Photo thanks to Recreation.gov
Beauty Creek Campground
A small, quiet Forest Service campground in the trees above Beauty Bay, with paved back-in sites, a trailhead to Caribou Ridge and Lake Coeur d’Alene half a mile away. No hookups.
Idaho Panhandle National Forests · above Beauty Bay, about 20 minutes east of Coeur d’Alene
Season
Late May–mid-Sept
Reserve on Recreation.gov
Elevation
About 2,100 ft
In the forest above Beauty Bay
Hookups
No hookups
Vault toilets and hand-pump water
Big rigs
Small rigs best
Potholed access road; longest reported 35 ft
Updated October 12, 2026 · Details checked against the park’s website
Above Beauty Bay
The Beauty Creek experience
A small Idaho Panhandle National Forests campground in a wooded valley above Beauty Bay, with paved back-in sites, vault toilets and a hand pump for water. Lake Coeur d’Alene is about half a mile away. There are no hookups and no dump station.
Paved back-in sites17 single and double sites plus a group site
Caribou Ridge trailheadThe national recreation trail starts in camp
Fire rings & tablesFirewood sold by the host
Drinking waterHand pump; some campers bring their own
Vault toiletsKept clean by the camp host
Group siteFor up to 35 people
Wooded sitesThe higher-numbered sites are the most private
Camp hostOn site in season
Life at camp
What campers say
The campground report card
We don’t recycle other sites’ reviews, but the published scores tell a clear story: campers like how quiet, clean and well hosted it is, and the main warning is the potholed road in for bigger rigs.
How RVers rate it
Category scores from Campendium reviewers, out of 5
Field notes from RVers
Longest rig RVers report35 ft Apr 2017
Cell signal reportedVerizonAT&T
Last reported nightly rate$26 Sep 2025
As reported by Campendium users. The longest rig is a 35 ft fifth wheel from an April 2017 review, and a July 2024 reviewer warned that the access road had deep potholes. Confirm site lengths and road conditions before you go.
Off I-90 at Exit 22
Getting there
Beauty Creek is about a mile up Forest Road 438 off ID-97, 2.5 miles south of I-90 Exit 22 and about 20 minutes east of downtown Coeur d’Alene.
From Coeur d’Alene: I-90 east to Exit 22, south on ID-97 for 2.5 miles, then left on Forest Road 438 for about a mileFrom Montana and the east: I-90 west to Exit 22, then the same route
I-90 · EXIT 22 / ID-97
Set your GPS
7500 Beauty Creek Rd., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814
To Mineral Ridge*About 5 min
To downtown Coeur d’AleneAbout 15 min
To the Old MissionAbout 30 min
To Spokane airportAbout 55 min
The road in has potholes. Recreation.gov warns of several potholes, and reviewers say rigs longer than about 24 ft should take it slowly or look elsewhere.
Come self-contained. There are no hookups or dump station; the nearest free dump is in Coeur d’Alene, about 20 minutes away.
*Drive times are from OpenStreetMap routing and are approximate. Locator map is approximate, not for navigation.
Around Wolf Lodge Bay
Around Wolf Lodge Bay
Mineral Ridge, the winter eagle watch on Wolf Lodge Bay, downtown and the Old Mission at Cataldo are all within about 30 minutes.
Photo thanks to the BLM (public domain)
Mineral Ridge Trail
A 3.3-mile BLM loop trail that climbs above Beauty Bay, with interpretive stops and wide views of Lake Coeur d’Alene; no fee.
Photo thanks to the BLM (public domain)
Eagle watching on Wolf Lodge Bay
From late fall into winter, bald eagles gather on Wolf Lodge Bay to feed on spawning kokanee, and the BLM posts weekly counts.
Photo thanks to LibertyLakeAnne (CC0)
Tubbs Hill & downtown
Downtown’s wooded peninsula park, with a shoreline loop trail, next to the lakefront beach, shops and boardwalk.
Photo thanks to Paul J. F. Schumacher (public domain)
Coeur d’Alene’s Old Mission
Idaho’s oldest standing building, an 1850s mission church on a hill above the Coeur d’Alene River, now a state park.
More places to stay
Other parks worth a look
The three closest RV parks to Beauty Creek, by drive time.
Photo thanks to CampCDA
CampCDA
A family campground on Wolf Lodge Bay with a heated pool, lake access and cabins.
Photo thanks to Wolf Lodge Campground
Wolf Lodge Campground
A grassy creekside campground off I-90 with kayaking, a dog park and group campfires.
Photo thanks to Tamarack RV Park
Tamarack RV Park
A shady, year-round park under tall pines in town, a short walk from Costco and Safeway.
Before you book
Plan your stay
Everything that decides whether Beauty Creek fits your rig, your dates and your budget, in one place.
Our take: a quiet, clean little Forest Service campground in the trees, with a trailhead in camp and the lake half a mile away. With no hookups, a hand pump for water and a potholed road in, it suits tents, vans and small self-contained rigs best.
Campground feesFrom the Forest Service · checked Oct 12, 2026
Single site$26 /night
Double site$56 /night
Group site$85 /night
Extra vehicle$10 /day
Reserve on Recreation.gov, where a reservation fee may apply. One vehicle is included; extra vehicles (two at most) are $10 a day, paid on site by cash or check. Interagency senior and access pass holders usually pay half the site fee.
Prices are subject to change at any time and may vary by date, season and availability. For the latest pricing, check the Forest Service campground page or call (435) 245-6521.
Typical July afternoon
Coeur d’Alene83°
Phoenix107°
Warm, dry summers: 24° cooler than Phoenix in July; January highs average about 36°, with snow.
Is it right for you?
Who it suits, what to consider, and what campers say.
Open
Site types
$26 a night for a single site; no hookups.
Open
Rates & policies
Stay limit, check-in, fires, pets and bears.
Open
Before you book
Questions to ask before you reserve.
Open
Beauty Creek Campground is a small Forest Service campground in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, run by a concessionaire with a camp host in season. It sits in a wooded valley above Beauty Bay on Lake Coeur d’Alene, with 17 paved back-in sites plus a group site and no hookups.
Best for
- Tent campers and small rigs: paved back-in sites in the trees, with the most private ones at the top of the loop.
- Hikers: the Caribou Ridge National Recreation Trail starts in camp, and Mineral Ridge is a few minutes away.
- Budget travelers: $26 a night, about half that with an interagency senior pass.
- Lake lovers: the Mineral Ridge boat ramp and Lake Coeur d’Alene are less than a mile away.
Consider this
- There are no hookups, no showers and no dump station.
- The access road has deep potholes, and low branches make it tricky for big rigs.
- The meadow sites near the entrance have little privacy, and the creek is often dry by late summer.
- It’s open only from late May to mid-September and fills up on weekends.
Summer in Coeur d’Alene
Typical July afternoon
83°
Coeur d’Alene
Coeur d’Alene station
107°
Phoenix
Phoenix Sky Harbor
24 degrees cooler than Phoenix, with nights near 57°. Normal July highs, 1991–2020.
All sites are reservable back-ins with paved parking aprons, picnic tables and fire rings, and no hookups. Doubles hold up to 16 people, and one group site holds up to 35.
Single site $26/night
Most sites are singles; check each site’s apron length on Recreation.gov.
Double site $56/night
Double sites suit two families; site 14 takes vehicles up to 44 ft.
Group site $85/night
One group site with a shelter, for gatherings of up to 35 people.
Extra vehicle $10/day
One vehicle is included with each site; extras are $10 a day.
Single site$26No hookups
SeasonLate May–mid-SeptGate locked off-season
Check-in2 p.m.Out by noon
Stay limit14 daysIn any 30 days
ReservationsRecreation.govNo-shows aren’t refunded
PetsAllowedKeep them leashed
FiresIn fire ringsUse local firewood
FoodBear countryStore food securely
WaterHand pumpNo dump station
Extra vehicles$10 a dayCash or check
Checked against the Forest Service and Recreation.gov pages on October 12, 2026. Reserve on Recreation.gov; for questions call the concessionaire at (435) 245-6521. Extra vehicles are $10 a day, paid on site by cash or check.
Good to know before you pull in
Five things that change your booking
Ask these on the phone before you reserve.
- How long is my site’s parking apron? Recreation.gov lists the driveway length for each site.
- Is the road graded? Ask the host about potholes if you’re towing.
- Is the water on? Some campers bring drinking water in case the hand pump is off.
- Is there a fire ban? Check Idaho Department of Lands restrictions in late summer.
- Do I have a pass? Interagency senior and access passes usually cut the site fee in half.
Know before you go
Frequently asked questions
A few details before you hit the road.
Season: Late May–mid-Sept
Ready for a quiet forest campground near the lake?
Pitch camp in the trees, hike Caribou Ridge from your site and be on Lake Coeur d’Alene in minutes. Reserve your site on Recreation.gov.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Campsite photos come from Recreation.gov (public domain, U.S. Forest Service), and one still from The McMillan Express. Video: Idaho Campground Review on YouTube. Area photos via Wikimedia Commons: the BLM (Mineral Ridge and the eagle; public domain), LibertyLakeAnne (Tubbs Hill; CC0) and Paul J. F. Schumacher (Old Mission, Historic American Buildings Survey; public domain); the images were resized. Other-park photos: CampCDA, Wolf Lodge Campground and Tamarack RV Park. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the parks we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Beauty Creek Campground unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the park’s published materials and publicly available sources. Pricing, availability, rules, policies, regulations, amenities and other details are set by the park and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel or book, please confirm all details directly with Beauty Creek Campground at fs.usda.gov or (435) 245-6521. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
We will always do our best to keep this page up to date. Thank you to everyone who contributes; we truly appreciate your help and support.