Best Tent Camping near Idaho Panhandle National Forests
Tent camping options near the Idaho Panhandle National Forests range from established lakeside sites to remote backcountry locations. Green Bay Campground offers tent-only sites with picnic tables and fire pits along Lake Pend Oreille, though it is temporarily closed for 2024. Maiden Rock Campground provides boat-in and hike-in tent access with basic vault toilets, while Scotchmans Peak features primitive backcountry tent camping opportunities for hikers seeking solitude.
Most primitive tent campgrounds in this region have minimal amenities, requiring campers to bring their own water and pack out all waste. Pack River Dispersed Site offers riverside tent camping with no facilities, making it ideal for self-sufficient campers. The Forest Service roads leading to many tent sites feature washboard sections and rutted areas that may require high-clearance vehicles. A review mentioned that "the road going down is pretty rough especially in the rain but doable without 4wd." Fire rings are common at established tent areas, but pit toilets are limited to developed campgrounds, and drinking water is rarely available.
Tent campsites throughout the Idaho Panhandle region provide exceptional access to clear lakes, mountain views, and forested settings. Areas along Lake Pend Oreille feature granite beaches and swimming opportunities directly from tent sites. A camper wrote that Green Bay has "views out of Jurassic Park" with crystal clear water where "you can walk all the way out to where you cannot touch and still see the rocks on the bottom." Breakwater Campground stretches along a tributary of the Coeur d'Alene River, offering excellent fly fishing opportunities for tent campers. Most backcountry tent areas remain uncrowded during weekdays, though holiday weekends can bring more visitors to accessible sites. Scotchmans Peak provides challenging but rewarding tent camping with frequent mountain goat sightings for those willing to make the steep hike.
