5 Favorite Inland NW Lakeside Campgrounds

August 30, 2022

Camping, Destinations, Get Out There

Is any lake your happy place? Enjoy camping? Combine the two and it can be pure bliss.

Here are five of the best lakeside campgrounds due to their family-friendly beaches and easy access for watersports recreation, including paddling, boating, and fishing — plus lots of reservable campsites.

Sam Owen at Lake Pend Oreille

Large campground, with four loops, located on a peninsula south of Hope, Idaho, along the east side of Lake Pend Oreille.

Amenities: boat launch, dock, day-use area and beach, sand volleyball court, paddle gear rentals, and dog-friendly beach.

Beach at sunset at Lake Pend Oreille at Sam Owen Campground.

Beach base camp with stand-up paddleboard, two kayaks, life jackets, blanket, tube, and chair at Sam Owen Campground along Lake Pend Oreille, with orange and yellow sunset on the horizon in the far distance. // Photo: Amy McCaffree

One of the best Inland NW lakeside campgrounds: Sam Owen Campground has a big beach for hanging out all day for paddling and swimming. // Photo: Amy McCaffree

National Forest Campgrounds on west Side of Priest Lake

10 U.S. National Forest campgrounds at Priest and Upper Priest lakes, including boat-in island campgrounds.

Amenities: Shoreline trails for hiking and mountain biking; boat launches; and Luby, Osprey, and Outlet campgrounds are within MTB/hiking distance to Hill’s Resort. (See “5 Adventures on Priest Lake’s Western Shores” for more recreation ideas.)

View of Priest Lake beyond campsite pine trees, near sunset time, with pink and purple hues on water and on the hills on the opposite shore.

Kayaker's perspective view of paddling on Priest Lake, with her sandaled feet propped up kayak bow with view of children paddling nearby, one in a kayak and one on a stand-up paddleboard

View of campsite picnic table and family eating dinner, near dusk, with darkened view pine trees and bushes close by, with view of lake below.

Blue-colored lake water and blue sky with streaks of white clouds and two people on stand-up paddleboards, paddling on on Priest Lake, with view of hills in the far distance on the other side of lake.

Paddling and camping at Priest Lake, Idaho: Views from Outlet Campground, both from the campsite and on the water. // Photos: Amy McCaffree

Heyburn State Park

Heyburn State Park, near Plummer, Idaho, includes three campgrounds on Chatcolet and Benewah Lakes, south of Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Amenities: Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, Rocky Point beach and boat launch, rental cabins, Plummer Point day-use area and dog-friendly beach, MTB and hiking trails, ranger station and visitor center near Hawley’s Landing.

Photo of families camping together by Amy S. McCaffree.

Heyburn State Park includes Hawley’s Landing Campground (left) and Rocky Point marina and day-use beach (right). / Photos: Amy McCaffree

Round Lake State Park

Round Lake State Park is a paddling and fishing paradise in Sagle, Idaho. The lake is annually stocked with trout by Idaho Fish & Game, and no combustion-motor boats are allowed.

Amenities: two docks, large swimming area, ranger station and visitor center, paddle gear rentals, and MTB/hiking trail around lake.

View of Round Lake and the day-use dock and boat launch near the beach, and hills rising from the opposite shore, with two red kayaks resting on the shore.

Round Lake State Park: Small, quiet lake with docks, boat launch, and swimming beach. // Photos courtesy of Robin Lewis.

Fort Spokane at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

Fort Spokane Campground is one of many National Park Service campgrounds within Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area at the 130-mile-long lake—a power-boating and fishing mecca. Fort Spokane is the campground closest to Spokane, located at confluence with the Spokane River.

Amenities: boat launch and trailer parking, fish cleaning station, sandy boat-in beaches along lake and river, and Fort Spokane Visitor Center and Museum.

Three kids sitting on a large orange inflatable tube-seat, being pulled by a powerboat, and kids smiling with excitment as they are pulled fast with lake water spraying in their faces.

Boat launch at Fort Spokane where the Spokane River flows into Lake Roosevelt (left); Powerboat and tubing fun on Lake Roosevelt. // Photos: Amy McCaffree

Find more stories about lake recreation and adventure destinations in the Lake Guide archives.

Heyburn State Park Lake Guide Lake Guide 2022 Lake Pend Oreille Lake Roosevelt priest lake Round Lake State Park

Amy McCaffree

Amy Silbernagel McCaffree is digital editor and the "Out There Kids" columnist, and has been an OTO contributor since 2006. She grew up near Seattle and the western foothills of the Cascade Mountains, and has lived in Spokane since 2003. She enjoys camping, biking, hiking, swimming, paddling, and alpine skiing with her husband and their two children. She has a MFA in Creative Writing from Eastern Washington University. Her writing has appeared in various other regional publications, including poetry anthologies, "Spokane Coeur d'Alene Living" and "Spokane Business Catalyst" magazines, and the now defunct "Northwest Runner" magazine. Connect with Amy