The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Idaho Panhandle National Forests is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Idaho camping adventure.
$15 / night
"There is a single vault toilet, they ask that you bring a bucket and shovel for solid waste. Bring your own way to dispose of trash, and have a way to lock it up, or animals WILL get into it."
"Lightning cutting across the lake was a real spook. We brought our kayaks into the water in the sunny part of the day, other camping spots available by boat if you can get there!"
"Boat and hike in only access. No pump for water source, only lake or creek. Multiple sites. 3 bouy-tethers for boats."
"Be sure to read trail reports and weather reports before heading out. North Idaho weather can be pretty finicky, especially at high elevations. Make sure to be aware of wildlife as well!"
"Plenty of wildlife. I have only been one time and not seen mountain goats. Not too many people camp up here however there are spots/ clearings where it’s obvious a camp site would be."
"Remember to leave not trace and pack out your trash!"
$10 - $15 / night
"First come, first serve sites are your best bet for getting a campsite on Priest Lake during peak season. I was able to snag one of the 10ish first come sites last minute for a weekend."
"Large and private, nice beach, good wind block. Will definitely be back."
"Great tent camping. Also, it's a great starting point to some really good dirt bike trails. Be prepared for no cell service. 0 amenities. it's just a place to pitch a tent and have a fire."
"This campground stretches along a tributary of the CdA river, and there is great tent camping and fly fishing. Downside is that there is limited vehicle access to most spots."
"However, each site has a nice fire ring, large picnic table, and loads of elbow room. The vault toilets are relatively new and well maintained."
"It's a relatively small loop campground along a creek, close to the Pend Oreille River. Gravel road, ideal for tent camping."
"We stayed the night in the campground near the trailhead and did a day-hike to the 3 lakes the next morning. The actual campground has 4 designated sites and a group tent area."
"We really enjoyed the hike to the upper lakes as well."
$15 / night
"Storms all around us but the views were beautiful. Nature is beautiful. Set up our hammocks, tents and brought out fishing poles."
"Nice to have bathrooms, although you may want to bring extra to, and decent space between you and the next campsite."
GuideNot accessible by car, and takes a couple of hours to hike to it, but well worth it for the solitude once you’re there. While all the drive-up sites on lower Priest Lake were full there was no one at Navigation! (Literally NO ONE)
A few rocky beaches with boat access. A vault toilet, a few picnic tables and fire rings, but lots of space among the trees to set up camp.
It took a little over two hours to hike in from Beaver Creek campground. Plowboy campground is about at the halfway point.
No water available.
I hiked in and had the place to myself.
TravelerWhat a gem! Small state park campground at about a 3000 ft elevation with only 8 sites. Dry Camping only, no dump station, but clean flushable toilets(no showers) and potable water available. Two beautiful trails are accessible from the campground and lots more are within a 10 minute drive with plenty of parking at trailheads. Local foliage is wonderful, views are fantastic from the trails. Quiet hours are enforced and observed- very quiet and relaxing. The camp host, Linda, does such a wonderful job of keeping everything neat and tidy and checking in with campers to see if they have what they need. Sites are small- only one was a pull through. I wouldn't attempt with anything longer than 23 feet. Each site has a bear box, really nice and large picnic table, firepit and tent pads that are nicely cushioned with pea gravel. Our site,#3, was centrally located without a ton of privacy, but it was still a nice site and folks were respectful and quiet. Decent cell service in the campground. I am absolutely coming back.
RangerTalk about a hike! This is a pretty steep trek, with rewarding views at the top. Be sure to read trail reports and weather reports before heading out. North Idaho weather can be pretty finicky, especially at high elevations. Make sure to be aware of wildlife as well! Scotchman's is known for mountain goat sightings, but as they become more accustomed to people they can be a little aggressive. Keep a safe distance!
GuideNo car access which makes it much quieter and less used. I was there on a hot July weekday and there were only two parties camping, both which had come by canoe. There is a Vault toilet. There are a few picnic tables, and a few fire rings down on the lakeshore, but lots of sites in addition to the developed sites scattered in the trees. No running water. A beautiful, easy trail to hike in to the campground which took about an hour from the trailhead.
