Best Tent Camping near Lake Pend Oreille

Tent Camping Reviews near Lake Pend Oreille

705 Reviews of 37 Lake Pend Oreille Campgrounds

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  Cathy E.

  Traveler

  Sep. 11, 2023

  Bald Knob Campground — Mount Spokane State Park

  Quiet, Clean, and Beautiful

  What 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.

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  Fast Internet U.

  Scout

  Sep. 17, 2025

  Bull River Campground

  Beautiful but the State of Montana has mismanaged to the point of absurdity

  This used to be a great place to camp, especially at the Pavilion. However, two recent camping trips were not so great. There is no water, even though there are cisterns everywhere. There is no trash pickup. Restrooms are visited and "cleaned", but there is no evidence that anything was done. There are still tons of bugs and webs. I think they just replace the TP. Last visit was at the Pavilion with a men's campout with around 20 individuals. No trash containers, no bear boxes, and no water. We brought 250 gallons of water with us and pulled up to where the fire pit was, so it would be close to the fire for safety and convenience. The day after we left the site, a ranger called and accused us of "off-roading" and not placing our food in the non-existent bear boxes. We weren't "cited," but the temperament of the management is that they want you to pay the same price for camping without a host, water, trash, bear boxes, or clean restrooms. If you wish to dry camp, there are plenty of spaces, but it is definitely dry camping. Beautiful campground with severe management issues, all blamed on"lack of funding".

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  Kevin C.

  Ranger

  Oct. 17, 2025

  Marten Creek Campground

  Next best thing to a cabin on the lake

  A 9 mile drive over paved mostly straight even and the last couple miles on smooth dirt road. Clean vault toilets with scattered sites in the forest. Due to the foliage, the sites feel quite isolated. There is also a boat ramp and bear boxes at each site, along with picnic tables, fire rings, and a number of covered eating areas. You are only a few feet above the lake level, so walking to the lake's edge in the morning is they most calming relaxation. No fees and a 14-day limit make this a most delightful stopover.

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  Zach A.

  Legend

  Jun. 25, 2018

  Whitetail Campground — Farragut State Park

  Lots of options

  Went here on a complete whim during peak seasons in the summer and still had spots remaining to pitch a tent. The park itself is massive and plenty of fun options from swimming in Lake Pend O’ Reille to disc golf there at the course in the park. Bathrooms were clean, water was abundant and if you wanted to grab food/beer Bayview is only a few minutes away. Stayed at Whitetail campground at $27 a night for no hookups

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  Sarah

  Guide

  Jun. 23, 2025

  Gilmore Campground — Farragut State Park

  Beautiful, intersting, well-managed state park

  The Gilmore campground was clean and well-managed and we found the camp hosts super friendly and helpful. The campground has vault toilets and a few flush toilets as well as private showers with hot water. Campsites were well spaced from one another. The campground has a big green for frisbee, horseshoes, etc.

  Farragut State Park has abundant hiking, water activities and interesting interpretive exhibits. And Lake Pend Oreille is simply breathtaking.

  We had limited Verizon connectivity — 2 bars at most.

  The village of Bayview, a few minutes’ drive or vigorous bike ride away, has a well-stocked little mercantile that carries all the necessities.

  As out-of-staters, we didn’t mind paying twice the in-state rate for our site. Our state income taxes support our own state’s parks — not Idaho’s.

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• 

  Jade F.

  Guide

  Aug. 27, 2016

  Whiskey Rock Bay Campground

  Beautiful Campsites Reached by Boat

  There are quite a few beautiful spots along this bay of Lake Pend Oreille that can be reached only by boat. This is a great place to feel secluded and away from the hustle and bustle of the lake, without having to drive the boat too far. We put the boat in at the Farragut State park and drove a mere ten minutes across the lake to this beautiful (free) safe haven. Because of where the bank is situated, the camps receive beautiful early morning light and then are shaded enough throughout the rest of the day. We had enough space at our camp to set up two tents, a kitchen, a fireplace, and our own bathroom. Other campers were along the bay, but we still had ample privacy. We all had a great time, and were even able to set up our hammock in the trees to overlook the lake. I loved this bay and hope to return many times in the future.

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• 

  Douglas S.

  Ranger

  May. 31, 2019

  Riley Creek Campground

  Great campground on Lake Pend Oreille

   Hello Dyrt campers! Today I check out a great little campground/recreation area on Lake Pend Oreille( locally pronounced Pond Array"). The campground portion has 67 sites that have electrical and water hookups with centrally located flush bathrooms. Each site is spacious and somewhat secluded. They also have a fire ring and picnic table with wood available for purchase at the store/station up front. I did not see any ADA marked sites, but as developed as the campground is I imagine most all of the sites to be fairly accessible. I did see ADA bathrooms and showers. 

   Other facilities/amenities here included an extensive day use recreation area located next to the camping section. There were beaches amid the many picnic benches and shelters. Large grass fields were adjacent to a nice set of swings and play structures. A nice boat ramp was located at the end of the park area next to a swim beach and a small fishing pier. This park is camper friendly with overnight options and a dump station. 

  Over all I loved this campground as it somehow gave you the feeling of a small campground yet offering a lot of facilities/amenities. At less than $30 a night, I highly recommend other Dyrt users check it out.

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  Celine K.

  Ranger

  Oct. 29, 2019

  Scotchmans Peak

  Steep but rewarding!

  Talk 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!

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  Jen

  Traveler

  Aug. 12, 2025

  Bumblebee Campground

  Not much to praise

  Coeur 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