Upper O'Brien Campground

The Upper O'Brien Campground is composed of 9 campsites including 1 double-site under lodgepole pines along the Salmon River. All sites are first-come, first-serve. Visitors can fish for steelhead and trout or soak in the fabulous Sunbeam Hot Springs which maintains a temperature of 169 degrees fahrenheit. You can adjust the temperature by moving rocks to allow river water to flow in. A boat ramp at Yankee Fork is available for floating the river, which has 14 miles of Class III and IV rapids. An interesting trip is to explore the mining history of the area by touring the Land of the Yankee Fork north of the Sunbeam Dam and resort on Forest Road 013. Sunbeam Dam was the only dam ever built on the Salmon River, which remains one of the last free-flowing rivers in the west. The dam was intended to provide power to mining operations located on the Yankee Fork, but in 1911, the mine property was sold at a Sheriff`s auction and part of the dam was destroyed with dynamite in 1934. The campground closes on August 15 to allow for streambank revegetation to occur.