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The headwaters of the Salmon River are in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. BLM recreation sites along this stretch start at the East Fork confluence, followed downstream by Bayhorse, Deadman Hole, Challis Bridge, Cottonwood, Kilpatrick, Gold Bug Hot Springs, Elevenmile, Eightmile, Shoup Bridge, Morgan Bar and Tower Rock. 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 campsites with picnic tables and fire rings; Seasonal Campground Hosts; Potable Water (beware of the sprinkler system if tenting); Vault toilets; Boat ramp and day use parking area; drinking water, restrooms; Plenty of hiking trails and interpretive sites to explore.
Approximately 10 miles southwest of Challis, Idaho: travel south from Challis on Highway 93 for 2 miles, turn right onto Highway 75 and drive southwest for approximately 8 miles. The site will be on your right between the highway and the Salmon River.
Camping fee: $10/night. Standard stay limits.
Bayhorse Ghost Town and the Large Bayhorse Lake. The road to the lake is terrible - be sure to drive something with lots of ground clearance.
There aren't many spaces for big trailers or motorhomes, but there are a few. The camp hosts were very nice and cordial, but didn't have much of a grasp on the campground itself. The sprinklers came on 3 times a day even during the weekend, which made any outdoor activities a challenge. Other than that, it's a nice campground.
Really cool old mining town. Can't go inside any of the buildings. Has nice campground with camp host. Also Bayhorse Lake is up.the road about 4 miles.
