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TUCQUALA's avatar
TUCQUALA
Explorer
Jan 09, 2019

Sawtooth NF - Chemeketan CG ???'s

Starting to plan our late spring/early summer trip for this year. Spent a week in the Sawtooth's last June along Baker Creek north of Ketchum. Was planning a stop or visit to the area along the Salmon River where Chemeketan NF Campground is located. Time restraints kicked that idea in the **s!!! So now this year we are again thinking of staying in that area as possible and maybe also around Baker Creek area again before heading up into Montana and on to Glacier NP.

Looking for any local advice or info regarding open dispersed along the Salmon as can be seen on Google Earth, and any info on the CG itself. Looks like if someone has reserved the CG, they have reserved the entire place!! Can anyone else use any open sites, or can they stay in their site if they arrive before the reserved window?? Nat Forest site doesn't have very much info other than you can use if not reserved!! Duh!!!

Any other areas that can be reasonably accessed with a 34ft trailer and SUV that would be "perfect" spots for a week or so!! Come on, I won't tell anyone else!!!
Boondocking
Dry Camping
Public Lands
  • TUCQUALA's avatar
    TUCQUALA
    Explorer
    Jan 10, 2019
    Yes, great area, and one we have visited as stated. Have found many good looking dispersed sites in many areas, so many it's hard to choose where exactly to go first!!! My questions on Chemeketan are somewhat specific, due to the "group" status if reserved, vs the NF site stating that if not reserved you can camp there!! Just wondering if someone or group shows up while I'm camping there and has it reserved, how will that work??!! The campground has back-ins, some minor pull-throughs, and a large open central area within the loop. Maybe at one time they didn't consider it a "group" CG??

    Google shows 3 or 4 nice looking sites along the Salmon outside of the actual campground. Looking for info if anyone has been in any of those. Can't tell everything form a picture that may cause rig trouble!!

    Baker Creek, June 2018:



  • profdant139's avatar
    profdant139
    Explorer II
    Jan 10, 2019
    There is so much boondocking available in that area -- it is just amazing. Here is what we did -- after a lot of Google Earthing along the various forest roads, we chose several different possibilities and dropped pins on those sites on our GPS app. For our first night in the area, we stayed at an RV park.

    The next day, without the trailer, we scouted several of our "maybes," chose a site, and then went back to the RV park for the trailer.

    We did this in both 2016 and 2017, for a couple of weeks each time. Heaven on Earth, in my opinion.

    And rather than say "try this road" or "try that one," my advice would be choose a specific area that you want to stay in, and then check your Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map for suitable roads. Then take that info to Google Earth, and you can easily see the pullouts that others have used for boondocking.

    It's a lot of work to do it this way, rather than staying in a campground. But the peace and quiet are priceless.

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