Do you love the outdoors and horses? If you're looking for a rustic but comfortable experience, horse camping in Porthill is the way to go. Finding a place to camp in Idaho with your horse is easier than ever. You're sure to find the perfect site for your Idaho horse camping excursion.
Priest Lake camping features 151 campsites, and 5 cabins. Priest Lake State Park lies just 30 miles from the Canadian Border, nestled deep below the crest of the Selkirk Mountains. Surrounded by the natural beauty of Northern Idaho and mile-high mountains, Priest Lake State Park sits along the eastern shores of Priest Lake, a 19-mile long, over 300 foot deep lake. Amenities include showers, flush toilets, dump stations, full service park store with gasoline. Activities include hiking mountain biking, cycling, fishing, boating, swimming, horseshoeing, water sports, volleyball, disc gold
Photo of the thorofare which connects Upper Priest Lake to Priest Lake and provides access to Upper Priest Lake campgrounds.Plowboy Campground is loacted on the southwest shores of Upper Priest Lake, with majestic views of the Selkirk Crest. Five campsites are furnished with fire rings, picnic tables, and bear-proof storage boxes. Plowboy is easily accessed by boat or by the Navigation Trail. Please note that this campground has a Pack It In, Pack It Out policy on all garbage.
Scout
I’ve been camping at Priest for 30 years now and can honestly say this is the grungiest, stinkiest spot i’ve ever seen at this lake. The sites are super close together, it looks like someone hack-job attempted to do some clear cutting with zero attempt to cleanup and it literally smells as though the last camper dumped a weeks worth of black water all over our site. I’ll never book this spot again
Scout
All the state (not Federal) parks at both Priest and Lake Pend Oreille (Farragut) have become prohibitively expensive for out of staters. Per the Boise newspaper a state legislator from Hayden. ID was angered that he was unable to camp the state parks in his area at the drop of a hat 'due to the large number of out of state campers'(who had the foresight to make reservations months in advance). He was able to push a punitive bill through the State legislature which effectively more than doubled out of state camp fees in these two parks. Not only is the camp site at least twice as expensive but there is now a daily vehicle fee added. A basic campsite (no utilities) can now cost upwards of $70 per night.
ScoutNice little campground by the water. Really quiet, nice space in between sites. Bathrooms are okay.
Guide
No car access which makes it much quieter and less used. I was there on a hot July weekday and there were only two parties camping, both which had come by canoe. There is a Vault toilet. There are a few picnic tables, and a few fire rings down on the lakeshore, but lots of sites in addition to the developed sites scattered in the trees. No running water. A beautiful, easy trail to hike in to the campground which took about an hour from the trailhead.
GuideEnded our tour of Northern Idaho at spot #140. Tons of flat area to put down a tent, mosquito shade (they are pretty bad), and enjoy the amazing view!
Bathrooms with vault toilets, water pump, and grey water dump all just a short walk away
GuideI’ve been to Priest countless times. Camp in the woods or on the beach. Upper or lower Priest Lake.
ScoutIt is a gorgeous area. Our spot was about 20 feet from the water. Sandy campsite is a nice change of pace from dirt ( although I love dirt😁). The staff were incredible friendly and welcoming. I am a solo camper +🐶 and I felt very safe here. Very family friendly place. I really just wish more places would allow dogs at the beach or even have a nice sectioned off part for the doggies. Very heartbreaking to be so close to that beautiful water and not be able to enjoy it because I couldn't bring my bestie. 😕 Otherwise, I love it and will return!!
GuideLionhead is by far my favorite campground of hundreds I’ve been to. it’s designed more for tent camping of very small rv’s such as truck campers or tent trailers. There are numerous trails to explore and the beach is beautiful white sand with crystal clear water. Indian Creek is also nice and has a store with everything you could need and ice cream by the scoop. Indian Creek also has full and partial hookup sites - free hot showers- and boat slips to rent.
ScoutCampground was clean and spread out. There was a day use peach nearby so was a little loud with volleyball players and day use people. The Lake is gorgeous! Paddle Boarding, boating, kayaking...all a great time!
ScoutI worked at Priest Lake State Park as a residential biologist for the summer of 2016. It was an amazing experience! I had access to parts of the park not allowed to campers. The staff are all very friendly and nice to work with. The hand- scooped homemade ice cream is worth it alone! Kayaking up the thoroughfare to the upper lake is a great workout with some amazing and beautiful scenery and animals along the way. You will see lots of moose, and sometimes black bears. If you take the short hike to Moose lake, there is excellent rainbow trout fishing, and gorgeous scenery as well. Hunt lake trail is a beautiful trail to hike, but not for beginners. Priest Lake itself is a little chilly when first getting in to swim, but is very refreshing in the mountain heat. There are many good places to pick huckleberries all over the area! The campgrounds at the Indian Creek unit, which is where the headquarters and store are located, are very clean. There are plenty of RV and tent camping sites and 5 cabins available to rent. All cabins sleep different numbers of people, ranging from 5 to 9, the moose cabin being the largest and nicest. The cabins have no bathrooms or kitchens but boast fire rings and are right across from communal park bathrooms and showers. The lion head unit on the upper lake is about 12 miles up the road from Indian Creek turning into gravel about 8 miles up right before moose lake. It has a few smaller camper sites and many tent sites available. There is a maintenance shed along with a small ranger booth which also serves as a small store with ice and other foods and small supplies. There are first aid kits and radios available at all campground ranger booths. Priest lake has amazing fishing for rainbow trout, Mackinaw (lake trout), smallmouth bass, and Pike minnow (as the main species). The nearest town, Coolin, UD, is about 12 miles down the road. It is a small town with a store, a diner and a bar/ restaurant. The diner and restaurant have decent staple foods for what they have to offer. The store is fairly small but generally has most of the foods and supplies needed for restocking your camping food or obtaining the odds and ends you may have forgotten or overlooked at home. All around it is a beautiful place to visit with friendly staff and locals and I would highly recommend it to anyone seeking an unforgettable family camping experience.
ScoutThere are 3 campgrounds. One is a group camp that sells out quick. Reservations are 9 months in advance and it is a phone call of luck that will get you this prime area. The group camp has its own private dock and beach. The cabin has multiple bunk beds and a kitchen with fridge and range/oven. Also a microwave. 2 showers and 2 restrooms. There are RV slots available here. We love the privacy and ability to not worry about any unlocked vehicles or items left in the beach The other two sites are Lionhead and Indian Creek. Indian Creek as a store and laundry facilities. They also have a few cabins to rent. Showers and rv slots available. Lionhead is further up the road (just north of the group camp) and is a little smaller.
TravelerWow! What a find! My daughter and I booked site 11 unseen and we jumped for joy when we drove up. A tiny little piece of beach, huge tent/picnic area. The only problem was people walking thru your site to the house next to the campground. Couldn’t figure that out and thinking it was random. Close enough to clean bathroom and the hosts were super friendly.
GuideSO! you get to this campground via boat only. There is a thoroughfare between upper and lower Priest Lake. Once when I camped there, we were in an overloaded canoe in a thunderstorm. I would not advise that route of access :) That trip included an amazing experience though. After the storm blew through, camp had been established and dinner was over, we set out in the canoe. It was Wednesday, in early summer. No other campsites were occupied on Upper Priest, we were the only ones there. As dusk deepened, the stars came out and the lake was so calm is was a perfect mirror. The stars were visible in the lake. Down became up and up was down and all was well in the world for a time that evening on Upper Priest!
Horse camping in Idaho offers a unique opportunity to explore the stunning landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With various campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride the trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Porthill, ID?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Porthill, ID is Lionhead Campground — Priest Lake State Park with a 4.2-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Porthill, ID?
TheDyrt.com has all 3 equestrian camping locations near Porthill, ID, with real photos and reviews from campers.
