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Camping near Donnelly, Idaho centers around Lake Cascade State Park, with multiple lakeside campgrounds providing access to water recreation and mountain views. The area includes a mix of developed state park campgrounds, private RV parks, and the City of Donnelly Campground right in town. Poison Creek and West Mountain campgrounds offer full hookup options for RVs, while more primitive sites can be found at Amanita and Rainbow Point. Campers have convenient access to both the small town amenities of Donnelly and the larger recreation hub of McCall, about 15 miles north. According to reviews, the campgrounds are well-maintained with clean facilities, and many sites provide direct lake access for boating and fishing.
Most campgrounds in the Donnelly area operate seasonally from May through September or October, with some Lake Cascade State Park sites remaining open until December 31. Summer temperatures typically range from 70-90°F during the day, while nights can be cool even in summer. Cell service is generally reliable in and near town, with AT&T providing 3-bar LTE service at some campgrounds. Reservations are strongly recommended during peak summer months, especially for holiday weekends. Fire restrictions are common during late summer, and smoke from regional wildfires can occasionally affect air quality. Winter camping options are limited, with snow typically covering the ground from November through April.
Camping options near Donnelly vary considerably between in-town and lakeside locations. The City of Donnelly Campground offers convenient access to town services at affordable rates ($15/night reported in 2024), while state park campgrounds provide more natural settings with beach access. Many campgrounds accommodate both tents and RVs, with several offering pull-through sites for larger rigs. Families appreciate the swimming beaches at Rainbow Point, where "the sites are spaced far apart and very spacious." Boaters will find multiple launch points around Lake Cascade, with some campgrounds offering boat-in access. Tamarack Resort is nearby, making these campgrounds convenient bases for mountain biking and other resort activities.
"Ponderosa is in beautiful McCall, Idaho. Close to downtown and the lake. Great hiking trails. Good park for a family. The campsites are right next to one another, so not much privacy there."
"Great walking path around and down to the lake as well! Quick 10min ride into town for a nice lake side dinner."
from $15 - $40 / night
Check Availability"After driving around Lake Cascade searching for a campsite with no luck, most campgrounds were either full or just weren't our vibe, we stumbled upon Sugarloaf Campground around 5:00 p.m."
"Beautiful lake, nice campground, little beach spots nearby. The lake is very large. Boat ramp is close by. You can swim, kayak, canoe, paddle board, boat, fish. Camping spots are large."
"This small lakeside campground captured our hearts. Who could resist it, with wide open lakefront views like these? A easy launch for kayaks by day, and a sunset view from the campfire by night."
"The campsites were large and there was access to the lake. The only space left for us was the one right in the front near the entrance but it was great!"
from $20 / night
Check Availability"This campground is right in Donnelly and right on the river. We drove through there in April so there was still snow but the location for summer is great. "
"Campsite is just outside of town next to the lake. Good little spot to pull up. We stayed one night and paid $15."
"Minutes from Donnelly Idaho for “the things you forgot”. Great views coming back again for sure."
"Right on Lake Cascade so you have lake views on one side and mountain views on the other, seriously beautiful. Shows off Idaho in a good way!"
from $28 - $39 / night
Check Availability"This is a family friendly campground that is convenient to Donnelly and Cascade areas. AT&T 3bars LTE service as well as free wifi make communication and planning easy."
"The beach at the lake is lovely. Site #7 backs up to a large beach area. The campground is convenient to Donnelly and McCall, and quite close to Tamarack Resort (7 minutes), if you are riding there."
"Close to the water, very chilly at the end of the season. Glad to have toilets and water."
from $20 - $40 / night
Check Availability"Close to McCall,several pull-thrus; even indoor hot tubs! No restaurant but you’ll be close to many great ones"
"The location is nice and quiet, awa from traffic.They have a nice lodge with an indoor heated swimming pool. Each site had a picnic table but no fire pit where we stayed."
from $95 / night
Check Availability"Convenient location and quiet even though right off 55. Sites are fairly close together. Well run park."
from $39 - $54 / night
Check Availability"The camp sites were clean, quiet and very close to the water. We are planning to come back in the summer and bring friends for a nice trip of kayaking and fishing right off the beach."
"I’ve always wanted to stay in this stretch of Lake Cascade. Camp ground was fairly small with only one loop, made it very cozy. Sites had plenty of room and an ok amount of trees."
from $12 - $56 / night
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GuideNice spot along river with lots of shade. Nice sites, clean and well maintained restrooms w showers. 6kW EV charger by river in day use area - one of the few along the Hells Canyon scenic byway.
ScoutShe was talking about they discriminated against anybody with pets. What camp or what person in Idaho doesn’t have a pet. This is the most pathetic campground I’ve ever seen.
