Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Payette National Forest

There is a lot of space in each camp. Not much land in between each camp so be courteous. Good drinking water. A fairly dirty pit bathroom. I’m pretty sure it’s pet friendly. You can walk to the reservoir. The beach is very rocky.

We love camping at Northwest passage campground. It’s beautiful and woodsy. Depending on what campsite you stay in the river is close. The bathrooms are clean and well-kept. There is no running water at the bathrooms. There are three total in the campground. There are only 22 sites so not a huge amount of campers and most of the sites are pretty private with woods separating them. There is a water pump at the entrance of the camp site that you get your water from. There are no hook ups or running water at sites. There are established fire rings and a picnic table. Some of the spots are big enough for trailers. Some are small and cozy for tent campers. The river is walking distance from all sites. It is perfect for paddle boarding kayaking and floating. There is a beach area for the campers that is perfect for kids to play and to relax and watch for floaters. The wild life there is abundant. We saw bald eagles, moose, deer and chipmunks. There is also a climbing crag that has a variety of climbs for different skill levels that is a five minute drive. This campsite is non-reservable. It’s first come first serve and usually very busy. The best time to get a spot is Sunday afternoon or Monday and Tuesday. Towards the weekends most spots are full. One downfall here is the amount of mosquitoes. They are large and thirsty. We came prepared this year with lots of mosquito spray and some thermoscell mosquito deterrent. It helped immensely. I would recommend this campground to anyone who likes a true camping experience. For the most part it was quiet and secluded. McCall is a 15 minute drive. pets are welcome.

Enjoyed satiating here with my family. Only problem was there were dog off leash running around and our dogs don’t good good around dogs they don’t know

expected this huge state park to be really busy but was pleasantly surprised how quiet it was. Showers were clean and had great pressure. Lots of trails all over to walk the dogs on.

Cascade Lake is beautiful and an excellent stop over. Water sports and beaches and sand to get into everything.

Sage is a roadside campground with moderate size sites, NO SHADE and level cement pads. My site overlooked the beach , however we had to walk the trail to gain access to the beach. The beach was never crowded, though on occasion it had some annoying and loud boaters who seem to think they were the only ones that were there to enjoy the area. Their dog even tried to attack my leashed dogs. I just did my best to stay at the area of the beach with no one else present.

There was a constant haze in the sky from the wildfires in the area. Kudos to the fire men and women .

Town was very nearby and everything you could need was there, including a huge laundromat and snow mobile dealership. Worth the visit.

There are a lot of people camping here. All of the sites are very close it can be a bit of inconvenience but I have had no real problem. It has very nice bathrooms and showers. It is very close to the lake. I drove to the north side of the lake so that I could bring my dog. It is fairly priced.

Liked it enough to come back. Had a huge group and multiple dogs in the group site. Very clean camp area. Extremely reasonable prices. Bathrooms are really dirty. Water for drinking is available just a short walk or really short drive. Nice fire pits. Close to water for playing in. There are some towns nearby. Would recommend just use the woods whenever possible.

The spots are a little close but we never were bothered by it. If we had dogs it may have been a little more of a nuisance. There is plenty to do here including hiking, biking and enjoying the lake. Bathrooms were clean and had showers. The tent spot we had included a pad which is always nice, campground and a fire ring. This may have been one of the best State Park spots we had on our western trip!!

We’ve been here twice now. First 2021 and again June 2024. Campground is well kept. Showers and facilities clean. Minutes from Donnelly Idaho for “the things you forgot”. Great views coming back again for sure.

Council is one of my favorite areas in Idaho. This campground is well kept, wooded, and easy. There are some dispersed camping areas near by as well!

The state parks in Idaho are some of the best we have found in all our travels. The only downside was no services in the midst of a heatwave. 100!!!

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. Bathrooms are close by. If you don't mind be a little tight with campsites, would highly recommend.

