Best Campgrounds near Hayden Lake, ID

The wind had torn part of our roof and we had to find a place to stay a few nights, quickly and tarp before rain came. They accommodated our stay and even lent us a ladder to use while repairing the damage.

We did not stay overnight, but it's a beautiful spot, with 360 degree views. It's quiet and peaceful. The road up to the lookout is pretty rough and wouldn't recommend it in a car. There's a lovely hiking trail from the parking area as well which leads to even more spectacular views. Recommended for a day trip or overnight!

After camping on BLM lands & staying at smaller campgrounds, we were excited to stay at a KOA. It was a good price & the grounds were decent; we stayed in the fall & the changing trees everywhere were beautiful. The amenities on the other hand… The laundry room floor looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a LONG time & half of the washing machines were out of order. The showers weren’t aesthetically in great shape & the drains clearly needed to be cleaned as I was quickly standing in inches of water (picture taken). Then there’s the topic of the trains… The person who checked us in at the front specifically told us we were in a quiet spot in the back.. yes we were away from other campers but the heart attack from the blaring horn at 2:30am was rough. Then we were woken up at 6am by RVs coming in/ out. All that being said, we will be finding another option for the rest of our trip. I always hate leaving bad reviews, but hopefully sharing our experience is helpful to others.

EDIT: Wrote this review before we went into Spokane (we’re here to visit family who goes to GU) & after searching for hours, realized this is probably the best option in the area, so I’m humbled to say we did in fact have to come back for another night but are staying in a spot further away from the train

This lakeside campground is a true hidden getaway, perfect for anyone looking to escape the crowds. The lake itself is stunning—clear, beautiful water. However, be aware that there’s a steep drop-off down to the lake, which might make getting to the water a little tricky depdning on which campsite you get. The road to get there is long and rough, I wouldn't recommend bringing a standard camping trailer, and you probably wouldn't want to take a car. But the remoteness is what makes this spot so amazing.  It’s incredibly peaceful, and when we visited, there was only one other camper around, so it felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. If you’re looking for a quiet, off-the-beaten-path campground with amazing lake views and don’t mind a bit of a drive, this spot is worth the effort. Just make sure your vehicle can handle the rough road.

Love it here. There are beautiful lakeside campsites with access to the lake. Unfortunately, those were all reserved when we stayed there. This place can get busy in the summertime, so you reserve early. So we stayed at a nice pull through campsite. All the sites are nice and private with lovely trees and open grassy space between them.

There's a nice swimming area a short walk from our campsite, and Pend Oreille lake is beautiful clear, cool water for swimming.

Bathrooms are not typical pit toilets, but had running water and flush toilets.

The area is beautiful and well worth the trip to camp here.

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.

Stopped at the little restaurant and got a fantastic meal after being on the road all day then headed past all the massive houses to end up in such a gorgeous location. This is one of my favorite spots now!

This is a cute campground with great hosts. Most folks come in to bike the trail. Verizon is not great and our Starlink had some blockages, but that’s what you get with lots of trees.

There are some switchbacks, but it's worth the drive. There is a nice outhouse and plenty of spots - follow the signs. You're right across from the firehouse. If you park past the outhouse, there is a view of the lake. The trucks arrive at 8 am, but it's a free spot, and they weren't that bad.

location is awesome very convenient but being right next to the train tracks is a bummer.

This was a great spot! The camp hosts, Dan and Steve, were very friendly. We loved how large the sites and overall area was, so we could back our rig in easily (40ft long x 13.5ft tall.) There were a lot of open sites, even during the holiday weekend, and even with people on either side, we didn’t feel like we were on top of anyone else. A really great central place to hang so we could check out the surrounding area.

• Had fast, reliable wifi!
• Great service for Verizon!
• Complimentary showers

As some others mentioned:

• there wasn’t shade, which made evenings outside pretty hot— but the grass was very lush (and a good place to rest.)
• there was also some road noise from the dump station and road that runs parallel

Take a night or two to visit this nearly unused campground. What a wonder. You are on the Ridgeline between two valleys with views of the horizons of 50 miles or more. To the east ot is very much like the views in the Smokey mountains. Not a lot of shade at this campground. Great for solar and Skylink. ATT and Verizon were 3 plus. Make certain the chores are done and the drinks are made before the light show begins at sundown. Vault toilets, picnic tables and fire rings. Sites at this campground are reasonably flat and deep but not a lot of room for pop-ups.

Camping here is free.

My only criticism is the distance between signs on a very small road. A few more signs would be reassuring. For this campground, head generally south on Skyline Drive until you think you should be there, then go 2 more miles.

Central potable water by the privy.

Stayed here with my wife and children while we were visiting Silverwood. This location was perfect and less than 5 minutes from the park entrance. I would definitely stay here again.

This is my 2nd time visiting and the quality has dramatically dropped. Maybe the difference was that I went in early fall 4 years ago and this time was late summer but YIKES. 

There was broken glass EVERYWHERE. We cleaned up so much trash in our site and off the road. The pit toilet was completely out of toilet paper (which we anticipated). Despite being stage 1 fire restrictions, multiple people were having fires, one person's was still smoldering when I got up the next morning. Due to the number of people, ATVs, dirt bikes, nearby shooting range, etc it was just much more noisy in the busy season. I recommend going in the off season.

The road up to the lake is really rough and narrow but manageable with a proper vehicle. 

The lake is gorgeous! I just wish people were more considerate.

FYI There is a moose that frequents the area so keep your trash in your car to avoid feeding the moose.

Albert is a very kind, chill and accommodating host. My only regret is I couldn't stay long enough to listen to his guitar skills. A gost that with stum hos guitar for his guests? Thats a good enough reason to go see the place and what made me pick it out from all the others. His prices are very reasonable too. We won't rake you over the coals if you forget something. The place can be really busy on a hot Saturday and he runs it well shuttling people around. i loved that there were clean bathrooms and showers and a general store incase you forgot or ran out of something. I also enjoyed the cool old iron bridge and the peace and quiet of the place. It's no party zone where teenagers have keggars. I was there on a Friday and by 10pm it was quiet and peaceful then the next morning everyone showed up to have swim or float the river there and the water looked nice a shallow and slow perfect for small children and for kayakers it gets a little faster on the other side and fast enough to not have to worry too much about your kids drown but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't pay attention.