CuteCamper
Salmon River
The headwaters of the Salmon River are in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Multiple BLM recreation sites provide the public river access starting at the East Fork confluence, followed downstream by Deadman Hole, Bayhorse, Challis Bridge and Cottonwood.
RecAreaDirections
The BLM-managed section of the upper Salmon River starts along Idaho State Highway 75 and the confluence of Thompson Creek and flows through public and private land over 50 miles to McKim Creek where it enters the BLM Salmon Field Office area.
Open with Google MapMisc
| Stay Limit | |
| Reservable | false |
| Keywords | |
| Map Link | |
| Contact Phone | |
| Contact Email |
Permits info
Facilities
Bayhorse Recreation Site Facility
Bayhorse Campground is at 5400-foot elevation and is ten miles south of Challis on Highway 75. Named for a historic mining district, Bayhorse Campground has 11 campsites along the Salmon River offering plentiful fishing. Anglers come for the resident cutthroat and rainbow trout, steelhead and whitefish. Visitors can take the road west to Bayhorse Lake, which is near a number of historic mines. The entire area is rich in mining history, and this is a comfortable base camp for exploring the Land of the Yankee Fork. Amenities Include:
11 first come, first served campsites with picnic tables and fire rings, seasonal campground hosts, potable water, vault toilets, boat ramp and day use parking area, and plenty of hiking trails and interpretive sites to explore. There is limited cell service at this site. Electric and water hook-ups are not available.
Cottonwood Recreation Site Facility
The BLM Cottonwood Recreation Site sits among groves of cottonwoods along the scenic Upper Salmon River and provides a beautiful setting for fishing and camping. It also has a boat ramp, allows RVs and has a dumping station, provides accessible campsites and includes a day use area with barbecues, tent sites and group camp sites. There are 15 non-reservable camp sites in total. This site typically has cell service.
