PNW Camping,  Travel

Family Camping at Farragut State Park {Athol, Idaho}

July 23, 2019 / 404 Comments

Discovering the PNW is always an adventure my family is always ready to take. We ventured beyond Washington to gorgeous northern Idaho and enjoyed the beautiful Farragut State Park – a 4,000-acre state park about five miles east of Athol in Kootenai County and about thirty miles northeast of Coeur d’Alene. This state park has everything a camper and outdoor adventurer can dream of. Five disc golf courses, 40 miles of biking and hiking trails, a calm swimmers beach bay, a boat launch, 20 miles of horse trails, and 265 individual campsites, 6 equestrian sites, 10 camping cabins, 6 group camps, and multiple large group use areas. In addition, this park is just minutes from the popular Silverwood Theme Park (read my tips on visiting Silverwood with a family!) We traveled to Farragut State park and camped with 7 children – this state park is very family-friendly. Here is an overview of what you can expect when visiting Farragut State Park:

Camping

There are 5 different camping loops, some more wooded and some more open, ranging from standard to full RV-hookup sites. Two popular loops include Gilmore and Snowberry – both offer RV hookups and are family-friendly. We decided to stay in Snowberry because it is more wooded, offering both shade and privacy which our family appreciates while camping. There are also plenty of larger sites, ideal for big families or sharing. If you need an even larger site there are a couple companion sites located throughout Farragut State Park campgrounds.

  • Entrance to Snowberry
  • On the loop
  • Our campsite
  • Restrooms
  • Set up – plenty of room for our pop-up and for a large tent

This loop is very family-friendly; you’ll find kids riding their bikes throughout the loop and exploring the grassy areas surrounding the loop. Our family enjoyed taking nature walks in several areas around the loop. The bathrooms are clean and offer free hot showers. This is a really nice feature when you have a large family who needs to shower often!

  • Nature hike
  • Photo on the trail

In the evening we had fun cooking and making s’mores on the included firepit, and watching outdoor movies. The campground is private enough that we didn’t feel like we bothered any of the neighbors with our medium-volume noise. Quiet time is at 10pm but as long as you aren’t being loud and rowty you are fine to enjoy time around the fire.

  • Playing near the campsite
  • Making grilled cheese over the fire
  • S’mores
  • Arlo roasting marshmallows after dark
  • Outdoor movie night
  • The kids enjoying movie night
  • Dinner time
  • Playing board games

Park Amenities

When you are ready to explore the park, you can head to one of the offered recreation areas such as one of five disc golf courses or perhaps you want to launch your boat or swim.

Eagle Boat Launch

The boat launch is large, and is the only major access for boaters on the south end of Lake Pend Oreille, the largest lake in Idaho. We drove our car with the kayaks here and enjoyed kayaking the pristine waters and taking in the lush green view that surrounds the entire lake.

  • Boat Launch overview
  • Kayaks at the boat launch area
  • Boat Launch docks
  • Kids going kayaking
  • Tory kayaking
  • Kids swimming near the boat launch

Beaver Bay Beach

A few days were spent at the beach, we would load up the car with the kids and supplies and drive down to the swim area – it’s quite a trek if you do decide to walk but there is a lovely Shoreline Trail that connects the boat launch to the beach area. We also brought out kayaks here, and all though watercraft of any kind is strictly forbidden in the roped off swim area bay, you can easily shore your kayaks just outside the roped area and take them around the lake to explore. The swim area itself is lovely. It is an entire bay with somewhat sandy shores (gravel sand) that is clean and refreshing. Perfect for the little kids to enjoy!

  • Overview of the bay
  • Entire bay is a swimmable beach
  • Lots of room at the beach
  • Chasing ducks at the bay
  • Kayaking outside of the bay
  • Kayaking with Emily
  • Exploring the wildflowers
  • Jumping off docks
  • Ashlyn ready to swim
  • Swimming
  • Large lake

The Museum at the Brig

The Museum at the Brig houses the world’s largest collection of United States Farragut Naval Training Station (1942-1946) memorabilia. It includes two restored vehicles on display in the courtyard of the brig building. A 1938 Ford 2-ton work truck and a 1942 Pirsch open cab fire engine, were used when the Farragut Naval Training Station was in operation. Films on area history and geology are shown daily in the Museum at the Brig’s Pacific Theater. The museum is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, 10 am to 5 pm. (Information courtesy of Idaho Parks and Recreation).

  • The museum
  • Outside the museum

The Visitors Center

Located at the west entrance, Farragut State Park visitor center has park maps, trail guides, campground registration, natural history park displays and a gift shop offering a variety of unique souvenir items and snacks.

  • The visitors center
  • Shop inside

Athol, Idaho

It is always important to know what shops in the area are available close to your campground. Conveniently, there are several markets, a great coffee shop, and a theme park all within a few miles of Farragut State Park.

Super 1 Foods

Less than a 10 minute drive from Farragut State Park is a large grocery store and fantastic coffee. The store has everything you need food wise, and even has an ACE connected to it with a large selection of camping gear and essentials just in case you forgot something!

Careywood Coffee Company

I’ll admit, I love espresso and if there is a coffee place worth visiting I will make the trip each morning. Careywood coffee company is a small coffee shop nestled near a little market, easy to miss but worth looking for! The coffee is roasted in house, the service is friendly and the prices are right. The coffee here is among the best I ever tasted – not bitter, creamy and delicious! Inside there is a cute assortment of gifts made by local artisans, and a small cozy seating area. You can buy bags to go as well. You must try them if you visit Farragut State Park and enjoy fresh coffee!

  • Outside the coffee shop
  • They roast their beans in house
  • Gifts inside
  • Most delicious espresso!

Silverwood Theme Park

One of the main reasons we visited Farragut State Park was to also plan a trip to Silverwood Theme Park. While there is a campground located adjacent to Silverwood, we wanted a more rustic experience and to also enjoy the amenities of a large state park while in the area. For a complete guide to visiting Silverwood Theme Park, visit this post (COMING SOON!)

Farragut State Park is a very family-friendly park that has it all – including being close to a big theme park. Our family enjoyed it so much we are already planning a return trip there next year!

Check out more PNW campground reviews here!

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