Free Camp Guide
Aerial view of Crystal Lake Wilderness Study Area

Idaho Bureau of Land Management

Crystal Lake Wilderness Study Area

Camping fee unknownCamp anywhere in it
Camping fee not confirmed Nobody has written down what it costs to camp here, so we can’t tell you. It might be free. It might not. We read through the Bureau of Land Management’s records in August 2026 and found nothing either way. Watch for a sign when you pull in, or ask them before you set off.

About this place

Over 9,000 acres of public land, kept for its scenery, its recreation and its history.

The Skitwish Monuments stand nearby. They are unusual rock structures, tied to the religious ceremonies of the Coeur d’Alene Indians.

People walk here, camp, look at the country, hunt, fish and pick berries.

Crystal Lake is where walkers head from Sheep Springs Campground and trailhead, just outside this area.

The facts

Cost
Camping fee not confirmed
Type
Open area. Camp anywhere within it
Managed by
Bureau of Land Management

Getting there

About ten miles northeast of St Maries, in the northeast corner of Benewah County and the southeast corner of Kootenai County.

Coordinates 47.395277, -116.387222

Open in Google Maps Agency page

What is near here

Nothing nationally famous is close. These are the landmarks nearby.

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

St. Maries 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.