White Sands Campground
2,100 foot elevation. 4 tent sites, 85 sites for tents or RVs, 2 group sites, and a playground on the Lochsa River. One campground loop is reserved for campers with horses and other stock. It has hitching rails, stock water, stock loading ramp and feeders. There is one trail outfitter at the campground. The campground is often visited by moose and other wildlife. The Lochsa River is popular in the spring for whitewater sports. There are a number of river accesses near the campground along US 12. Fishing for chinook salmon, steelhead, cutthroat and bull trout and mountain whitefish. Catch and release rules apply to some of these species; please check current regulations.
More like this: first-come in Idaho
Site map
9 campsite locations mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The site numbers are theirs and may not match the posts at the campground. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Season & status
| Status | Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date. |
| Season | Open year round, access may be limited due to snow |
| Forest | Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests |
| Fees | $14.00 - single unit, $2.00 per extra vehicle, Senior Passes Accepted. |
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 46.5077° N, 114.6863° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- WildfireMoose Mountain
31 mi from the campground · 5,832 acres · 90% contained
- PrescribedRx Rescue Jensen Nfrd
44 mi from the campground · 44 acres
- PrescribedRx Barnyard Units Nfrd
48 mi from the campground · 41 acres
- PrescribedD4 Rx Simmons Peak
48 mi from the campground
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| RV sales & service | Hamilton RV Sales Of Montana ↗ | 30 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Cabela's ↗ | 38.2 mi |
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 39.7 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
- 2.2 mi
- 8.6 miColt Creek Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Trails nearby
- 0.6 miBeaver Ridge ↗30 mi trail
- 0.8 miJay Point Crossover2.5 mi trail
- 0.8 miColt Killed ↗22.1 mi trail
- 1.4 miCliff Ridge ↗7.2 mi trail
- 1.6 miParachute Hill - Granite Pass ↗31.3 mi trail
- 1.7 miPowell Campground0.1 mi trail
Trailheads within three miles
- 2.2 miDevoto Grove Picnic Area & Trailhead ↗Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests
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 Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest.
- inNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 4,072,795 acres
- 0.3 miSelway-Bitterroot Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 1,347,644 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 White Sands Campground?
No. White Sands 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 White Sands Campground?
$14.00 - single unit, $2.00 per extra vehicle, Senior Passes Accepted.
Source: Forest Service
Is White Sands Campground open right now?
Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season Open year round, access may be limited due to snow.
Source: Forest Service status
What if White Sands Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Powell Campground (1.5 mi, partly first-come), Whitehouse Campground (4 mi, first-come), and Elk Summit Campground (12.5 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby