Best Tent Camping near Coolin, ID

The Priest Lake region surrounding Coolin, Idaho offers diverse tent camping options, with several boat-in sites on islands providing exceptional privacy for tent campers. Bartoo Island Boat-in Campground and Kalispell Island Campgrounds feature tent-only sites accessible via a short boat ride from mainland launch points. For those seeking primitive tent camping without water access, Beehive Lake Dispersed camping provides hike-in backcountry sites approximately 8 miles northeast of Coolin. Pack River Dispersed Site offers walk-in tent sites with minimal development but provides direct access to water and fishing opportunities.

Most tent campsites in the Coolin area feature natural surfaces with minimal site preparation, making lightweight tent setups ideal. Bear activity is common throughout the region, requiring proper food storage in all primitive tent camping areas. Vault toilets are available at established campgrounds like Kalispell Island, but dispersed sites typically lack facilities entirely. Campers should bring water purification systems as drinking water is not provided at most locations. Fire restrictions frequently apply during summer months, particularly at higher elevation sites. Roads to trailheads and boat launches can be rough and may require high-clearance vehicles, with some access points becoming impassable after early fall snowfall.

During weekdays, tent campers often find complete solitude at backcountry sites. One visitor to Navigation Campground noted, "While all the drive-up sites on lower Priest Lake were full, there was no one at Navigation," highlighting the benefit of walk-in tent sites. First-come, first-served availability is common, with a camper at Bartoo Island reporting, "With it being island camping, there is less traffic, fewer people, and plenty of lakefront sites." Tent sites on islands provide natural separation from neighboring campers, with most featuring fire rings and picnic tables. Hammock camping is popular at lakeside locations where mature pines provide ample hanging options. The clear alpine lakes offer excellent swimming opportunities directly from tent sites, though water temperatures remain cold even in summer.

Best Tent Sites Near Coolin, Idaho (48)

    1. Bartoo Island Boat-in Campground

    3 Reviews
    Coolin, ID
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (208) 443-2512

    $10 - $15 / night

    "First come, first serve sites are your best bet for getting a campsite on Priest Lake during peak season. I was able to snag one of the 10ish first come sites last minute for a weekend."

    "Large and private, nice beach, good wind block. Will definitely be back."

    2. Kalispell Island Boat-in Campground

    3 Reviews
    Nordman, ID
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (208) 443-2512

    $15 / night

    "Storms all around us but the views were beautiful. Nature is beautiful. Set up our hammocks, tents and brought out fishing poles."

    "Nice to have bathrooms, although you may want to bring extra to, and decent space between you and the next campsite."

    3. Kalispell Island West Shores Campground

    1 Review
    Nordman, ID
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (208) 443-2512

    "Vault toilet is close and easy to find in the dark. Beautiful sunsets!"

    4. Pack River Dispersed Site

    2 Reviews
    Naples, ID
    12 miles

    "Remember to leave not trace and pack out your trash!"

    5. Roman Nose

    3 Reviews
    Naples, ID
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (208) 267-5561

    "We stayed the night in the campground near the trailhead and did a day-hike to the 3 lakes the next morning. The actual campground has 4 designated sites and a group tent area."

    "We really enjoyed the hike to the upper lakes as well."

    6. Nordman Campground

    1 Review
    Nordman, ID
    14 miles
    Website

    "Nice swim beach along with lots of trails to explore. Offers both first come and reservable sites. It is on the North West side of Priest Lake and close to the thouroghfare."

    7. Beehive Lake Dispersed

    1 Review
    Naples, ID
    15 miles

    "This hike-in lake campground is a true alpine treasure, but be prepared to work for it! The hike to get there is pretty strenuous, with some tough climbs along the way."

    8. Skookum Creek Campground

    3 Reviews
    Usk, WA
    22 miles
    Website

    "However, each site has a nice fire ring, large picnic table, and loads of elbow room. The vault toilets are relatively new and well maintained."

    "It's a relatively small loop campground along a creek, close to the Pend Oreille River. Gravel road, ideal for tent camping."

    9. Green Bay Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED 2024

    12 Reviews
    Kaniksu National Forest, ID
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (208) 263-5111

    $15 / night

    "There is a single vault toilet, they ask that you bring a bucket and shovel for solid waste. Bring your own way to dispose of trash, and have a way to lock it up, or animals WILL get into it."

