Fairfield Ranger District

Area Status: Open

The Fairfield Ranger District, established in 1906 with consolidation of the Shake Creek and Fairfield Ranger Districts in 1972, encompasses 420,720 acres of Forest system administered lands and contains over 680 miles of streams and more than 20 high mountain lakes. There are many mountains on the District over 9,000 ft. in elevation, with four peaks--Baker Peak, Big Peak, Two Point Mountain, and Smoky Dome that are over 10,000 ft. high in elevation. The South Fork of the Boise River, Little Smoky Creek and Big Smoky Creek are the major river drainages. Fairfield offers seemingly endless opportunities for the backpacker, hiker, horseback rider, mountain biker and off-road vehicle user. There are 440 miles of inventoried trails on the District, many of which top out in mountain lakes or circque basins. Snowmobiling, downhill skiing, and snowboarding are some of the more popular winter activities on the District. There are about 50 miles of groomed snowmobile trails available north of Fairfield. Nordic skiing opportunities may be found in the backcountry through helicopter and cat ski guided trips into more remote areas. Visitors will find numerous hot springs on the District, accessible in the summer, including Worswick, Skillern, Willow Creek, Pries, and Baumgartner. Fairfield boasts (12) campgrounds. Baumgartner Campground is fully accessible to visitors using wheelchairs and includes paved camping sites. The campground also boasts a hot pool for soaking, a children's play area and a 1/4 mile interpretive trail.

Customer service representatives will be staffing our phone lines to provide information about the Forest or to assist your needs in ways besides face-to-face. You can reach the Supervisors Office at 208-423-7500, the Ketchum Ranger District at 208-622-0090, the Fairfield Ranger District at 208-764-3202, the Stanley Ranger Station at 208-774-3000, the Sawtooth National Recreation Area Headquarters at 208-727-5000 and the Minidoka Ranger District at 208-678-0430.

At a Glance

Operational Hours:

Recreation Map

Map showing recreational areas. Map Information

Activities

Mountain Biking

Areas for Mountain Biking at Fairfield Ranger District

Pioneer Campground

Campground Camping

Areas for Campground Camping at Fairfield Ranger District

Group Camping

Areas for Group Camping at Fairfield Ranger District

Dispersed Camping

Areas for Dispersed Camping at Fairfield Ranger District

Lake and Pond Fishing

Fishing is permissible on all lakes and streams within the District. Special regulations apply on the South Fork Boise River between Big Smoky Creek and Jumbo Creek; check Idaho Department of Fish & Game regulations when fishing those waters. Bull trout are protected and must be released if caught.

River and Stream Fishing

Fishing is permissible on all lakes and streams within the District. Special regulations apply on the south Fork Boise River between Big Smoky Creek and Jumbo Creek; check Idaho Department of Fish & Game regulations when fishing those waters. Bull trout are protected and must be released if caught.

Areas for River and Stream Fishing at Fairfield Ranger District

Day Hiking

Areas for Day Hiking at Fairfield Ranger District

Backpacking

Areas for Backpacking at Fairfield Ranger District

Horse Riding

Areas for Horse Riding at Fairfield Ranger District

OHV Trail Riding

Approximately 50 miles of snowmobile trail is groomed one to two times each week on the District. Approximately 55 additional miles of trail are groomed through private lands in the area when conditions (adequate snow depth) allow it. A warming hut is available in Basalt Creek on the Wells Summit section of the trail system. Plowed parking is provided at the base of Couch Summit on Nation Forest administered lands 11 miles north of Fairfield, at the Base of Wells Summit on private land 7 miles north of Fairfield, and on the Chimney Creek Road 12 miles west-northwest of Fairfield.

Areas for OHV Trail Riding at Fairfield Ranger District