

What time is check-in at Poverty Flat?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Source: Forest Service

Is Poverty Flat open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Poverty Flat have?

9 sites, including 4 standard sites without power and 4 walk-in sites.

Source: Forest Service

Are pets allowed at Poverty Flat?

Yes, pets are allowed at Poverty Flat. Leash rules apply.

Source: Forest Service

What is there to do at Poverty Flat?

The campground serves as take-out for those floating the South Fork of the Salmon River from Goat Creek. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What if Poverty Flat is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Four Mile (2.7 mi, first-come), Camp Creek (4.6 mi, first-come), and Penny Springs Campground (7.8 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby