Payette National Forest is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Payette National Forest is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
$15 - $40 / night
"Ponderosa is in beautiful McCall, Idaho. Close to downtown and the lake. Great hiking trails. Good park for a family. The campsites are right next to one another, so not much privacy there."
"Great walking path around and down to the lake as well! Quick 10min ride into town for a nice lake side dinner."
$10 / night
"Nice lake close by with boat, wave runner, pontoon boat rentals. Reserve in advance!"
"This place has easy to access bike paths, beach/lake access, and is only a few minutes from town."
$15 / night
"The best hot spring locates a short distance from the campground. This is one of my favorite places to camp. The trees around gave us plenty of shade on a hot day!"
"We adore this spot for so many reasons—proximity to adorable McCall but removed enough to feel remote, trees, hiking along the water, close encounters with the fauna kind :) do yourself a favor and visit"
$10 - $30 / night
"This site and the surrounding area is filled with lush vegetation and this crisp, cool, blue blue lake."
"had a great visit loved the paved trails along the shoreline the lake offers a great place for kayaking fishing or canoeing it's about 20 miles from McCall and is approximately 6000 feet in elevation."
$10 / night
"Dope off grid, dusty, pretty, dusty, epic drive and views along salmon river to hidden gem Secesh river. Flat sites. Good spot for riding base."
"Be sure to hike the Secesh river trail which starts across the Secesh River from the campground. I found huckleberries and wild strawberries along the trail at the beginning of July."
"Lick lake is a 3 mile hike into the wilderness and is gorgeous! No fee."
$15 / night
"The other side is along the edge of the mountain. I loved how these sites were very green and had lots of plants! There is a pit toilet in the canter."
$42 - $52 / night
"Close to McCall,several pull-thrus; even indoor hot tubs! No restaurant but you’ll be close to many great ones"
"The location is nice and quiet, awa from traffic.They have a nice lodge with an indoor heated swimming pool. Each site had a picnic table but no fire pit where we stayed."
ScoutIt rained during our stay, but due to the nice clean gravel we didn’t end up a muddy mess!
TravelerNice flat spot with a stone fire ring. Hazard creek nearby isn't too loud and sounds great. Not much firewood is around as its all been picked already.
TravelerWe arrived on a Thursday afternoon in October. There were many spots available along the road leading up to this site. But they were close to the road and we wanted to be off the road. We ended up at the last spot on the road right before the interpretive trail at the end. This spot was tucked into the trees. And once we got our camper backed in, we didn’t even know the road was there. And the VIEW! Wow!! Looking across the lake with the most beautiful sunsets. We stayed for 3 nights. We set up Starlink so we could work on Friday and had no issues with the connection.
ScoutWe had the place to ourselves. Great small campground if you want to get away from everything.
TravelerMy husband and I were looking for a quick spot to camp and found this right off the highway, it was perfect for a last minute camping. There’s a few more spots off the highway. We loved that it was right on the river, too. Pretty easy access, but if you have a longer trailer than I would suggest going in the first turn out, because the second one is tight.
TravelerCamping is free, limit of 10 days. Not really any designated sites and surrounded by private land with aggressive signage. Not all roads around the reservoir are public, so be prepared to turn around and back up at dead ends. We came to an orange gate that said "private property", and stopped. While trying to turn around, we noticed a white truck sitting behind us. When we turned around and passed him, he motioned to roll down the window, and then berated us and called us idiots, even though we had not even entered the private land, nor did we want to. We felt threatened. In the end we chose a site on the upper road of the reservoir. The view was nice but not close to the pit toilet. No fire ring. No table. A no frills place. Like many lakes in Idaho, the reservoir is mostly dry. Not a huge deal but not the prettiest to look at. There is only one single pit toilet for the whole reservoir and someone was set up right next to it like it was their own. People ride off-road vehicles here. In an area with slim pickings for free camping, I guess you have to take what you can get.
ScoutThe campground had just about everything we hoped for: it was quiet, clean, scenic, on a river, green, had showers, and a fantastic host. The dock right in front of our campsite was a bonus and the river was calm enough to swim in. Limited-range WiFi is available at the light pole at the camp entrance. Great stargazing at night, and we were serenaded by a couple of owls! Perfect location to visit the Hells Canyon Dam or start you rafting trip.
TravelerTwo other RVs already here so we backed into the shaded nook just as you pull off Lick Creek Rd. Views of the lake but log jams and swampy shore mean no access.
No bugs during the day but Dawn/dusk mosquitoes.
TravelerThis is a little pullout off route 95. Has about 10-15 feet of separation from main road, which gives privacy and protection from cars. The surface is a gravel and can fit a fairly decent amount of vehicles. The sign says you can camp up to 10 days consecutive, we only stayed for the night and continued on. This is also right on little salmon river.
Camping near Payette National Forest, Idaho, offers a mix of stunning scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're pitching a tent or parking an RV, there's something for everyone in this beautiful area.
Camping near Payette National Forest, Idaho, is a fantastic way to enjoy the great outdoors. With a variety of campgrounds and activities, you’re sure to find the perfect spot for your next adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Payette National Forest offers a wide range of camping options, with 202 campgrounds and RV parks near Payette National Forest and 22 free dispersed camping spots.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Payette National Forest is Peninsula Campground — Ponderosa State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 36 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 22 free dispersed camping spots near Payette National Forest.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 13 parks near Payette National Forest that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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