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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

Poverty Flat

Forest Service campground in Payette National Forest, Valley County, Idaho. 4,228 feet. 19.9 miles from Donnelly.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Payette National Forest
Elevation
4,228 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
8 4 standard non-electric, 4 walk to
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Valley County

Overview

Located along side the South Fork Salmon River, this paved campground offers 10 campsites, including 4 walk in tent sites.

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 https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.

Recreation

The campground serves as take-out for those floating the South Fork of the Salmon River from Goat Creek. Serves as the trailhead for an extensive trail system. Many loop hikes are possible from here, of varying lengths and difficulties. Open to those on foot, horses, mountain bikes, and trail bikes. Fishing in the river.

Facilities

Fire rings, hitching rails, toilet, drinking water, pack in/pack out. Please pack out all your trash. No hook-ups.

Nearby Attractions

The South Fork of the Salmon River is a highly popular area of the Forest and is one of the earlier areas to be snow-free in the spring. Several campgrounds and dispersed campsites can be found along the South Fork Road (FS Rd #674). The southern-most 7 miles of the South Fork Road are on the Boise National Forest.

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

The land around Poverty Flat

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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