Are you planning a trip to Bonners Ferry with your horse? We've got you covered. Finding a place to stay in Idaho while traveling with your horse is easy. With our help, you'll find the best Idaho equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
Priest Lake camping features 151 campsites, and 5 cabins. Priest Lake State Park lies just 30 miles from the Canadian Border, nestled deep below the crest of the Selkirk Mountains. Surrounded by the natural beauty of Northern Idaho and mile-high mountains, Priest Lake State Park sits along the eastern shores of Priest Lake, a 19-mile long, over 300 foot deep lake. Amenities include showers, flush toilets, dump stations, full service park store with gasoline. Activities include hiking mountain biking, cycling, fishing, boating, swimming, horseshoeing, water sports, volleyball, disc gold
$12 - $29 / night
Photo of the thorofare which connects Upper Priest Lake to Priest Lake and provides access to Upper Priest Lake campgrounds.Plowboy Campground is loacted on the southwest shores of Upper Priest Lake, with majestic views of the Selkirk Crest. Five campsites are furnished with fire rings, picnic tables, and bear-proof storage boxes. Plowboy is easily accessed by boat or by the Navigation Trail. Please note that this campground has a Pack It In, Pack It Out policy on all garbage.
The Bull River Guard Station was built in 1908 as the Ranger's house and office. This structure was a primary ranger station from 1908 to 1920, surviving the legendary 1910 fires that swept through the area. The cabin was home to Granville "Granny" Gordon (District Ranger), his wife and three daughters. Full vehicle access to the cabin depends on weather conditions. The road is normally plowed within 1 mile of the cabin during winter months.
The Bull River is 24.7 miles long from its headwaters to where it meets the Cabinet Gorge Reservoir. Fish species include westslope cutthroat trout, large scale sucker and mountain whitefish. Visit the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website for fishing regulations and hunting seasons and permits. Hikers might be interested in two excellent day hiking options located near the guard station: the Pilick Ridge Trail #1036 and the Berray Mountain Trail #967. Both lead to lookouts with impressive views of the Cabinet Mountains. The Berray Mountain Lookout tower, built in the 1930's, is listed on the National Historic Lookout Register. For those interested in horseback riding, there is plenty of opportunity to explore the surrounding land. Stock animals are not allowed in the cabin area, but visitors may tie up across the road or 50 yards behind the station. As always, certified weed free hay is required on all Forest Service lands.
The Bull River Guard Station is located in the Cabinet Mountain Range near the East Fork of the Bull River in the Kootenai National Forest. The Cabinet Mountains were named by early French settlers who thought the mountains had a cabinet-like appearance when viewed from the valley floor. The cabin is located minutes from from the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness area which is home to a large range of wildlife from the high rocks of the mountain goat, mountain sheep, pika and golden eagle, to the lower slopes and brushy canyon bottoms of the beaver, woodrat, and beautiful Western Tanager. Fall foliage in this area is truly stunning with a wonderful assortment of Mountain Maple scarlets, Mountain Ash reds, Alder browns, and the Larch golden yellows.
$75 / night
Ranger
I recently spent a few days at this campground, and overall, it was a pleasant experience. The highlight of the trip was definitely the beautiful lake, which provided a serene backdrop for the entire stay. The surroundings are peaceful abd there is a lovely trail around the lake and an extensive set of trails heading up into the mountain behind the lake as well as a trail to a pond with a dam which is quite peaceful.
The swimming area is nice with kind of sandy beach, but there is a bit of seaweed in the swimming area. There are also two docks perfect for fishing. I had a great time casting off from them and even caught a couple of crappies and trout which was a nice bonus. However, one downside was some road noise, which occasionally disrupted the peaceful atmosphere, especially in the evenings. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it was noticeable enough to mention. Additionally, the campground and swim area can get very busy during peak summer weekends. If you're looking for a quieter experience, it might be best to visit during the off-season or on weekdays. All in all, the campground is a solid choice for anyone looking to enjoy nature, fish, or swim in a beautiful lake. Just be prepared for a little road noise and crowds if you visit during popular times.
Scout
I’ve been camping at Priest for 30 years now and can honestly say this is the grungiest, stinkiest spot i’ve ever seen at this lake. The sites are super close together, it looks like someone hack-job attempted to do some clear cutting with zero attempt to cleanup and it literally smells as though the last camper dumped a weeks worth of black water all over our site. I’ll never book this spot again
Legend
It’s Saturday and no one is here but me. Picnic tables, metal fire rings with grills, vault toilets. Big pretty pine trees! I get one bar of Verizon service but it’s not very useful.
