Spring Gulch Campground

This seasonal national forest campground is very small yet packed with amenities. The campground is located on a narrow area of flat ground between US93 and the East Fork of the Bitterroot River. This means many sites back up to the creek, and the whole campground is within earshot (and easy walking distance) of the running river. The only noise issue is US93, particularly a loud bridge over the Bitterroot just south of the campground, but traffic almost completely dies down at night.

All sites are paved and relatively level, and quite a few will accommodate large rigs. Back-in site 3 (our site) faced the river and was rated for a 65 foot rig. Site 4 across the loop is a very large pull-through that would work for any large rig. Site 9 is a large and open site with two 50 foot parking lanes. Sites are reservable on recreation.gov. Our biggest issue is that most sites have enough trees that solar generation would be a challenge, and because of the late-summer fire bans generator use was prohibited after 1 p.m. Sites 4 and 9 seem to be the most open for solar. Water is available throughout the campground and there are clean pit toilets.

The campground is obviously well-situated for fishing in the river, and we saw several of our fellow campers haul in trout. There are also a number of trails in the immediate vicinity. The trailhead for Warm Springs Ridge is about half a mile up Medicine Springs Road, directly across 93 from the campground, and there is another trailhead at the end of Medicine Springs Road. We hiked up the forest service road 5727 from the campground to the Sula Peak fire lookout at 6,191 feet of elevation, for impressive panoramic views. We also used this campground as a base to visit the Big Hole National Battlefield unit of the Nez Perce Historic Park, about 30 miles away.

The nearest town with services is Darby, about 15 miles north along 93, which has gas stations and a few grocery stores. For us this was a bit of a temporary stopover but we ended up really enjoying our huge creek-side site, with the fairly dense foliage providing great privacy. The only downside was the complete absence of internet service on AT&T, even with our MIMO antenna. We did have service at the top of Sula Peak, giving us another reward for the hard uphill hike!

All blacktop road and pads. Water available and no electricity. Close to Darby for supplies and gas within a few miles. Close to Lost Trail pass, NeMee Poo trail, Lewis and Clark trail, Continental Divide. Good fishing within camp. $6 price is with USFS Access Pass or $12 without. Quietness does come and go as it is close to Hwy 93 but for the most part it is quaint.