GuideGreat spot! It was easy in, set up kinda like a camp site where there are actual open spaces for campers and firepits. Extremely quiet, other campers, but far enough I didn't see our hear them.
TravelerI’d give 4.5 stars if possible. Great location to break up the trip between Boise and Lewiston.
Lots of fun stuff to do: good swimming beach with the ability to check out canoes and kayaks (life jackets available for loan was a big deal since our 7&9 year olds forgot to pack theirs), sand volleyball, big bonfire ring near the beach, benches and picnic tables along the water access, lots of access to fishing within walking distance. Big rocks along the water that our daughter really enjoyed scrambling along, and we laid across them to watch the meteor shower.
Sites are big and easy to park our 36’ camper, easy check in, cute little store with firewood for sale. Staff were courteous and helpful.
Bathroom was clean, we didn’t use the shower.
The only thing I could complain about is that our picnic table was not in the best shape, but we swapped out for our neighbor’s since the site showed as available for the only night we were going to stay.
ScoutSmall campground on the river. Flat parking and good facility. Road noise is significant.
ScoutLots of first-come-first-served campsites. We showed up on a Tuesday early and there were tons of spots available. Vault toilets were clean. Drinking water was some of the best we've had. No cell service for Verizon. Road up to the campground is gravel washboard for about 3.5 miles - slow going, but ultimately worth it.
Reservoir was decent. Very weedy, and unless you take the concrete boat ramp, it is all thick mud. Water seemed clean though, and was nice and cool.
Lots of cows around - can definitely hear them early in the morning.
Nice place to camp - would stay again.
GuideWe came up to escape the 105 temps in Boise. Shoreline was not at capacity. Quiet couple of days. Paved roads and sites. Plenty of space between sites. Friendly site hosts. Beautiful lake with a significant boat launch area
GuideThere are several back in and pull thru spots for campers. There’s also a tent only spot. Clean vault toilet. Disagree with the review stating limited river access- there are trails everywhere leading to it. Clean, fire pits. Gravel road is washboard most of the way in, but not bad and don’t need 4wd. I’m sure the camp host was sick of people speeding in as I saw plenty of idiots speeding thru, cussing loudly, ripping dirt bikes thru. That’s why the 4 stars- there were a lot of people everywhere and many were annoying. Wish it were less popular.
GuideAfter driving around Lake Cascade searching for a campsite with no luck, most campgrounds were either full or just weren't our vibe, we stumbled upon Sugarloaf Campground around 5:00 p.m. What a great surprise!
While it's a bit larger than the campgrounds we usually prefer, it quickly won us over. The campground host was incredibly friendly, the campsites were clean and well maintained, and the bathrooms were spotless(though there are no showers). It's also just a short walk down to the lake, making it easy to enjoy the shoreline whenever you like.
One of our favorite touches was the collection of adorable birdhouses lining the entrance road; they added so much charm to the campground. We also loved all the wildlife. There were plenty of beautiful birds, grazing cattle wandering near the beaches, and we even spotted deer walking through the campground. We stayed in Site 70, which worked well for a last-minute reservation. If we return and we definitely plan to, we'd probably choose one of the sites in the 40s, as they seemed a bit more private and farther from the campground entrance. Overall, Sugarloaf was a wonderful surprise and somewhere we'd happily stay again.
Camping sites near Donnelly, Idaho cluster around Lake Cascade at an elevation of 4,800 feet with summer nights typically dropping to 40-50°F even when daytime temperatures reach the 80s. Most campgrounds in this region are situated on the eastern shore of Lake Cascade with access to both water recreation and mountain hiking trails within a 15-minute drive.
Hiking to waterfalls: Last Chance Campground offers direct access to Goose Creek Falls trail. "The trail is exceptionally well designed and has boardwalks over muddy stretches. It's 2.8 miles to the Falls and another 0.2 miles to a neat bridge," notes Gretchen B., who also appreciated the "beautiful and huge Ponderosa pines" at the Last Chance Campground.
Winter recreation: Ponderosa State Park provides extensive winter activities when most other area campgrounds close. "In the winter, the park offers great snowshoe trails, and groomed trails for cross-country skiing and skate skiing," explains Hannah C., making this park a year-round destination.
Berry picking: Huckleberry picking is popular during late summer. "This is a great place to access Goose Creek Falls. A great hike for the family. It is also a good place to pick Morels in the spring and Huckleberries in the summer!" says Hannah C. about the Last Chance area.
Spacious lakeside sites: Rainbow Point Campground receives praise for its layout. "The sites are spaced far apart and very spacious. Campground host is great and the campground is clean. There are a few pull throughs which make it easy for RVs," shares Heidi C. about Rainbow Point.
