Bumblebee Campground

Planned to take a nights rest here on my way to Oregon, and was unpleasantly surprised that it was closed. The visit was in early November. Makes sense it was closed. Was able to camp on the road nearby as it was all forest service land. Lots of large pull outs alongside the river.

So we were super excited to visit this campground, nothing on the government website or any of the signs until you get there indicated that the campground was completely closed. We ended up staying along the river just a bit down the road. It was still US forest service land and we were able to find a comfortable site. There was no water but the beauty of the area and the little river running behind it made up for everything.

This is a spacious, green campground surrounded by trees and greenery.  Great for bike rides, fire pit cooking and hiking.  There is a lot of space between campsites and it feels like you have the whole place to yourself.  Great for kids, families and photography.  This is a popular spot for tubing, swimming and playing in the river.  The camp hosts are super friendly and say there is a resident moose to look out for!

We tried to stay here on a Saturday in July- and it was way too crowded. People were parked everywhere (in all the designated spots and everywhere in between) and there were multiple groups playing music. Might be a place you could stop mid-week (though I would guess it stays fairly busy all summer) or during the off-season, but if avoid it during the summer if you’re looking for any privacy or quiet.

This is a official dispersed camping campground- though that seems an oxymoron to me. It is down a dirt track off Hwy 209, near the official Bumblebee campground. 

A short ways down the track you encounter the information board. There find a map of the campground and regulations. This is a no-fee campground with maximum stay of 14 days. Near the board is a porta-potty. Probably seasonal. Gravel tracks lead to the 7 designated sites. The 7 designated sites are well dispersed. We did not survey the camp ground but did see that most had RV or large tents. 

Vehicles and ORVs are restricted to these gravel tracks only and not allowed to drive off them. This rule is stated on the information board, but careful reading is needed.  My impression is that this meadow got heavy dispersed camping use in the past and the USFS redeveloped it and restricted where people can camp.

Near the information board there are three unofficial sites where the meadow has been cut down and a fire pit built. You cannot drive into these sites or park a trailer in them but you can pitch a tent and camp there. Cars can be parked by the information board, about 100 yards away. It is not obvious that you can’t park in these sites but I’m sure this is the case. The ranger came through several times in the evening. She told a group in one of the other sites they could be fined several hundred dollars for parking in the meadow. She waved at us, camping with out car, and then told someone who had parked a camping trailer to pack up and move on. So, they are serious about cars on designated roads only. 

We camped there on a Friday in late July, arriving about 5pm and were fortunate to find one empty meadow site. Through the evening we saw many vehicles drive through looking for sites. This was the time of COVID when camping vacations were very popular. However, I think that camping in this valley is very popular and most sites occupied during the summer, especially weekends. 

For myself, I would not come here as a destination. The meadow sites had little privacy (neighbors shared their music with us). The designated sites are more private but do not look particularly beautiful. The road is near by and gets a medium amount of traffic.

My impression is that people come here to float the Coeur d'Alene River.

Private sites in the woods of Idaho. Fish in the creek next to most sites.

This is the main launch for floating down the river and going to the most popular unpaved campground. ( If some is paved, continue on into the woods, there are endless possibilities along the river .)

I have camped here probably less than 5 times in my 25 years here. The last time was Aug 2012. I just came back from Mexico and had a bad case of Montezuma’s Revenge. Let’s just say it was my best friends’s 1/2 drunken birthday celebrations. At the time, not many camping sites were taken because it was a week day. Now picture two witches celebrating in the moon light next to the biggest fire, streaking, dancing, and to top it all of, fecal matter all along the perimeter of our site.

We camped at Bumblebee in July so we could have easy access to the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River. The campground is managed by the US Forest Service with a camp host and has 23 campsites and a large group campsite that would accommodate up to 100 people. The amenities include paved/chip sealed roads and campsite parking, vault toilets and potable water spigots. The campsites are wooded and a stream runs past the campground. There were blue Forget-Me-Nots growing all along the stream. The campground provides nearby river access for fishing and floating.