Idaho weekends...

[mbnroberts]

Where are good places to Airstream in northern Idaho? We live in Spokane Wa and are looking for some short trips as the spring gets going. Thanks

[pappy19]

A lot depends on your interests. The US Forest Service has the Nine Mile Ranger Station museum that is quite interesting and I believe they have a campground there. Sandpoint, Idaho is a must and has numerous RV parks. Look up Idaho Parks & Recreation and get their annual pass for $10 and see all of their parks in North Idaho. Excellent fishing opportunities, golfing, hiking, boating, whatever you want, it's there.

[Skooter]

Might be a bit far for quick weekender, but Meadow Lake, south of Salmon on Rt 28 looks like a magical place. 9K feet elevation, so it's only open July-Sep.

Rt 28 is my personal lifelong favorite stretch of road ever traveled. Nary a soul out there. Had no clue Meadow Lake even existed till checking Google earth one day and found it. I've made a personal vow to camp there one day. It's only 2000 miles from TN.

[idroba]

At this time of year, you might try going west to Grand Coolie Dam area still in Washington. A lot of campgrounds in Northern Idaho are still closed. Spring Glenn campground just as you come into the dam area from the SE is very nice. Steamboat Rock State Park on Banks Lake is also a good spot.

[TinTin]

The Best Western Edgewater in Sandpoint has a smallish RV Park, about 20 sites. The RV Park is average, but the location is excellent, right by the municipal park and the lake, and an easy walk downtown. Overnight stays include pool privileges.

[mbnroberts]

Originally Posted by idroba

At this time of year, you might try going west to Grand Coolie Dam area still in Washington. A lot of campgrounds in Northern Idaho are still closed. Spring Glenn campground just as you come into the dam area from the SE is very nice. Steamboat Rock State Park on Banks Lake is also a good spot.

Steamboat is one if our favorite spots to go and only a couple hour drive. We will have to check out Spring Glenn. Thanks.

[mbnroberts]

Originally Posted by pappy19

A lot depends on your interests. The US Forest Service has the Nine Mile Ranger Station museum that is quite interesting and I believe they have a campground there. Sandpoint, Idaho is a must and has numerous RV parks. Look up Idaho Parks & Recreation and get their annual pass for $10 and see all of their parks in North Idaho. Excellent fishing opportunities, golfing, hiking, boating, whatever you want, it's there.

I have Sandpoint on our list to go to. Thanks.

[idroba]

You also might consider going south to the Lewiston area, then East up the Clearwater river. At Orofino there is a very nice BLM campground with all hookups. It is "Pink House" campground.

At Lowell, ID you can go up the Selway River and camp at Johnson Bar which is always open, and free until about May when they turn the water on.

[aftermath]

Faragut State Park is a quick and easy trip from Spokane. Also take a look at Riley Creek which is west of Sandpoint. Riley Creek is a very popular spot but the early spring time frame might work. You will have to call to check on availability.

Our favorite "quick" spot is up at Sullivan Lake on the north end of the lake. Early spring might be a bit cool and there are no hookups.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by idroba

You also might consider going south to the Lewiston area, then East up the Clearwater river. At Orofino there is a very nice BLM campground with all hookups. It is "Pink House" campground.

At Lowell, ID you can go up the Selway River and camp at Johnson Bar which is always open, and free until about May when they turn the water on.

On up from Orofino, just before the Canyon Ranger District is a nice riverside boondocking FS campground. I spent a summer working at Canyon back in '78 and returned with my SOB about 10 years ago. One of my favorite places on the planet.

[LucaBluPlus2]

Check out this great Airstream blog. They too are from Washington and spend lots of time in Idaho. If it does not end up giving you ideas, it will offer some great Airstream eye candy until you get there!

Just 5 More Minutes

[Len n Jeanne]

One place we really like in the Idaho state parks system is Priest Lake. It does get busy in the high season, so revs are recommended, but the main campground has a nice swimming beach. We've also camped at Farragut state park on Lake Pend d'Oreille, and visited Round Lake south of Sandpoint for several day trips. An out-of-state annual pass to the Idaho state parks is fairly cheap.

For more citified experiences, the Blackwell Island RV Park west of Coeur d'Alene is really nice. It also tends to fill up during the summer (with its beach and boat dock,) but it has been our go-to site for trips to Coeur d'Alene or Spokane.

We've not stayed at the Edgewater/Best Western RV park in Sandpoint, but we've stayed in the motel itself several times, and it is right on the water, yet within an easy walk of the town center and has a private beach. There is a nice restaurant in the resort, as well. Sandpoint has two nice wine bars.The one caution is that the Edgewater is very close to the RR tracks-- and Sandpoint gets a lot of train traffic. The motel itself is well insulated, but I think you'd hear trains going by all night in an RV with the windows open! (We've taken Amtrak out of Sandpoint several times.)

But hey, from Spokane, why don't y'all come on up to BC? One of our all-time favourite places to camp is the municipal campground in New Denver, BC. (North of Nelson and Trail.) Some of the sites are right on Slocan Lake, and the CG itself is within walking distance to a cute small town.

If you like hot springs and are willing to go a bit further, try Ainsworth, Nakusp, and Halcyon Hot Springs in BC. (Our favourite is Ainsworth-- you can park/camp overnight in their parking lot, and there are some provincial parks like Kokanee Creek in the area.)

[chevl66]

We are just getting ready to order our Airstream next week, will have to wait until May to use it, but we're also looking around to find places close to camp. We live almost to Idaho in the valley - I'm thinking Glacier must be a trip in the near future - although I'm thinking that will be at least a 4-day trip so as not to rush back to work! Following this thread...

[Len n Jeanne]

West Glacier is a pleasant drive from the Spokane area. We've stayed at the Fish Creek CG several times (because you can get revs during the high season) and used it as a base to explore other parts of the park. You can't take your trailer over Going-to-the-Sun Road (Logan Pass) but HY 2 along the southern border of the park is any easy drive to East Glacier, with no big passes. If we want to go to Logan Pass in the future, we would probably take the free NPS shuttle, as parking was just impossible the last time we were up there in July. We like to drop the Bambi in the CG, and then take the truck on some dirt roads to some of the beautiful lakes more away from the main tourist areas, like Kintla and Bowman.