TravelerCoeur d’Alene River Road has SO many places to boondocks and camp, I wouldn’t waste our money on this campground again. The pit toilets were clean and the fire rings and picnic tables were in good shape, hence the two stars. Lots of wasps. No water. Nothing to do within walking distance. Find a boondock spot and save the $28.00
Guide2020 cost is $16 + $8 extra car, half off with Federal parks pass, & it's average for a Forest Service pay campground. There's water, & you can fill a holding tank, but no power or dump. The lower loops are very close together & less shade. The upper loop has more shade, bigger sites, but sound rises from below. You can hear the conversations and generators of your lower neighbors. Our site was next to a vault toilet - we could smell it. There was lots of noise, e.g., road, train, barking dogs, etc. The 2020 camp hosts were very intrusive. They stopped us in the middle of the road while they inspected our front license plate (we aren't required to have one), then interrogated us, without masks, about where we were from, what we were doing & how many dogs we had. We have a nice RV and look like average middle class folks. Maybe it was because we were in a Class B Van, but our van cost more than most class As. This is a self-pay campground so unless I need firewood I don't need to be forced to stop & be questioned by a volunteer. While we drove through looking at sites one host tailed us on foot through the CG. Five minutes after we began to set up they showed up, not wearing masks, wanting money. I didn't think volunteers were supposed to handle any money. We'd already paid at the iron ranger pay station & they seemed disappointed to not get the money directly from us. Then, within a minute, they returned, not wearing masks, & fussed because we hadn't gotten the tag on our campsite post yet - we were still setting up & hadn't had time yet. They weren't social distancing & we thought they were very peculiar and intimidating.
LegendGeneral: 67-site US Army Corps of Engineers campground in two loops along the Pend Oreille River. All sites are water and electric and have gravel driveways.
Site Quality: All sites were nicely wooded, level and spacious. The roads are paved but the sites themselves are gravel. A BBQ grill/fire pit and large picnic table complete each site.
Bath/shower house: There is one ADA-accessible all-in-one bath/shower plus regular restrooms. Clean if a little dated. I don’t take long showers but in the middle of mine, the water turned ice cold for the remainder of my shower, however, hubby did not have the same experience!
Activities/Amenities: Water activities including boating, fishing, and swimming. Non-water activities include paths, including one around the campground that is approximately 1.4 miles, nice for walking, running, or biking. Partially paved and partially gravel. Other activities include two playgrounds (one for younger children, one for older), volleyball, horseshoes, sport court, and a “doggie island” (pet area). Between the restrooms are two dishwashing sinks with hot water, a nice amenity. There is also a dump station.
We were still setting up when the host came by to give us a map, remind us there was a fire ban, and see if we had any questions or concerns. We stay at many CoE campgrounds and this one certainly measures up!
TravelerWe’ve stayed here a couple times now. It is a nice place. It is a little run down though. The car, tent camping is great. You have your own plot under trees. If you tent camp is the rest of the camp ground you will need a pad under your tent. I ground is pretty course gravel with up to 1.25” sharp stones. Firewood is free though.
GuideI found this free spot on another free campsites app. It’s right next to a National Forest boat launch, where there are 2 pit toilets. The campgrounds themselves are dispersed, with already human made fire rings. Some sites are next to the water (those were taken), I ended up driving to see what’s open and settled on top of a hill. There was another camper who must have been there for a while, set up a little tarp village, he looked like he was moved in there… and then a bear up pickup truck drove by few times - something about it felt sketchy to me. I explored a bit more the next day - there are several walk-in sites which looked great - but you can’t drive into those - some up on a hill, some at the bottom of a hill past big boulders.
Tent camping near Idaho Panhandle National Forests offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, with stunning views and a variety of outdoor activities to enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Idaho Panhandle National Forests is Green Bay Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED 2024 with a 5-star rating from 12 reviews.
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