    "Lightning cutting across the lake was a real spook. We brought our kayaks into the water in the sunny part of the day, other camping spots available by boat if you can get there!"

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Tent Camping Reviews near Coolin, ID

508 Reviews of 48 Coolin Campgrounds


  • J
    Jul. 29, 2020

    Navigation Campground

    Very quiet

    Not accessible by car, and takes a couple of hours to hike to it, but well worth it for the solitude once you’re there. While all the drive-up sites on lower Priest Lake were full there was no one at Navigation! (Literally NO ONE)

    A few rocky beaches with boat access. A vault toilet, a few picnic tables and fire rings, but lots of space among the trees to set up camp.

    It took a little over two hours to hike in from Beaver Creek campground. Plowboy campground is about at the halfway point.

    No water available.

    I hiked in and had the place to myself.

  • Cathy E.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 11, 2023

    Bald Knob Campground — Mount Spokane State Park

    Quiet, Clean, and Beautiful

    What a gem! Small state park campground at about a 3000 ft elevation with only 8 sites. Dry Camping only, no dump station, but clean flushable toilets(no showers) and potable water available. Two beautiful trails are accessible from the campground and lots more are within a 10 minute drive with plenty of parking at trailheads. Local foliage is wonderful, views are fantastic from the trails. Quiet hours are enforced and observed- very quiet and relaxing. The camp host, Linda, does such a wonderful job of keeping everything neat and tidy and checking in with campers to see if they have what they need. Sites are small- only one was a pull through. I wouldn't attempt with anything longer than 23 feet. Each site has a bear box, really nice and large picnic table, firepit and tent pads that are nicely cushioned with pea gravel. Our site,#3, was centrally located without a ton of privacy, but it was still a nice site and folks were respectful and quiet. Decent cell service in the campground. I am absolutely coming back.

  • Andrea R.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 31, 2019

    Edgewater Campground

    Beautiful!

    This section of the Colville, there is so much to see and do! This campground is close to many attractions and has great fishing! The parking areas are really long and most have a great view of the lake. Bear boxes fire rings and picnic tables are all provided at most every site. There is also bear proof trash and water spigots near by the sites as well. This is right on the Pend Oreille River, and there is a nice boat launch and fishing pier. The sites are extra large and can take just about any RV size you have. The roads in are nice and paved as well. The bathrooms are maintained regularly and have toilet paper, You can reserve site here or there are FSFS sites as well but it is a small campground and there are only a few sites to be had as it is, I think they run around $21 a night, and no hookups.

  • C
    Oct. 29, 2019

    Scotchmans Peak

    Steep but rewarding!

    Talk about a hike! This is a pretty steep trek, with rewarding views at the top. Be sure to read trail reports and weather reports before heading out. North Idaho weather can be pretty finicky, especially at high elevations. Make sure to be aware of wildlife as well! Scotchman's is known for mountain goat sightings, but as they become more accustomed to people they can be a little aggressive. Keep a safe distance!

  • Andrea R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 20, 2019

    Crescent Lake Campground

    The Real Crescent lake

    ***All reviews below this and above this are for Crescent lake in the Olympic National Park (also beautiful), Not this Crescent lake in the Colville National Forest, which the map indicates.

    This Campground is in the thick of the Colville National Forest, on the East side of Washington State. There are only three campsites, best for tents or very small campers, no your 40 foot RV will not fit.....They are not reserveable, fcfs. It is a free campground, 1 mile south of the Canadian border. The road in is narrow and has a bit of down hill slope. Each site is equipped with fire rings, bear boxes and picnic tables. There is one Vault toilet. Bring your own water as there is no access. There is also one bear proof trash can. The campground is up hill from the lake in thick of pines. Just up the road from Crescent lake is the Boundary Dam Vista House. It offers beautiful views of the Boundary Dam, The Canada Border and Beyond, The Pend Oreille River, The Selkirk Mountains, and more! Also close to Metaline Falls, where the 1997 Kevin Costner Film, The Postman, was filmed.

