USDA Forest Service · Idaho
Big Creek
USDA Forest Service · Idaho, United States
- Sites
- 5
- Hookups
- 4 no hookups
- Season
- May 1 to October 31
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 5,741 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- BIG CREEK CG (NFSR 50376) · native material · suitable for passenger cars
- Lake
- Payette National Forest
- Nearest town
- Edwardsburg
- Phone
- N/A
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - the site map below shows each with its facts and pictures.
Site map
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one on the imagery, with the operator's own facts and pictures for each site where it publishes them. Tap a site to rate it, keep a note and add your own photos; press and hold the map for a pin of your own. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
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.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 17° | -4° | 44° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 33° | 17° | -7° | 47° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 40° | 23° | 9° | 56° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 42° | 27° | 11° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 52° | 33° | 25° | 72° | 9 of 11 |
| June | 67° | 43° | 26° | 83° | 4 of 11 |
| July | 81° | 54° | 38° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 79° | 53° | 43° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 69° | 44° | 33° | 83° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 55° | 33° | 18° | 71° | 8 of 10 |
| November | 43° | 24° | -8° | 61° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 32° | 15° | -1° | 45° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
- Lick Creek Trailhead · 1.8 mi as the crow flies
Cougar Basin 16 mi Hike · Drive there - Big Creek/Smith Creek Trailhead · 2.1 mi as the crow flies
Big Creek 33 mi Hike · Drive there - Mosquito Ridge Trailhead · 5.7 mi as the crow flies
Mosquito Ridge 29 mi Hike · Drive there
All 357 trails in Payette National Forest
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map, within 10 miles as the crow flies; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Shiefer Campground · USDA Forest Service · 13 mi
- Yellow Pine Campground · USDA Forest Service · 15 mi · 14 sites
- Golden Gate Campground · USDA Forest Service · 15 mi · 9 sites
- Johnson Creek Guard Station · USDA Forest Service · 16 mi · 1 sites
- Ice Hole Campground · USDA Forest Service · 19 mi · 10 sites
All public campgrounds in Idaho · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.