Beach access for families: Sugarloaf Campground offers excellent swimming opportunities. "We tent camped here in July 2018. Sugarloaf is off by itself at the end of the lake, so it's a little more laid back there. Our group simply set out in the morning and camped out on the beach with our gear," writes Tara L. about Sugarloaf Campground.
Wildlife viewing: Several campgrounds offer wildlife viewing opportunities. "We even had 3 baby foxes visit our camp one evening. I could see it getting crowded on weekends, but I had this all to myself on a Monday and Tuesday," recounts Simran D. about their experience at Sugarloaf Campground.
Campground privacy varies: Site proximity differs significantly between campgrounds. "It's interesting a Dry CG- but there are bathrooms with flush toilets, however no sinks in the bathroom! Keep an eye on your food - the squirrels are all over!" warns Lauri P. about West Mountain Campground.
Boat launch access: Several campgrounds feature boat ramps for water recreation. "Nice boat ramps and lots of parking for boaters to leave trucks and trailers," notes Taylor W. about Amanita Campground.
Winter closures: Most campgrounds close during winter months. "We stayed for 3 nights the Wednesday before Memorial weekend and found a great walk-in spot right on the lake. Great views and during the week we had the campground to ourselves!" reports Laura R. about Amanita Campground's seasonal opening.
Bathroom considerations: Facilities vary widely across campgrounds. "The campground has lost many of the mature trees and is lacking shade. There is very little privacy between sites. Site 9 has direct beach access but be prepared for others to walk through your camp to access it," advises Jennifer D. about Amanita Campground.
Insect preparation: Mosquitoes can be problematic in early summer. "We saw quite a few mosquitos and spot 10 is right by a little inlet so I imagine mosquitoes will only get worse so bring spray lol," suggests Laura R. from her experience at Amanita.
In-town camping option: Chalet RV Park provides convenient access to town services. "This is a family friendly campground that is convenient to Donnelly and Cascade areas. AT&T 3bars LTE service as well as free wifi make communication and planning easy," shares jennifer about the in-town camping option.
Resort-style amenities: McCall RV Resort offers luxury accommodations for RVers. "The indoor pool and spa and steam room made this my favorite park so far on our journey. For any fisherman, as you leave the park go right about 2 miles to a parking area for Brown Pond. I caught my limit in 20 minutes," shares #1 National R. about McCall RV Resort.
Hookups and utilities: Poison Creek Campground provides full hookups for RVs. "Full hookups. Fireplace area was raked and cleaned. Tmobile works with winegard and my cell is att with 5 bars of 5g," reports William P. about this well-maintained campground.
Seasonal considerations: Campground experiences vary dramatically by season. "Stayed two nights here. Very nice, large campsite spots with picknick table and fire pit. Friendly camp host. Clean vault toilets. Goose Trial is right at the campsite. Nice easy trial," notes Martijn D. about Last Chance Campground's summer conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the best campgrounds in Donnelly, Idaho?
Donnelly offers excellent camping options for all preferences. City of Donnelly Campground is ideally located right in town along the river, providing easy access to both Lake Cascade and mountain adventures. For lakeside camping, Poison Creek Campground — Lake Cascade State Park is a well-maintained option with clean facilities and stunning views, just minutes from Donnelly's conveniences. For those seeking more seclusion, the campgrounds around Warm Lake, located east of Donnelly, offer beautiful forest settings with hiking opportunities. West Mountain Campground on Lake Cascade's western shore is another popular option with both lake access and mountain views.
Are reservations required for camping in Donnelly, Idaho?
Reservation requirements vary among Donnelly area campgrounds. Boise National Forest Warm Lake Campground and most Lake Cascade State Park campgrounds strongly recommend reservations, especially during summer weekends and holidays when they frequently fill up. These can be made through recreation.gov or the Idaho State Parks reservation system. Amanita, a popular lakeside option, has some first-come, first-served sites but reservations are advisable for holiday weekends. For dispersed camping options like Herrick Reservoir Access, no reservations are needed as these operate on a first-come basis with typical 14-day stay limits. Always check specific campground policies as they can change seasonally.
What amenities are available at camping areas near Donnelly, Idaho?
Camping areas near Donnelly offer various amenities to enhance your outdoor experience. Chalet RV Park provides full hookups, free WiFi, showers, laundry facilities, and trash service—perfect for RVers seeking more conveniences while staying close to Donnelly's outdoor activities. For those preferring public campgrounds, Rainbow Point features spacious, well-separated sites with lake beach access, fire rings, and picnic tables. It's conveniently located near town while maintaining a natural setting. Other campgrounds in the area typically offer basic amenities like vault toilets, drinking water (seasonally), and designated fire pits. Some Lake Cascade State Park campgrounds include boat ramps and swimming areas.
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