    The lake was even clearer than the one on the west side, it is stocked with Rainbow trout, and it's super awesome to see where you are fishing. For being a roadside lake I was quite impressed. There are a very few, SMALL, pull offs on the small dirt road on the lake. At the end is a slightly larger area to turn around in, or park (please leave enough room to let others turn around) There is a rope swing, however, the lake is not deep enough at the moment to be able to swing. People do kayak and canoe. There is no room for your trailer. If it fits in or on your car, feel free to use your boat. Most importantly please, respect this area, it's beauty is unparalleled.

  • Douglas S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2019

    Noisy Creek

    Large campground on Sullivan Lake

    Noisy Creek is a large campground on Sullivan Lake's south side. It Is run by the U.S. Forest Service so provides lots of amenities. Some of these include a dock, boatlaunch, Day use facilities, trash pickup/bear bins, water, and vault toilets. The site says it has nineteen campsites, but I swear there were many more than that plus 4-5 group sites on the group side. The pricing is as follows: Single site:$20 Extra vehicle:$10 Day use:$5 The camp host had firewood for sale at$8, which is good because you are 20-30 min from the nearest small town. Be aware you are in bear country here so camp appropriately. Bear Boxes are provided in site as well as fire pits, picnic tables and tent pads. The sites are spacious and fairly separated also. With a quick walk to the lake it is a great summer spot to take the family! If I am not camping in the dispersed sites on the north side of the lake I am here. Overall a great campground you should check out!

  • J
    Jul. 29, 2020

    Plowboy Campground

    Remote, Primative

    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.

  • B
    Sep. 23, 2021

    Boundary Dam Campground

    Great for RV's, Cramped for Tents.

    This campground seems to be designed for and attract mostly RV campers with boats since there is a boat launch at this facility. There are only 6 small tent camping spots right next to the dam's bright lights. The tent sites are VERY close together so there is a lack of privacy and only 1 tent spot per site. Campsites have a fire ring and picnic table. We noticed that the campground sprinklers come on in the morning and spray the tent sites so beware of where you place your tent. There is a potable water spigot next to where the tent site parking is but the bathrooms are a little bit of a walk. We didn't see any staffing while we were there but the bathrooms, which had flushable toilets and handwashing sinks, were well maintained. There is a picnic shelter area and rocky shore area you can hang out on. Pee Wee Falls is a short paddle (1/4 mile?) around the right side bend from the boat launch area. We went Labor Day weekend and we were the only tent campers the first night (Friday) and then a single tent camper showed up the next day. The RV sites were packed full when we arrived very late Friday night. We had a great stay since we were one of the only tent campers and it's a free campground with all the basic amenities we needed to be comfortable.

  • Douglas S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2019

    Crescent Lake Campground

    My favorite lake in Washington plus free camping.

    This is for Crescent Lake in the NE corner of washington, not the one in the olympics(which is also a wonderful campground). This campground consists of 3 sites decked out with picnic tables, a fire pit, tent pad and bear boxes. There is a vault toilet close to all sites and a bear proof trash bin. There is no host, store, water, or other amenities, the perfect rustic getaway! It is run by the US Forest Service and is TOTALLY free!!! No pass or fee needed. It is just up the hill from the pristine small lake on the road to the Vista House. The vista house is a single room with windows overlooking the Pendorile river as it flows through Boundary Dam and into Canada. The Vista House hase mens and womens flush restrooms if you are camping here and need a bit of civilisation! It is 1 mile from a canadian border crossing yet gets very little traffic. The best feature of this campground is the gorgeous turquoise water in Crescent Lake. It is stocked seasonally with brown and rainbow trout. I have seen MANY turtles and frogs on the shores, as well as elk, deer, bald eagles and even a bear! The Boundary Dam is about 20 minutes away and offers free tours plus there are the Gardner Caves close to that, so there are always activities to do. This is a must see treasure of washington and I HIGHLY recommend at least visiting.


Guide to Coolin

Tent camping near Coolin, Idaho offers extensive access to alpine lake environments within the Selkirk Mountain range at elevations between 2,500-7,000 feet. Summer temperatures typically range from 45-85°F with nighttime lows frequently dropping below 50°F even in July. Campsite availability changes dramatically between weekdays and weekends, with Thursday arrivals recommended for securing the best primitive sites.

