Looking for the best Donnelly tent camping? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Donnelly, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Donnelly, Idaho's most popular destinations.
Located along Brundage Reservoir are several dispersed campsites suitable for tent or small RV camping. Fishing is great at the reservoir so bring your fishing pole. Small motor boats are allowed on the reservoir. No tables available, but there are several fire rings and a restroom. CAmpsites are not reservable - no fees are charged for using these dispersed camp sites. Expect cold nights and warm days.
This is a small, quiet two-unit dispersed camping area located in the Paddy Flat area. Adjacent to Rapid Creek. Tables, fire rings and toilet available on site.
The Paddy Flat and Jughandle Mountain area is located southeast of McCall on the McCall Ranger District. Paddy Flat is accessed from Paddy Flat road a few miles north of Donnelly, Idaho. Jughandle Mountain can be accessed via trail from the Paddy Flat area, the Boulder Lake Area, and from the Lake Fork Creek Trailhead. Recreation sites within the area: Kennelly Creek Campground Paddy Flat Camping Area Rapid Creek Camping Area Paddy Flat Guard Station Cabin Rental East Fork Kennelly Creek Trail #099 North Fork Kennelly Creek Trail #102 Paddy Flat/Lake Fork Trail #103 Boulder Lake Trail #105
Picnic Point Campground is located on a bluff overlooking beautiful Warm Lake, at an elevation of 5,300 feet. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing, swimming, hiking and viewing local wildlife.
Warm Lake offers great fishing opportunities for cutthroat, rainbow, lake and bull trout. Boating, canoeing and swimming are popular activities. A boat ramp is located at neighboring Shoreline Campground. Billy Rice Swim Beach is within walking distance, offering a day-use site for picnicking and access to a swimming beach. The surrounding area offers great hiking, mountain biking, horseback and off-road vehicle riding and hunting. The WeWuKiye (Wa Wu Kia) Trail No. 252 was recently built and can be accessed nearby, at the entrance to Shoreline Campground. It is available for hiking and mountain biking. For off-road vehicle enthusiasts, Telephone Ridge Trail No. 112 offers 20 miles of trails for all riding levels, with staging areas at Shoreline Campground and at Warm Lake Campground down the road.
The campground is situated beneath towering ponderosa pines, which provide partial shade. Summer wildflowers are abundant in the area. A variety of wildlife including bears, deer, elk, fox, grouse, eagles, osprey, grosbeaks, whooping cranes and otters, lives around the lake.
Rustic North Shore Lodge is not far from the campground, offering a small restaurant, lounge and store with limited supplies.
$15 / night
The Lick Creek area is just east of McCall and is accessed from Lick Creek Road. This is a beautiful area that many think of as the Alps of Idaho. There are many recreation opportunities in this area such as camping, a guard station cabin rental and many trailheads that lead to alpine lakes. A drive to the top of Lick Creek Summit from McCall only takes about 40 minutes. This is a highly recommended area! Camping & Cabin Rental Lake Fork Guard Station Cabin Rental Lake Fork Campground Black Lee Dispersed Camp Site 33 Mile Dispersed Camp Site Scenery Scenic Drive: Lick Creek Road to the South Fork of the Salmon River. Hiking Hum Lake/North Fork Lick Creek Trail #082 Loon Creek Tail #084 Duck/Hum Lake Trail #085 to #082 Fitsum Creek Trail #087 Lake Fork Creek to Paddy Flat Trail #103 East Fork of Lake Fork Creek Trail (Snowslide) #104 Fall Creek Loop Trail #107 Fall Creek Saddle Trail #108 Crestline Trail #109 Box Lake Trail #110 Maki Lake Trail #135 Lake Fork First Bridge Trail #339 Rock Climbing Slick Rock
This is a rustic dispersed campground with 7 sites located next to Granite Lake. Several trails leave from this camping area. Sites have tables and fire rings and there is one restroom. The road to the site is not suitable for large RVs. Four-wheel drive is recommended to access Granite Lake. Most suited for tent camping. Camping sites are not reservable and no fees are charged for use of these dispersed camp sites. Expect warm days and cool nights.
Overview: Penny Spring Campground is a treat for campers who enjoy the great outdoors in a remote area. Near enough to enjoy the Warm Lake area, but also a quiet spot out of the summer crouds, Penny Springs offers plenty of relaxing under the pine forest canopy. In the late summer months, visitors enjoy picking huckleberries and viewing trails covered in wildflowers. Recreation: Catch a fish in the nearby stream, view the wildlife and enjoy a picnic with friends. Don"t forget your Motor Vehicle Use Map of the Cascade Ranger District. It is your guide to open roads and trails designated for hiking, biking, horseriding and ATV riding in the area.
Traveler
Nice flat spot with a stone fire ring. Hazard creek nearby isn't too loud and sounds great. Not much firewood is around as its all been picked already.
ScoutJust off the asphalt on a gravel road. Very dusty and noisy on the weekends. Can be busy because a lot people park in there to float the river.
Traveler
We arrived on a Thursday afternoon in October. There were many spots available along the road leading up to this site. But they were close to the road and we wanted to be off the road. We ended up at the last spot on the road right before the interpretive trail at the end. This spot was tucked into the trees. And once we got our camper backed in, we didn’t even know the road was there. And the VIEW! Wow!! Looking across the lake with the most beautiful sunsets. We stayed for 3 nights. We set up Starlink so we could work on Friday and had no issues with the connection.