TravelerBeautiful & clean campground with friendly staff. Quiet area and not over crowded. Pet friendly. Lots of trail hiking and a pretty lake for kayaking, swimming, etc. My only complaint was not enough grassy areas and all campgrounds were just dirt. So keeping RV clean was difficult with myself and dogs going in and out despite having mats to wipe off feet/shoes.
TravelerThere were a lot of people there. Even on some of the rougher hiking trails there were always people around, so if your looking for seclusion, round lake might not be for you. The fishing was amazing though, and the view is beautiful. There are lots of hiking trails nearby, and there are some cool features, like beavers dams and little ponds filled with fish. The bugs weren’t bad either, there were almost no mosquitoes or spiders.
Scout
All the state (not Federal) parks at both Priest and Lake Pend Oreille (Farragut) have become prohibitively expensive for out of staters. Per the Boise newspaper a state legislator from Hayden. ID was angered that he was unable to camp the state parks in his area at the drop of a hat 'due to the large number of out of state campers'(who had the foresight to make reservations months in advance). He was able to push a punitive bill through the State legislature which effectively more than doubled out of state camp fees in these two parks. Not only is the camp site at least twice as expensive but there is now a daily vehicle fee added. A basic campsite (no utilities) can now cost upwards of $70 per night.
ScoutNice little campground by the water. Really quiet, nice space in between sites. Bathrooms are okay.
ScoutEasy to find & plenty of short noticed camping sites available.
GuideWe love round lake!!! We coMe here all the time. But, we stayed in a different part of the park than we normally do. And it felt like a completely different stay. That is why we are doing another review. This place is the best!
GuideWe had a great time. This park is not far from our home,so we have come here a handful of times. The park is clean, and well taken care of. We have a favorite spot. We hiked the Round Lake trail. It also was very well maintained.
ScoutSwung by here yesterday (late Dec) after calling to confirm hookups were still functional. There was only one hookup spot plowed, and it’s connectivity was not stable. We decided not to stay as our Tesla kept reporting electrical risk every 10 minutes. Not worth the risk to car camp when it’s 18 degrees.
Guide
No car access which makes it much quieter and less used. I was there on a hot July weekday and there were only two parties camping, both which had come by canoe. There is a Vault toilet. There are a few picnic tables, and a few fire rings down on the lakeshore, but lots of sites in addition to the developed sites scattered in the trees. No running water. A beautiful, easy trail to hike in to the campground which took about an hour from the trailhead.
GuideStayed hear for two nights in spot 15. All sites are very large, covered in shade, and plenty of flat ground for a tent if that’s your jam.
Spending the hot afternoon floating and fishing the lake was perfect. Morning walks in the trails were peaceful with coffee in hand!
Clean bathrooms, showers, and friendly staff. Can’t go wrong!
GuideEnded our tour of Northern Idaho at spot #140. Tons of flat area to put down a tent, mosquito shade (they are pretty bad), and enjoy the amazing view!
Bathrooms with vault toilets, water pump, and grey water dump all just a short walk away
ScoutWe stayed in a tent only spot - spot 17 I think. The spot was somewhat small. I’d say the largest tent it would accommodate is an 8 person cabin tent. Also the end of the site (where we put our tent) is slightly slanted. So that was frustrating. The campsite was clean and well maintained. This spot is somewhat private because there’s only a spot on one side of it. Although that other spot is close. This spot is very close to the main hiking trail, that leads around the lake and to the beach area. Probably about 15 feet away, down a slight hill. This makes it nice for recreation, but also means people are walking that trail all day. There’s a one toilet bathroom relatively close to this spot. But it’s not that clean and somewhat yucky. Round lake is beautiful with a lot of recreation. I enjoyed camping here and will be going back!
ScoutLove staying here, we stay here every summer. Enjoy the lake and it’s only 20 mins from Silverwood theme park.
GuideI’ve been to Priest countless times. Camp in the woods or on the beach. Upper or lower Priest Lake.
ScoutWe used to camp here in the 80s and it was always peaceful and beautiful. And we liked it because its got free showers and the bathrooms are very clean for camping. However,! There used to only about 34ish spots and now there are 51 spots. Its very crowded and people feel like they are right on top of each other. Your fire pit area is right next to your neighbors picnic table and/or their fire pit. They also clear cut all the bushes between spots and threw wood chips down so there is no privacy at all. I know they are worried about fires but good grief. Hence the reason it feels like you are right on top of your neighbors. The day use area is still pretty much the same as it's always been and the lake is just as beautiful but not the camping part. Thanks a lot Idaho fish and game! :( UGH!!!
ScoutSuper clean, great back-in spots for RVs, awesome walking trails around the lake.