What to do

Cliff jumping at Green Bay: Access rocky ledges of varying heights overlooking crystal-clear water where "the view is AMAZING" and "the water is crystal clear, you can walk all the way out to where you cannot touch and still see the rocks on the bottom." Green Bay Campground offers shoreline camping with direct access to popular jumping spots.

Kayak island hopping: Navigate the waters between mainland and island campsites for a unique camping adventure. "The best of both worlds! Who loves kayaking and car camping? Why not both?? A group of us stocked up our kayak and we trekked out to Kalispell Island!" At Kalispell Island Boat-in Campground, remember that "when choosing a site remember sunrise and sunset as I was lucky to have a place on the south side so there was shade during the hottest parts of the day."

Alpine lake hiking: Trek to higher elevation lakes for pristine swimming and fishing. The trail to Beehive Lake Dispersed camping area "is a true alpine treasure, but be prepared to work for it! The hike to get there is pretty strenuous, with some tough climbs along the way." During summer months, "you'll find huckleberries everywhere, which is a sweet bonus after the tough hike in."

What campers like

Solitude during weekdays: Midweek arrivals significantly increase chances of securing prime campsites. At Green Bay Campground, one camper noted "we arrived on a Wednesday and had the place nearly to our selves. Make sure to arrive early in the week if you want a camp site. Spots filled quickly in the days following."

Clear night skies: Minimal light pollution provides exceptional stargazing opportunities. At Bartoo Island Boat-in Campground, "on a clear night, you'll see the bulk on the Milky Way" making astronomical viewing a highlight for campers bringing telescopes or photography equipment.

First-come availability: Many campsites operate without reservations, providing last-minute camping options. At Skookum Creek, campers report "it's a free DNR campground. A site doesn't cost a dime. However, each site has a nice fire ring, large picnic table, and loads of elbow room." Similarly, boat-in sites often remain available when mainland sites fill up.

What you should know

Limited facilities: Most primitive sites lack running water and have minimal amenities. At Skookum Creek Campground, "there were primitive bathrooms, and from my memory no running water." Plan accordingly by bringing sufficient water containers and filtration systems.

Road conditions: Access roads to many campgrounds deteriorate significantly after rainfall. Roman Nose campground access requires preparation as "the road is long and VERY washboarded, but you have lots of great options if you plan on doing some hiking in the area."

Yellow jacket activity: Insect presence intensifies during late summer months. One Green Bay camper warned "our only complaint was that there were a lot of yellow jackets- A LOT. But they weren't too aggressive. Despite being frequently swarmed by them, neither of us got stung while we were there."

Tips for camping with families

Island camping for privacy: Boat-accessible sites provide natural boundaries for families with active children. At Kalispell Island Three Pines Campground, sites are "pretty close together but easily accessible from the shore" allowing families to monitor children while maintaining separation from other groups.

Day trips to managed beaches: Utilize developed swimming areas for safer water access. "The nice swim beach along with lots of trails to explore" at Nordman Campground provides structured water access with gradual entry points suitable for children.

Dispersed shoreline options: Riverside tent sites offer easier gear transport than steep trails. At Pack River Dispersed Site, families can find "several sites available along this road" that are "on the river and very peaceful" without requiring long hikes with children and equipment.

Tips from RVers

Island group sites: Large parties with multiple tents should consider island reservations. At Bartoo Island, groups will find sites that are "large and private, nice beach, good wind block" making them ideal for family reunions or multiple family camping trips.

Boat-in alternatives: When mainland RV sites fill up, boat-in tent camping provides overflow options. RVers keeping boats at marinas can access Kalispell Island where "there was shade during the hottest parts of the day and less sun at 5am when you want to sleep" making for better sleeping conditions than sun-exposed RV sites.

High-clearance access: Many tent sites near Coolin require vehicles capable of navigating rough roads. At Pack River Dispersed Site, expect "lots of washboard/rutted sections on the road and some steep areas getting to certain campsites" requiring trucks or SUVs rather than standard RVs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Coolin, ID?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Coolin, ID is Bartoo Island Boat-in Campground with a 5-star rating from 3 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Coolin, ID?

TheDyrt.com has all 48 tent camping locations near Coolin, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.