U.S. Forest Service · Idaho Panhandle National Forests · Priest River, ID

Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground

Surrounded by clear waters of Priest Lake, the 25 sites on Bartoo Island provide the ideal getaway for people looking for a rugged, but highly rewarding, camping experience on the peaceful shores of Priest Lake. There are 24 single sites on the island as well as one group site known as Sunrise Group Site. This group site has been renumbered from site #001 to site #23 for groups of 10-30 individuals. All sites are only reachable by boat.

Reservable · Recreation.gov25 sitesPets okFires okTents only

More like this: reservable in Idaho · tent only in Idaho · pets allowed in Idaho · group sites in Idaho

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
BARTOO ISLAND GROUP SITEBARTOO ISLAND GROUP SITEBARTOO ISLAND GROUP SITEBARTOO ISLAND GROUP SITE
Photos via Recreation.gov
4fires
active
Silver · 11 mi away · 2,593 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Site mix

Boat-in24
Group tent areas1
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

25 sites in 9 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteLoopTypeShadeWaterfrontPeople / vehiclesFiresRating
022BARTOO ISLAND GROUP SITEGroup tentPartialLakefront30 / –YesStandard
25Bartoo SoloBoat-inLakefront10 / –YesPrime
1CedarBoat-inLakefront10 / –YesStandard
23FourmileBoat-inLakefront10 / –YesPrime
24FourmileBoat-inLakefront10 / –YesPrime
2North BartooBoat-inLakefront10 / –YesPrime
3North BartooBoat-inLakefront10 / –YesPrime
4North BartooBoat-inLakefront10 / –YesPrime
5North BartooBoat-inLakefront10 / –YesPrime
6Solo #2Boat-inLakefront10 / –YesPrime

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions

Campers are required to bring their own portable toilets to this campground. They can check out toilet buckets at the Kalispell Boat Launch. Bartoo Island can only be access by boat. No drinking water is available and this is a pack it in, pack it out facility. Picnic tables and campfire rings are provided.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 3.95 inches of precipitation, 21.8 inches of snowFebruary: 2.59 inches of precipitation, 11.3 inches of snowMarch: 3.40 inches of precipitation, 5.4 inches of snowApril: 2.50 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowMay: 2.76 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 2.61 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.97 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.87 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.30 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.89 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowNovember: 4.19 inches of precipitation, 9.2 inches of snowDecember: 4.53 inches of precipitation, 25.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 26.9°F averageFebruary: 29.4°F averageMarch: 36.3°F averageApril: 44.0°F averageMay: 53.3°F averageJune: 58.9°F averageJuly: 65.4°F averageAugust: 64.3°F averageSeptember: 55.5°F averageOctober: 43.1°F averageNovember: 32.7°F averageDecember: 26.5°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Priest Rvr Exp Stn, 14 miles from the campground at 2,371 feet, station USC00107386 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 33 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 74 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Campground is only reachable by boat. Travel north from Priest River, Idaho on State Highway 57 to various boat launches around the lake. To access the Kalispell Bay Boat Launch, travel on Highway 57 for 31 miles to Kalispell Bay Road. Turn east (right) until you reach West Lakeshore Road. Head south.5 miles to the boat launch.

Nearest townPriest River, Idaho
Coordinates48.5511° N, 116.8656° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Silver

    11 mi from the campground · 2,593 acres · 30% contained

  • Wildfire
    Parker Lake

    25 mi from the campground · 1,531 acres · 1% contained

  • Wildfire
    Upper Smith

    29 mi from the campground · 4,848 acres · 41% contained

  • Prescribed
    Sl Rx - Ione

    30 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗4.9 mi
Outdoor gearNorth 40 ↗22.2 mi
RV sales & serviceKootenay RV ↗42.3 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Bartoo Island, Priest Lake,Idaho

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 1.6 mi
    Kalispell Island a Spur
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.9 mi
    Kalispell Island
    2.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2 mi
    Bulldog Point
    2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.7 mi
    Kalispell - Reeder Bay
    4.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle
  • 2.8 mi
    Woodrat ↗
    5.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.8 mi
    Beach ↗
    6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Idaho Panhandle National Forests begins about 13.8 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

Priest Lake spans 25,000-acres of incredible beauty, fed primarily by the waters of the Priest River. Named after the historical presence of Jesuit priests who settled in the lake area in the mid 19th century, Priest Lake is today a major tourist attraction, drawing water sports enthusiasts, photographers and birders alike. The group campground is located on the east side of Bartoo Island at an elevation of 2,400 feet. Bartoo, spanning 219 acres, is one of nine islands on Priest Lake. Summers at the lake are typically sunny and warm and wildlife in the area includes bears, deer and moose.

Recreation

Visitors enjoy all types of boating from kayaking to canoeing to power boating up the 3.5-mile thoroughfare, which leads to the Upper Priest Lake Scenic Area. The upper lake cannot be access by car, so water is an excellent navigation option. Fantastic birding and wildlife viewing is available, as well as Huckleberry picking from mid-july to early fall, when the sweet berries can be found in abundance throughout the forests of Northern Idaho. Swimming is a popular summer pastime and with beach access not far from the campground, visitors won't have any problem cooling off during warmer months. Anglers will be excited to know that the waters of Priest Lake are home to record-breaking Mackinaw trout as well as Dolly Varden, Cutthroat and Kokanee.

Nearby

Hike the Lakeshore or Beach Trails that traverse along the west shore of Priest Lake. The Beach trail extends between Outlet Bay Campground and the Kalispell Bay Boat Launch. The Lakeshore Trail runs for 8 miles along the northwest shores of Priest Lake. In winter, ice fishing, shoe shoeing and snowmobiling on nearby trails entertain visitors.

Guidebooks for Idaho

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground?

Sites at Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

How many sites does Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground have?

25 sites, including 24 boat-in sites and 1 group tent area.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I bring an RV to Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground?

Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 4 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.

Source: Fire nearby

Is there cell service at Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE and AT&T 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground?

Visitors enjoy all types of boating from kayaking to canoeing to power boating up the 3.5-mile thoroughfare, which leads to the Upper Priest Lake Scenic Area. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground?

Priest River, Idaho. Hike the Lakeshore or Beach Trails that traverse along the west shore of Priest Lake.

Source: Getting there

What if Bartoo Island Boat-In Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Bartoo Island Group Site/Campgrounds (0.8 mi, partly first-come), Kalispell Island Boat-In Campground (1.5 mi), and Kalispell Island Group Site and other Campgrounds (1.9 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby