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Campsite Selection on the Middle Fork of the Salmon
At any time of year, if you launch below Indian Creek, contact the River Office at sm.fs.middlefork@usda.gov seven days prior to your launch for campsite assignments and permit issuance.
When Boundary Creek is staffed (late May - mid September)
Once Boundary Creek is staffed (usually from late May through late September), campsites are assigned using a round-robin process. Check the Middle Fork of the Salmon page on Recreation.gov where we will post updates on when Boundary Creek will NOT be staffed. If you don’t see anything about staffing at Boundary Creek, then assume that the office is OPEN.
The Round Robin usually takes place at Boundary Creek. It occurs as follows:
- The round robin begins at 4:30 the day before your launch date.
- Two people from each group are allowed to participate. The permit holder may delegate this task.
- Groups are randomly assigned an order. Group 1 will go first to request a camp for the first night and then each group chooses their campsite in order. Once all the first night’s camps are assigned, Group 2 will choose first for the second night, Group 1 moves to the last position, and groups all select their campsite in order. Once all the second night’s camps are assigned, Group 3 will choose first for the 3rd night, Group 2 moves to the last position, and so on.
- Camps are not final until your permit is issued on your launch date.
If you launch from Indian Creek when Boundary Creek is open, you may participate in the round robin from the Indian Creek office. If the round robin moves to Indian Creek and you are launching from Boundary Creek (e.g., natural event such as wildfire results in most groups launching from Indian Creek), you may participate in the round robin from the Boundary Creek office. Arrive at the alternate launch site by 4:00 to submit your camp requests to the Forest Service staff.
If you miss the round robin, you may request camp assignments upon arrival.
Forest Service personnel are the final authority in the river campsite request and assignment process. You can expect them to use the following guidelines whenever possible, and to be fair to all parties, private and commercial:
- One hot springs may be requested per group, but these are not guaranteed.
- During the lottery control season, only one night is allowed between Big Creek and the mouth of the river because of the limited number of sites in the canyon.
- Only one group is assigned to each campsite, unless both groups agree to share a site and the total size of both groups is 30 or less.
When requesting camps, be aware that some camps have been burned. If you are assigned a camp that has been burned, use caution when selecting your tent and kitchen sites.
In an effort to improve degraded campsites, assignments may be made to reduce utilization of more degraded campsites.
Layovers may be approved on a case-by-case basis, and are only allowed at some camps – usually the less popular sites (see the L's in the River Camp List – link below).
During the Lottery Control Season (May 28 - September 3), the campsite assignment process will follow strict adherence to campsite size, and layovers will be limited. Smaller groups are often required to take smaller campsites (groups of 12 or less are considered a small group for campsite allocations).
Refer to these document below to learn more about campsites on the Middle Fork:
While assigned to you, camps are NOT exclusive to your group. Be aware that other users – backpackers, stock users, etc. – may be using an assigned camp, so you will occasionally need to share your space, especially around hot springs and airstrips.
When Boundary Creek is not staffed
Check the Middle Fork of the Salmon page on Recreation.gov for updates on staffing during the early and late season.
When the launch sites are not staffed at all (very early and very late season), contact the River Office at sm.fs.middlefork@usda.gov for campsite assignments and permit issuance.
When Indian Creek is open and Boundary Creek is still closed (early May and late September through early October), if you launch above Indian Creek, campsites are first-come, first-served until you get to Indian Creek, where you will check in, get your campsites assigned for the rest of your trip, and get your permit issued.