Horsethief reservoir is at about 5,000 feet just east of Cascade Idaho off Warm Lake road. There are 5 public campground loops around the north and northwest shores under Idaho Fish and Game jurisdiction and managed by the Boise YMCA. Most of these loops have just been renovated and re-opened as of May 2022. ALL sites are first come, first served, no reservations. I was told there are about 115 camp sites between the 5 loops. One loop is unrenovated and more primitive/informal at the furthest east loop. We stayed in Osprey cove loop #24 which is one of very few pull-throughs. Most loops are paved with gravel camp site parking. Nice level camping/picnic pads at each site and new metal picnic tables. This lake offers great fishing and kayaking. Motorized boats OK, but NO WAKE allowed so you are just trolling at idle. Many camp sites are shaded. NO water/electric/sewer or dump stations or garbage. Take everything out that you brought in.

This site and the surrounding area is filled with lush vegetation and this crisp, cool, blue blue lake. You can see natural waterfalls, a "beach-type" picnic area, and though you're in a campground setting, it feels like it really is your own private Idaho. $10/day, rustic pit toilets, picnic benches...the usual fare. The site itself was nothing new, but the area begs for you to explore! (Busy in summer months!)

Ponderosa State Park (PSP) receives more visitors than any other state park in Idaho. It is on a peninsula that juts into Payette Lake. In the summer you will find vast amounts of huckleberries, wonderful swimming, and many deer. Be sure to check out the hiking trails and visit the Lily Marsh, Meadow Marsh, and Osprey Point. In the winter, the park offers great snowshoe trails, and groomed trails for cross-country skiing and skate skiing.

We just did a 2400 mile trip from Utah to Glacier NP and down through Idaho stopping at 10 campgrounds along the way. What a fun place to stay here, the camp host (Jill) was the sweetest lady ever! Greeting us before we could get set up, she has been there 7 years and maintains the place very well! Nice and quiet with a beautiful drive up from the main road. Will be returning here in the future!

This is probably one of the busiest campgrounds in Idaho. And for a reason. Access to trails and water is unbeatable. The grounds are gorgeous. And you can stay in the woods or toodle into town and get some coffee or ice cream.

If you pick your site well, you can have the convenience of a campground but feel a bit more secluded. We usually boondock but we'll come into civilization for this place.

Make sure you reserve 9 months in advance. This place fills up. We come every year and love it!

On Oregon Highway 86 in Hell's Canyon at Oxbow, across from an Idaho Power Station (and managed by Idaho Power), this was a handy place to stay to be close to a boat launch for a rafting trip we had booked. 

There are tiny campsites (maybe the smallest I've seen) and lovely large campsites here. We lucked out and had reserved a big one on the lawn instead of a little one against the rock wall. We were near the power station but we didn't notice it much due to the trees and stream.

There is shade! This was nice considering it gets hot in Hell's Canyon. Even being next to the river and in a rare shady spot in the canyon, the after-dark temperature was in the upper 80's when we stayed here in early August 2020. They water the lawn at night to keep it green, so heed those "sprinkler - do not camp past this point" signs. The bathrooms look nice online (inc. showers), but we camped here during 2020, so we had a row of sunbaked port-o-potties to contend with.

The location was super practical for our needs, our spot was spacious,  and the canyon is beautiful, but due to the heat I probably would pick a place higher up on the canyon rim or closer to Halfway, OR to camp if camping were the main goal (especially in August).

Fair amount of bugs, but that's not specific to this campground. 

Some stats, according to the Idaho Power website: Day use in the park is free. 59 RV sites with water and electric hookups(30-amp); 10 tent sites with shared water; Picnic area with tables Fire rings; Additional vehicle and boat trailer parking available; Public pay phone (phone card required for non-local calls); Boat launch and docks located approximately one-half mile downstream of the park, on Homestead Road

Copperfield was a mining town known as “the rowdiest town in Oregon” in the early 1900s. Fire destroyed the town in August 1915. The park was built in 1965 on the old town site of Copperfield, Oregon. (https://www.idahopower.com/community-recreation/recreation/parks-and-campgrounds/copperfield-park/)

The RV Landing at Carlson Ranch was a well-kept and clean RV park. Easily some of the nicest bathrooms and shower facilities I have experienced. The spots are a little tight but close to the Salmon River. Each site is separated by thick well-groomed grass. Our only complaint was the sprinklers. We like to stay up late however the sprinklers go off once around dinnertime and again around 11pm. The site hosts did warn us about the sprinklers but they did hamper some of the nightly activities. This is a great RV park on your journey through Idaho.