The 5 Lakes We'd Camp at Again (and Again)
One of our favorite kinds of campsites is one where you can open the door, step outside, and see water.
Not every lake camp is created equal, though. Some are beautiful but crowded. Others are great for boating but not swimming. Some are perfect for paddleboarding, while others are so windy you'd spend the whole day fighting the waves.
Over the past year of living in our EarthRoamer, these are five lake camps that we'd happily return to. They're all a little different, but each one gave us a reason to linger for another day.
Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho
We stayed at Riley Creek Recreation Area near Laclede, and it's one of our favorite developed campgrounds we've found.
The campground sits just a short walk from the lake, where there's a swimming beach, boat launch, playground, and even an off-leash area where dogs can get in the water. During the summer the water is warm enough to comfortably swim and paddleboard, and it's only about 20 minutes from Sandpoint if you want to spend time in town.
If you like having amenities nearby without feeling like you're in the middle of a city, this is a great balance.
Lake Koocanusa, Montana
Lake Koocanusa feels completely different.
Instead of a campground, we stayed at dispersed sites scattered along the shoreline. Some camps are right on the water, while others sit slightly above it with incredible views across the lake.
It's one of the quietest places we've camped. Both times we've visited we've had long stretches where we barely saw another person. The lake can get a little choppy for paddleboarding, but waking up only a few steps from the water more than makes up for it.
Stanley Lake, Idaho
If we were ranking lakes purely on scenery, Stanley Lake would be hard to beat.
We stayed in Stanley Lake Campground. Our campsite wasn't directly on the water, but a short wooded trail led down to the shoreline. The Sawtooth Mountains rise straight behind the lake, making it one of the prettiest places we've been.
The water is glacier-fed, so don't expect a warm swim, but it's perfect for paddleboarding or kayaking on a calm morning. A handful of campsites sit directly on the shoreline if you're lucky enough to get one.
Grant Lake, California
Getting there requires driving a rough trail that most passenger vehicles wouldn't attempt, but that's exactly what keeps it quiet. We found dispersed camping right on the water with almost no one else around.
The Sierra Nevada mountains surround the lake, and between the scenery and the solitude, it quickly became one of our favorite camps in California.
Twin Lakes, Colorado
There are dispersed campsites around the lake, with a handful sitting directly on the shoreline and many others just a short walk away. It's a great place to paddleboard, swim, or ride bikes, with trails starting nearby and the historic Twin Lakes Lodge just down the road.
Camping next to water never gets old. Whether we're paddleboarding, watching the sunset reflect across the lake, or simply enjoying a quieter camp, we've found ourselves gravitating toward lakes every chance we get.
We're sure this list will change over time, but after more than a year on the road, these five are still the ones we find ourselves talking about returning to over and over again.