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A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service campground

Big Creek

Forest Service campground in Payette National Forest, Valley County, Idaho. 5,730 feet.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Payette National Forest
Elevation
5,730 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
4 4 standard non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Valley County

Overview

Located next to the Big Creek airstrip this four unit campground offers a good staging place to access the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. It is popular with pilots camping overnight in Big Creek. The campground is near the Big Creek Work Station. The four walk-in campsites are near a small stream, which flows into Big Creek.

This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.

If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app ht tps://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.

Recreation

Trailhead access to the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness to the north on FR 371. Fishing in Big Creek.

Facilities

Facilities include an accessible toilet and drinking water. Pack in/pack out. No hook-ups.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

The land around Big Creek

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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