ScoutI recently faced the big challenge of choosing the right signs for my office interior and found Bsign. Their selection of door signs was quite impressive, especially the modern and minimalist designs. For example, in the"Modern" category they offer a combination of stainless steel and acrylic glass with the option to add text in ADA format, which is not only stylish but also functional. Also worth mentioning is the"Wave" series with a combination of steel and wood, which adds coziness to any atmosphere. They have easy to install signs, which saved me a lot of time.
Scout
We had the place to ourselves. Great small campground if you want to get away from everything.
Guide
Site 10 is right on the river.
Traveler
Camping is free, limit of 10 days. Not really any designated sites and surrounded by private land with aggressive signage. Not all roads around the reservoir are public, so be prepared to turn around and back up at dead ends. We came to an orange gate that said "private property", and stopped. While trying to turn around, we noticed a white truck sitting behind us. When we turned around and passed him, he motioned to roll down the window, and then berated us and called us idiots, even though we had not even entered the private land, nor did we want to. We felt threatened. In the end we chose a site on the upper road of the reservoir. The view was nice but not close to the pit toilet. No fire ring. No table. A no frills place. Like many lakes in Idaho, the reservoir is mostly dry. Not a huge deal but not the prettiest to look at. There is only one single pit toilet for the whole reservoir and someone was set up right next to it like it was their own. People ride off-road vehicles here. In an area with slim pickings for free camping, I guess you have to take what you can get.
Scout
The campground had just about everything we hoped for: it was quiet, clean, scenic, on a river, green, had showers, and a fantastic host. The dock right in front of our campsite was a bonus and the river was calm enough to swim in. Limited-range WiFi is available at the light pole at the camp entrance. Great stargazing at night, and we were serenaded by a couple of owls! Perfect location to visit the Hells Canyon Dam or start you rafting trip.
TravelerThis is a little pullout off route 95. Has about 10-15 feet of separation from main road, which gives privacy and protection from cars. The surface is a gravel and can fit a fairly decent amount of vehicles. The sign says you can camp up to 10 days consecutive, we only stayed for the night and continued on. This is also right on little salmon river.
Guide
Owners were very helpful about the activities in the area.
Traveler
Great spot to escape 55 traffic jams! It has great fishing, and river beach access. Has a bathroom. Picnic tables. Only draw back would be road noise but if that doesn't bother you then 5 stars for a dispersed site!
ScoutWe were excited about this find, the location was perfect for riding sxs right outside of round valley.
We unfortunately, could not fit our rig in the gate. It was tight and could not make the turn with a long box truck and 30ft camper.
I did not like that the spots were so close together and not very private.
Greg was very nice though and willing to give us a refund. Still haven’t seen the refund come through yet.
Scout
Campsite is just outside of town next to the lake. Good little spot to pull up. We stayed one night and paid $15. Lots of campsites were full on the other side, this was good being so close to the tamarack resort.
Scout
they have absolutely destroyed what we use to love..they put sand in every camping spot with railroad ties and huge spikes make sure you like sand in your shoes and in your tents and campers.. the placement of the fire pitts make it where you cant sit around the fire ..carry a flashlight at all times so you dont trip over the ties that they have placed …they took family sites big enough for 10 people and made them so close you can actually hear the next site breathing in their sleep..the camp host by the Name of Tod Had a nasty additude towards my wife when we had first woke up at 8:00 am hounding us about money..sorry we got there at 3:00 in the morning we were going to stay for 14 days and left in 3 they made nature into a aparment style camp ground i guess thats what happends when greed takes over..we have never had problems before ..camp hosts were great and now they need blue and red lights on top of their wheelers..now you look out your front window used to see the lake and mountains now you see the top of some ones tents…way to go IFAG..
Scout
I called (no one answered @4:45pm)... then we drove because it was on our way... and there was no one. The restaurant was closed... it is 6:15pm.. maybe they aren't open past 6?
Scout
We’ve been here twice now. First 2021 and again June 2024. Campground is well kept. Showers and facilities clean. Minutes from Donnelly Idaho for “the things you forgot”. Great views coming back again for sure.
Guide
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. First come spots. We came in late 700pm but there were a lot of spots left.
Guide
Quick 1 night stay. Nice river access. Pretty quiet.
Guide
Very calm and peaceful this weekend. Able to get our favorite spot by the river.
TravelerThis camp site was popping with people who are definitely staying a while. These people let us camp near them but idk if they’d let us stay that long. Good for one night! Neighbors kind of loud but sooo pretty by the river!!! Easy to get in and out. Porta potty’s available
Guide
This place is nice but no campfires allowed which my boys love to do. However, they have swimming pool, jacuzzi, and free popcorn all day!
Guide
We stopped by mid- Oct but didn't camp since water is already turned off. BUT , it's a beautiful campground.
Guide
We did not camp but visited the place to check it out for our next camping.
ScoutWith a beautiful place like this, I don't understand why so few people come. It's really great to come here with friends to chat and play pico park together
GuideGorgeous clean sites, easy to reserve, beautiful, electric, water, and dump at exit
Guide
The gps for this site was off. It says to take a left at the fork. But the reservoir is to the right. Just follow the posted sign. It was nice and peaceful, tad bit chilly since it’s October. Last year I wasn’t able to get a spot near the lake but there is so many places to boondock up there.
Scout
I went to book this for a weekend for a family trip in the summer.. They do not have any tent spots. She was OK with our motorhome and one tent but the minute I said we had two kids and two small tents. She immediately informed me that she would not be renting to us. 
Donnelly, Idaho, offers a fantastic escape for tent campers looking to immerse themselves in nature. With a variety of campgrounds nearby, adventurers can enjoy stunning views and outdoor activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Donnelly, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Donnelly, ID is Brundage Reservoir Camping Area with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Donnelly, ID?
TheDyrt.com has all 58 tent camping locations near Donnelly, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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