Garden Creek Campground
This campground, located in an aspen grove, is along the Big Lost River and features scenic hiking and nature viewing opportunities for visitors. Travel 3.5 miles south to the border of the Challis National Forest to hike from the Deep Creek Trailhead or head about 15 miles north on ID-93 to the Whiskey Springs Wildlife Viewing Area to observe waterfowl in the Chilly Slough Wetlands Conservation Area. There are 5 first come, first served primitive campsites. This site has no potable water and limited cell service.
More like this: first-come in Idaho
Amenities & rules
| Fees | Camping Fee: Free, Stay Limit: 14 days. |
| Stay limit | 14 Days |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
Located on the Big Lost River at the border of the Challis National Forest approximately 60 miles from Arco; 13.7 miles west of Highway 93 on Trail Creek Road. From Arco, go northwest 43 miles on US 93, then west 13.7 miles on Trail Creek Road.
| Nearest town | Challis, Idaho |
| Coordinates | 43.9767° N, 114.0667° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedBartlett Creek Rx
8 mi from the campground · 2,000 acres
- PrescribedParadise Rx
45 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 ↗ | 38.1 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
No site-by-site records 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
- 12.2 miSquib Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Trails nearby
- 0.3 miLost River Garden Cr Camping 10.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
- 0.4 miLost River Garden Cr Camping 2under 0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
- 3.5 miWildhorse Lookout3.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
- 3.7 miGrant Creek Trail1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
- 4.5 miCopper Basin Road - Fr 135 ↗35.8 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
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
Sawtooth National Forest begins about 1.3 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 1.3 miSawtooth National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 2,190,139 acres
- 3 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
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 Garden Creek Campground?
No. Garden Creek Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: How first-come camping works
How much does it cost to camp at Garden Creek Campground?
Camping Fee: Free, Stay Limit: 14 days.
How long can I stay at Garden Creek Campground?
14 Days
What is the nearest town to Garden Creek Campground?
Challis, Idaho.
Source: Getting there
What if Garden Creek Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Herd Lake Campground (10 mi, first-come), Wildhorse Campground (10.6 mi, first-come), and Phi Kappa Campground (11 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby