Best RV Parks & Resorts near Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, ID

After passing through a few other sites in MT that were full and lackluster we came across this site and pulled in late in the evening.

The site was large, contained a picnic table and fire pit with cooking grate, and had plenty of trees for hammocking. The campground is bordered on one side by the Lochsa River and the other side by the Powell Ranger station and Lochsa Lodge.

$14/day to camp and I think $20 if you need an RV hookup. This campsite also has a dumpster which is helpful as the sites we were using for the prior week did not.

This is an all season RV Park. There’s a nice patch of grass in the center during warm months.

Sometimes we have a hard time finding all season parks.

They do allow pets! They have all the amenities you hope a RV Park has. We came up here to gem hunt. But I know other forms of hunting are also popular here 😉.

You also don’t loose the camping feels here. How? Fire rings.

Camping is just not the same without the ability to have a fire. Even when camping in an RV for local attractions over the “camping experience” it’s always a HUGE plus (to me anyways) to be able to watch flames for a few hours while having a few drinks.

Also visit the Pie Safe! You won’t regret it.

The turnoff for this campground is not far after you cross the beautiful Dent Bridge over the Dworshak Reservoir, headed North. And, your route would very likely be from south to north because the southerly route begins in Elk City, Idaho and is 85% gravel and at times pretty broken up.

After turning off the main road you take a winding road down toward the reservoir. The campground is situated on a gradual slope, so all sites have nice visibility toward the reservoir. All campsites are pull through, and have RV hookups. I was on a motorcycle so didn’t really need them but the potable water was nice to have to re-fill my hydration pack and clean up dinner dishes.

There are small shelters with tables at each site, and fire rings. I found the posted sign on each shelter—“Please Do Not Hang Wildlife of any Type From the Shelter”—kind of funny. They must get big game hunters in the Fall.

There were pay showers, which were great, and everything was very clean. There is a play area with jungle gym equipment for kids.

The boat dock and water’s edge is a short walk away, and there are also restrooms at the boat dock. The reservoir feeds the Clearwater river and it’s salmon runs, and like a lot of similar reservoirs it gets very low in summer because of drawdowns to support the downstream fish population. When I was there in late August the water was probably 100 feet below the normal boat dock, so it’s a bit of a walk down the exposed shore.

Despite being out of the way, this campground was completely full, And probably half of the campers had a motorized boat of some kind. Although full, I got lucky because someone didn’t show up for the first night of their reservation so the camp hosts let me stay for free. As I walked around the campground it looked like every site was booked for the entire coming week. I expect it is that way all summer.

For adventure motorcyclists exploring back roads this is a great stop over, and not far from the #BDR route.

There aren’t too many campgrounds between Orofino and Kooskia, Idaho except for a few RV parks. We finally found a beautiful campground off highway 12 or the scenic Lolo Highway. It was small but had quite a few open sites so we snagged one close to the river and bathroom. The highway noise was noticeable but not bad at night. Our picnic table had a view of the Clearwater river (yes, it is very clear and has salmon.). There were steps down to the rocky shore of the river. We net a couple from elsewhere in Udaho who always choose this campground.

So, I’m not sure why “resort” is in the title, this certainly not a resort in the traditional sense. But, this is a great place to stop if headed up the Lochsa River and has something for everyone.

The “resort” has riverfront cabins, double occupancy motel rooms, A frame cabins, RV spots with hookups and a large tent camping area for motorcyclists, bicyclists and hikers. The mix of campers makes thing interesting. Add to this that the river raft guides take out at this location and this is a busy and fun place to spend a night. It has been very busy every time I have stopped, often full of RV’s with families spending a long weekend.

There is a small market, restaurant and bar, and an outdoor pool and hot tub. The market is well stocked with most of what you might have forgot to pack. They sell firewood as well. The bar offers typical burgers and bar fare and was lively enough even in peak Covid. This is Idaho after all, Covid seems like an afterthought in most of central and North Idaho.

The resort is located along a sweeping bend of the Lochsa river, which the highway follows on the opposite side. With the proximity of the highway, the RV’s in the campground, the cabins, etc, this is not a tranquil wilderness campground. It is however a great spot to spend the night while passing through.

I was on a motorcycle and there were probably 8-10 other riders tent camping. Several fires were going and folks were friendly and outgoing. There was no cell service for AT&T, but the market and bar had WiFi that you could access by sitting outside the front door.

I’ve stayed here 3 times and it will always be on my list when passing through this part of Idaho.

The past negative reviews sound more like an angry family to me. I pulled in (camping alone my first time) and had a warm welcoming. Once I got my tent set up I decided I wanted to set up sleeping in my car and my current spot didn’t allow vehicles. I waited around to see if it was filling up for the night and then asked if how much it would be to pull into an RV spot to sleep in the car. She let me switch free of charge! She was amazing.

Freeman Creek at Dworshak State park has great opportunity for all levels of camping. Tent sites, RV/Trailer sites, or a few small primitive cabins (no bathrooms or kitchens in the cabins). There is also access to the reservoir for boating, fishing or to mini-camp sites all along the reservoir. Kokanee fishing is great from March to about late July. The spawn begins in August, so the fish move up the reservoir as the season progresses. Smallmouth bass fishing is great! The Idaho state Smallmouth record was caught in this lake. Day use parking is available for a small fee. For Idaho residents with the State Parks pass reduces the fee. A lot of wildlife viewing too! If you are lucky you may see a black bear feeding on blackberries, deer are numerous, elk frequent the lake, and one of my favorites is to watch Osprey dive in the lake for fish.

I have been at this park in every month of the calendar, but only camped from April thru October.

This large, wooded CG offers separate electric and no hookup loops, with a total of 91 spacious clean sites. The Lachsa River runs along the campground. Sites are $14 and $20 and are more than worth it!

This campground was a nice surprise, right off the highway. Lots of tall ponderosa pines, but also plenty of sun to put the solar panels out for charging.

No hook-ups, but lots of water fill stations and picnic tables at each site. Plenty of Verizon bars to work. I believe there was a dump station. 

Nice size, paved sites. Level. 

Nice camp hosts. A short hike right off the campground and the river was running pretty fast down below. You could see the river, but don't think you can access it from the campground. 

Definitely worth a stop for a weary traveler!

It is not the easiest to get to, and the road is a test for your engine and brakes, but once you arrive it is a quiet peaceful park with great water access. We originally had a reservation for a view site with no hook ups, but upon arrival they had a hookup site(#104) available, and the temps were nearly 100 degrees, so we took it! The park is large and thus the areas seem nicely spaced apart, never felt crowded, even though there are over 100 sites. There is lots of shoreline and plenty of water for everyone. We launched the kayaks and enjoyed the water ourselves- paddled to the opposite shore and found a remote unoccupied camp.

Only 2 slots available seasonally for overnighters with 3 available for boaters, It is up against the highway with minimal sheltering from the road noise but the river is noisier, not a complaint. Site 3 is the best for overnighters with rv's or tents, site 2 is the other overnight spot but up against the hwy. The campground is sheltered with tall fir, cedar and decidiuous growth. It is not a boatramp site but rough access to the river for rafts and kayaks. There is a his/her pit toilet and his/her changing areas. Each site appears to have a good fire pit with cooking grate.

The RV sites are level and have lots of shade and privacy. This is the kind of campground you want to stay a few days to relax in. There are communal water spigots, but they are not threaded so you can’t screw on a hose to refill your tanks. The pit toilets actually smell good, provided people follow directions to leave the lid shut.