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"
"Dogs loved being off leash. We drove a bit further down the road and there were some dsp camping spots. Found a nice large flat area for 2 nights. Lots of mosquitoes."
$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."
$10 - $30 / night
"This site and the surrounding area is filled with lush vegetation and this crisp, cool, blue blue lake."
"Water is best at entrance, the other has quite a bit of minerals. Pump only, no hose bib. Vault toilets were cleaned daily, very nice host."
$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."
$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."
$10 / night
"I first found out about poverty flats when I was checking out a near by hot spring, Mile 16. I decided to camp here so I could be close by to the spring."
"Some of the sites you can drive into while others you walk a short ways in. There is access to the river and a hike right from this historical campground."
GuideFrontier Motel and RV Park is more of a motel than an RV park, with only ten spaces behind the motel and in between a public, local road. The motel was fronting Hwy 95 and the RV spaces were one block behind. They have a pool (nice!), laundry and easy town access, since the motel was right in town. The pool wasn’t warm, maybe 75F, but it sufficed for the cool-off need. The town, Cambridge, ID, was a nice, small town, maybe 200 residents. It appears that most of the 10-or-so RV spaces were used by monthly renters, but they had a spot for me and during a holiday weekend. Nice staff. For some reason I couldn't make friends with the black lab (the owner's dog). She's old, doesn't walk that well, but was wary of new people. I did not have any, any negative interactions with her, she just wouldn't let me give her a pet. The three-star rating is that the site location, noise from the highway and the street, and the marginal sewer connection (water/power were fine).
RangerThere 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.
ScoutPonderosa 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.
LegendCascade 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.
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.
GuideWe 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.
TravelerI first found out about poverty flats when I was checking out a near by hot spring, Mile 16. I decided to camp here so I could be close by to the spring. The camp ground had about 4 spots being used when I first came. The next day it was us and another couple. There’s a water spigot, and a outhouse. The outhouse hasn’t been maintained much, and was out of toilet paper. The spot is right off the main forest road, so I could hear the occasional car driving by. Other than those two things I really enjoyed our stay. It’s a short walk, or shorter drive, to one of my favorite hot springs in the state. I definitely would recommend poverty flats. It’s a great campsite in the middle of nowhere idaho.
LegendThis campsite is located east of Cascade Lake and Donnelly, Idaho. It's a scenic road to get there. The camsite we were in was dry camping with no hook-ups. The camping pad for our 27' Travel Trailer was nice and level. Each campsite had a picnic table and a firepit. There are some nice hiking trails in the vicinity. Mountain biking and horse riding is acceptable there as well. Since we had kayaks, we had a short drive to the boat ramp. There is excellent trout fishing. There is a small swim beach near the Warm Lake Lodge and Restaurant, near where the cabins are. All in all, a great stay, away from the city :-) It's a nice peaceful setting.
GuideGood camping close to Town, mountain biking, restaurants, and lake. Be cautious about lake conditions before swimming or letting dogs swim. We had a skunk walk right through or camp!
Discover the perfect spots for pets-allowed camping near Payette National Forest in Idaho, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Payette National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Payette National Forest is Peninsula Campground — Ponderosa State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 36 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Payette National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 106 dog-friendly camping locations near Payette National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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