Best Tent Camping near Porthill, ID
The Porthill area of northern Idaho offers several isolated tent camping opportunities in the rugged Selkirk Mountains. Navigation Campground and Trapper Creek Campground, both on Priest Lake, provide tent-only sites requiring either boat access or hiking in approximately 2 miles along a forested trail. Beehive Lake Dispersed area, located in Kaniksu National Forest, offers more remote backcountry tent camping requiring a strenuous hike with elevation gain.
Most tent sites around Porthill have basic facilities only, with vault toilets available at established campgrounds but no drinking water. Campers must pack in all necessary supplies, including proper food storage containers as this is grizzly bear habitat. Fire restrictions are common during summer months, especially in dispersed camping areas. At Solomon Lake, tent pads are generally flat with some sites directly on the lakeshore. A visitor commented, "There were only 2 developed sites with table, fire pit, flat tent area and level parking on the loop that are set just a few steps from the lake." Most primitive tent sites are free, while some developed locations may require permits or fees.
Tent campers in the Priest Lake area enjoy exceptional solitude, particularly at sites requiring walking or boating to access. Areas like Navigation Campground offer peaceful lakeside camping even during busy summer weekends. A camper noted about Navigation, "Not accessible by car, and takes a couple of hours to hike to it, but well worth it for the solitude once you're there. While all the drive-up sites on lower Priest Lake were full there was no one at Navigation!" These hike-in tent sites typically feature rocky beaches with boat access and picnic tables scattered among the trees. Beehive Lake provides a true alpine camping experience with clear, cold water and surrounding mountain views, though the trail access is challenging and not well-marked according to reviewers. Dispersed tent sites along Pack River offer quiet riverside camping with sufficient distance between sites for privacy.
