4.0929 reviewsPrice
$5 - $15/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
17 campsites
Season
Open week before Mem...
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
Price
$5 - $15/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
17 campsites
Season
Open week before Mem...
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
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222 S. 7th, Suite #1 St. Maries, ID 83861
Garnet hunters and creek-walkers will get the most out of this place, especially in early September when bugs thin out, temperatures drop to the 50s and 60s, and the forest floor picks up color. Sites are private, flat, and cheap at $10/night, but haul your own water since none h
RVs over 26 feet will run out of options fast: there's one pull-through site and it goes first-come, first-served with no reservations. Midsummer campers also face serious mosquito and yellowjacket pressure. The campground is currently closed, so confirm it's reopened before maki
Reference information about Emerald Creek Campground sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
<p>Emerald Creek Campground features 18 camp units, potable water, and vault toilets. a short distance from the campground. The Garnet Area is one of our most popular recreation sites where, for a small fee, one can dig for gem quality star garnets.</p><p>Mosquitos can be prolific throughout the season, consider bringing bug repellent.</p><p> </p>
The elevation is 2,900 ft. Near the Enerald Creek Garnet Area, this is a quiet and attractive single-loop campground. It is located in a stand of mixed conifers including Douglas fir and Lodgepole pine. Most sites are well shaded, enjoy good privacy, and each has a pedestal grille. The Hobo Cedar Grove Botanical Area is a good day trip from the campground. If garnets are of interest, visiting the Garnet Digging area is a must. A permit, available for a fee, is required for washing and screening gravel - obtained on-site. Garnet-bearing gravel are taken from a stockpile to a sluice where the gravel is washed and screened. All equipment is provided; no need to bring your own. Idaho and India are the only two places in the world where Star garnets are found.
Open week before Memorial Day weekend through mid-September - weather dependent
The water spigot is a hand pump.
The parking aprons are gravel. There is an RV waste station available at Ed's R&R Service station in St. Maries on State Rt 3 north.
In Fernwood, ID, take State Rt. 3 south 4 miles to campground sign (Forest Rt. 447). Turn right at sign onto Rt. 447 and go 3.2 miles to "Y" intersection. Bear left and go 1.7 miles to campground on left. NOTE: Forest Rt. becomes gravel after 0.3 miles.
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Early fall, particularly September, delivers the best conditions. Daytime temperatures run mid-50s to low-70s °F with nights dropping to the 30s and 40s. The cooler weather means fewer bugs and quieter sites before the campground closes mid-September. Summer brings warmth but also prolific mosquitoes and yellowjackets. Bug spray is mandatory during warmer months. The fall clarity makes garnet hunting easier in the creek gravels.
Early fall (September) called best conditions: cool days, fewer bugs and quieter camps.
Potable water is not available at this site.
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