Iron Lake Campground
Eight campsites with picnic tables and fire rings are along the shores of this high alpine lake. the campground has piped drinking water and vault toilets but no garbage services are available. The trail from campground leads to more lake fishing, at the Hat Lakes to the south. Carry-down access for non motorized boats to the lakes. The drive in along Salmon River Mountain Road, offers spectacular views of craggy peaks and deep pine forests.
More like this: first-come in Idaho
Season & status
| Season | 6/15 |
| Forest | Salmon-Challis National Forest |
| Booking | no reservations |
| Fees | $4/Night for single unit |
| Rules | Not recommended for RVs and trailers. |
Weather by month
Getting there
From Salmon, go 5 miles south on US 93, then west 20 miles on Forest Road 021, and 21 miles south on FR 020 (Salmon River Mountain Road). FR 020 is a narrow, rough mountain road requiring slow and careful driving.
| Coordinates | 44.9055° N, 114.1932° W · Directions ↗ |
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 17.4 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
No site-by-site records, no amenities, no fee schedule 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
- 5 miMorgan Summit Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 13 miWilliams Lake Day Use Area ↗Day use
- 14 miWilliams Creek Summit Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 14.1 miWilliams Creek Picnic Site ↗Day use
Trails nearby
- under 0.1 miBig Hat Creek ↗14 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
- 0.1 miRidge Road to Iron Lake ↗18.5 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
- 0.2 miLower Iron Lake0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 0.8 miNorth Fork Hat Creek2.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
- 2.1 miMiddle Fork Hat Creek2.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3 miOld Indian Trail ↗5.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
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 Salmon-Challis National Forest.
- inSalmon-Challis National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 4,396,382 acres
- 5.1 miFrank Church-River of No Return Wilderness ↗Wilderness · BLM/FS · 2,358,886 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
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 Iron Lake Campground?
No. Iron Lake Campground is first-come, first-served. no reservations Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Iron Lake Campground?
$4/Night for single unit
Source: Forest Service
How many sites does Iron Lake Campground have?
8 sites.
Source: Forest Service
What if Iron Lake Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Williams Lake Campground (12.7 mi, first-come), Cougar Point Campground (14 mi, first-come), and Shoup Bridge Campground (19.8 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby