Free Camp Guide
Aerial view of Coeur d'Alene Lake

Idaho Bureau of Land Management

Coeur d'Alene Lake

Partly free to campSet campsite
Free to camp on the open land, paid campground inside Some of this area is free to camp on and some of it charges. Nobody at the Bureau of Land Management has written down which is which, so check before you settle in for the night.

About this place

Lake Coeur d’Alene is a big, clear lake with a good reputation. People call it one of the most beautiful in the world. They come for the water and the view.

There is plenty to do in every season. On the lake, and around it.

The facts

Cost
Free to camp on the open land, paid campground inside
Type
Specific campsite
Managed by
Bureau of Land Management

Getting there

A boat is the best way to see Lake Coeur d’Alene. You can also drive around it. Head east from Coeur d’Alene on Interstate 90, then south on State Highway 97 and State Highway 3 to the town of St. Maries.

Coordinates 47.64741, -116.71841

Open in Google Maps Agency page

What is near here

There is another spot of ours within reach, and some better-known places further out.

Every distance on this page is the driving distance. A short distance can still take a long time. The road may be closed for the season, covered in snow, or washed out. Many of these roads are dirt. Plan your route before you leave home. Out here there is often no phone signal to look it up on the way.

Nearest town and supplies

Coeur d'Alene is big enough that you’d normally expect fuel and somewhere to buy food. Nobody from here has been to check, so don’t count on it if you’re running low.

Have you been here?

Fees and access change, and the records do not always keep up. If you have been, tell us what you found.

Add road notes for this site

The thing we cannot get from any government record is what the drive in is actually like. If you have done it, this is the most useful thing you can leave behind. We read everything before it appears, and we print a first name with it if you give one.

Where this information comes from

The description on this page is ours. The facts in it, and the fee and facility details below it, come from the Bureau of Land Management’s own records, read in August 2026.