Best Campgrounds near Athol, ID

This is a relatively new property as evidenced by the smallish trees and lack of other shrubbery. Sites are back in only and accommodated our 26’ travel trailer well. Site included enough space for a tow vehicle and one otter vehicle. All nicely and newly paved. There’s about 8 nice, new cabins available, too. 50 amp electric, water, and sewer at every site. Campground is adjacent to a convenience store and the Kalispel casino that quickly drained us of $300. Amenities are pretty thin. Playground, yes pool, no. Also no WiFi and cell signal is thin at best. Check in is at the C-store but there’s no signage saying that. They do communicate well via email but again, the info the information is sparse. I will give kudos to their customer service, though because our first ever trip in our new RV got scrubbed at the beginning of summer due to a failed wheel bearing. They cheerfully and quickly refunded our site payment with no questions whatsoever. Perhaps as they age, they’ll add more destination type amenities.

Outlet Campground is a fine place to spend a weekend, but if you’re familiar with Priest Lake, you’ll notice it’s not quite as spacious or scenic as some of the other campgrounds in the area. The sites are a bit close together, so there’s not a ton of privacy, and the beach is more of a small, rocky shoreline down a short hill. There are much better and larger beaches down the road at Hill’s or Luby Bay. 

I had hoped to bring a boat, but there’s no trailer parking or good spot to anchor, so I decided to skip it this time. That said, the campground does have clean bathrooms with running water and flush toilets. 

If you're looking for something quieter with better lake access, there are other spots around Priest Lake I’d probably choose first. Still, Outlet works if you’re in a pinch or just want a quick nature getaway.

We only spent one night in this campground, but it was really lovely and I will definitely return for a longer stay. We were in site 5 with our pop-up trailer. The spot was level and had plenty of shade, a fire ring, and a picnic table. I think the best site in this CG a probably #4, which is at the end of the road on a hill right next to the lake. Most of the sites has food lockers, but site 5 didn't have one.

The bathrooms at this CG were clean and the camp host was friendly and attentive. There is access to potable water on the right side of the road as you enter the camping area. The lake is very nice. The kids and the pup really enjoyed swimming and paddleboarding here. The water was warm and clear and we had temperatures in the 80s during the day and probably in the high 50s overnight. Like I said, we liked this place a lot and I wish we had been able to spend more time here.

This CG isn't far from Troy, MT, which is very convenient if you need to run out to restock on groceries or whatever. That proximity to the road was the only minor downside. We could hear more road traffic than in some places. But the great things about this spot dar outweighed the one minor drawback.