GuideWe enjoyed our stay here in our tent. The spaces are close together but many were empty during the week. A very nice trail runs completely around the lake and nicely maintained.
ScoutIt is a gorgeous area. Our spot was about 20 feet from the water. Sandy campsite is a nice change of pace from dirt ( although I love dirt😁). The staff were incredible friendly and welcoming. I am a solo camper +🐶 and I felt very safe here. Very family friendly place. I really just wish more places would allow dogs at the beach or even have a nice sectioned off part for the doggies. Very heartbreaking to be so close to that beautiful water and not be able to enjoy it because I couldn't bring my bestie. 😕 Otherwise, I love it and will return!!
GuideLionhead is by far my favorite campground of hundreds I’ve been to. it’s designed more for tent camping of very small rv’s such as truck campers or tent trailers. There are numerous trails to explore and the beach is beautiful white sand with crystal clear water. Indian Creek is also nice and has a store with everything you could need and ice cream by the scoop. Indian Creek also has full and partial hookup sites - free hot showers- and boat slips to rent.
ScoutThis is one of our favorite camp grounds. It’s a wonderful camp ground. The spaces are well kept and clean. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. All of the bathrooms and showers are cleaned daily. The camp visitor center has a cool place for kids to learn about the wildlife in the area with foot prints in sand, bird calls, samples of the different types of trees and more. They also have boards to rent and games as well.
Traveler
This old Guard Station is in the perfect location. Easy to drive to and close to miles and miles of trails in the Kootenai National Forest. Plenty of beds for a full family - four upstairs and one downstairs. History galore in the building and surrounding areas. Some complaints of mice - but that’s to be expected from a building from 1908.
ScoutCampground was clean and spread out. There was a day use peach nearby so was a little loud with volleyball players and day use people. The Lake is gorgeous! Paddle Boarding, boating, kayaking...all a great time!
ScoutI worked at Priest Lake State Park as a residential biologist for the summer of 2016. It was an amazing experience! I had access to parts of the park not allowed to campers. The staff are all very friendly and nice to work with. The hand- scooped homemade ice cream is worth it alone! Kayaking up the thoroughfare to the upper lake is a great workout with some amazing and beautiful scenery and animals along the way. You will see lots of moose, and sometimes black bears. If you take the short hike to Moose lake, there is excellent rainbow trout fishing, and gorgeous scenery as well. Hunt lake trail is a beautiful trail to hike, but not for beginners. Priest Lake itself is a little chilly when first getting in to swim, but is very refreshing in the mountain heat. There are many good places to pick huckleberries all over the area! The campgrounds at the Indian Creek unit, which is where the headquarters and store are located, are very clean. There are plenty of RV and tent camping sites and 5 cabins available to rent. All cabins sleep different numbers of people, ranging from 5 to 9, the moose cabin being the largest and nicest. The cabins have no bathrooms or kitchens but boast fire rings and are right across from communal park bathrooms and showers. The lion head unit on the upper lake is about 12 miles up the road from Indian Creek turning into gravel about 8 miles up right before moose lake. It has a few smaller camper sites and many tent sites available. There is a maintenance shed along with a small ranger booth which also serves as a small store with ice and other foods and small supplies. There are first aid kits and radios available at all campground ranger booths. Priest lake has amazing fishing for rainbow trout, Mackinaw (lake trout), smallmouth bass, and Pike minnow (as the main species). The nearest town, Coolin, UD, is about 12 miles down the road. It is a small town with a store, a diner and a bar/ restaurant. The diner and restaurant have decent staple foods for what they have to offer. The store is fairly small but generally has most of the foods and supplies needed for restocking your camping food or obtaining the odds and ends you may have forgotten or overlooked at home. All around it is a beautiful place to visit with friendly staff and locals and I would highly recommend it to anyone seeking an unforgettable family camping experience.
ScoutThere are 3 campgrounds. One is a group camp that sells out quick. Reservations are 9 months in advance and it is a phone call of luck that will get you this prime area. The group camp has its own private dock and beach. The cabin has multiple bunk beds and a kitchen with fridge and range/oven. Also a microwave. 2 showers and 2 restrooms. There are RV slots available here. We love the privacy and ability to not worry about any unlocked vehicles or items left in the beach The other two sites are Lionhead and Indian Creek. Indian Creek as a store and laundry facilities. They also have a few cabins to rent. Showers and rv slots available. Lionhead is further up the road (just north of the group camp) and is a little smaller.
Horse camping in Idaho offers a unique opportunity to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride through stunning landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Bonners Ferry, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Bonners Ferry, ID is Lionhead Campground — Priest Lake State Park with a 4.2-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Bonners Ferry, ID?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Bonners Ferry, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
