U.S. Forest Service · Payette National Forest · Idaho

Chamberlain Basin Camping Area

This very rustic dispersed campground is located adjacent to the Chamberlain Basin aristrip and is used primarily by pilots and their families flying in for the night. During hunting season it is also used as a staging area for outfitters and guides. Campground has outhouses and fire rings but no tables.

More like this: first-come in Idaho · free in Idaho · tent only in Idaho

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
Feesno fee

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

ForestPayette National Forest
Feesno fee

Payette National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Chamberlain Basin Camping Area20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.94 inches of precipitation, 15.4 inches of snowFebruary: 1.45 inches of precipitation, 7.0 inches of snowMarch: 1.99 inches of precipitation, 1.9 inches of snowApril: 2.12 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowMay: 2.29 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 2.60 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.99 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.80 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.36 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.91 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 2.35 inches of precipitation, 4.6 inches of snowDecember: 2.08 inches of precipitation, 15.6 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 28.7°F averageFebruary: 33.7°F averageMarch: 41.6°F averageApril: 48.6°F averageMay: 57.1°F averageJune: 63.8°F averageJuly: 72.5°F averageAugust: 71.6°F averageSeptember: 62.7°F averageOctober: 48.9°F averageNovember: 36.5°F averageDecember: 28.7°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Yellowpine Bar, 12 miles from the campground at 2,480 feet, station USC00109963 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 22 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 45 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates45.3726° N, 115.2013° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Blue Horse Rrrd

    31 mi from the campground · 20 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx D4 Wilderness Corridor Hand Piles

    33 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Rx D4 West Fork Hand Piles South

    45 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Rx Doc Denny - Srrd

    47 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Explore

Video

CampgroundViews.com - American Creek Campground Chamberlain South Dakota SD

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

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, which overlaps Salmon-Challis National Forest.

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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

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

How much does it cost to camp at Chamberlain Basin Camping Area?

Nothing. Chamberlain Basin Camping Area is listed as free. no fee

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Chamberlain Basin Camping Area?

Chamberlain Basin Camping Area is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Chamberlain Basin Camping Area is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Mackay Bar Campground (14.3 mi, first-come), Mallard Creek Campground (15.2 mi, first-come), and Big Creek (17.9 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby