5 Great Campgrounds Near Coeur d'Alene
Coeur d'Alene is both the name of our idyllic city of 51,500 people and our nearby body of water. Lake Coeur d'Alene is the second largest in Northern Idaho. Water comes in via the St. Joe River and Coeur d'Alene River year-round.
There’s a lot to do along the 135 miles of shoreline and on the 25-mile long lake. You’ll find parks, campgrounds, beaches, trails, and recreational facilities. There are also many boat ramps and nine marinas with field docks and food. Take a boat tour or take your own boat on the lake where you can really enjoy the scenery. You can fish for chinook and kokanee salmon, trout, bass, and northern pike either on the shore, from your boat, or from a charter fishing boat.
If you’re here to watch the birds, with late spring and winter coming, you can look forward to observing an enormous flock of migrating bald eagles. They spend the year here between November and February. The migrating species filling the area during the other part of the year include swans, geese, ospreys, and ducks.
Go hiking and enjoy the shade of many types of trees, including American mountain ash, green Japanese maple, Colorado Spruce, and many others. Of course, you’ll need a place to stay, and here are five excellent campgrounds.
Camp Coeur d’Alene
The first campground on our list is, appropriately, Camp Coeur d’Alene. Which is conveniently close to the shore. You’ll feel like you’re in the middle of the wilderness, and you will be, with the lake on one side and mountains surrounding you. Fortunately, you’re also just a 15-minute drive from the city.
There are several types of RV spaces, including back-in and pull-thru, which include electric and water hook-ups, a fire pit, and a picnic table. The site also includes a heated pool and playground. There’s easy access to hiking, the camp is pet friendly (though the site requires leashes), and for that fire pit, they provide free firewood. You can also rent a tent space and four or six-person cabins.
Wolf Lodge Campground
The people who run Wolf Lodge Campground consider it a people-oriented site. It’s just east of the lake and a short drive to the shore. You’ll find yourself in the middle of the forest, surrounded by mountains and trees. Their RV back-in and pull-thru sites are in the shade, as are many of the tent sites. You can also rent one of their five cabins.
While you’re here take a canoe or kayak out on Wolf Lodge Creek or let the kids play in their playground. At night, roast s’mores with the other campers and make some friends. Pets are welcome, but not allowed in buildings.
River Walk RV Park
If you’d like to be near, but not right on, the lake, with quick access to the city, then choose River Walk RV Park. This urban park is near Centennial Trail Bike and Walking Path, the Spokane River, and Riverstone Entertainment Center. It’s minutes from the shores of Coeur d'Alene Lake, though to get to the main park site it’s just a 22-minute drive.
Amenities include a coin-operated laundry, Wi-Fi, city water, and sewage hook-ups, 20/30/50-amp connections, restrooms and showers, and more. They’re set up for RVs that are 34 feet long or less.
Tamarack RV Park and Vacation Cabins
Tamarack RV Park is another great place to camp in the city, just 27 minutes from the primary lake entrance but only about 10 minutes from the lake itself. Tall ponderosa pine trees surround the park making it feel like the wilderness even though you’ll be close to all the amenities of the city. Visit the lake in the morning and afternoon, and enjoy nearby dining and shopping in the evening.
Each RV site has full hookups with 20/30/50 amp connections. Plus, there’s high-speed Wi-Fi, coin-operated laundry, portable fire pits, and digital TV. If you’d rather stay in a cabin, the site has six, and they include cookware and spices in the kitchens.
Ravenwood RV Resort
Farther north, about 30 minutes from Lake Coeur d'Alene, is Ravenwood RV Resort. This is another excellent site to camp at if you want to combine visiting the lake with enjoying all the city has to offer. Near the campground, you can enjoy the biggest theme parks in the northwest, Silverwood Theme Park and Boulder Beach Water Park. Take a shuttle to the parks with your kids and have an amazing day.
The campground opened in 2015, so its amenities are all very modern. It includes 30/50 amp hook-ups, a swimming pool open between Memorial Day and Labor Day, a store and gift shop on site, a sanitary dump station, basketball hoops, a volleyball court, a playground, a dog park, Wi-Fi, and more.
If you live around Coeur d’Alene, Boise, Hayden, or Meridian, and you need a place to store your RV, boat, or camping gear, then check out Keylock Storage. You can also store your business supplies and inventory or other personal items with us, and we’ll keep them safe year-round.
