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.
What to do
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.
What campers like
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.
What you should know
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.
Tips for camping with families
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.
Tips from RVers
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.
