Lake Elsie
Its sites are first-come, first-served (no reservations), and camping is free. Lake Elsie is a National Forest campground near Shoshone, Idaho.
First-come, first-served
- National Forest
- Managed by
Lake Elsie sits inside Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.
Getting a site
- Managed by
- National Forest
- Reservations
- None, first-come
- Fee
- Free
Source: apps.fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-30
Access and cell service
- Elevation
- 5,112 ft
47.4298, -116.0227 in Shoshone. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Common questions
Do you need a reservation at Lake Elsie?
No. Lake Elsie is first-come, first-served: there is no reservation system, so arrive early to claim an open site.
How much does it cost to camp at Lake Elsie?
Camping at Lake Elsie is free.
Who manages Lake Elsie?
Lake Elsie is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Around Lake Elsie
Big Creek 
Huckleberry Campground
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $10 per night (2 vehicles included per site)
Huckleberry Campground - Sites
- 31
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Not on record
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- 05-27 to 09-23
- Fee
- Site: $30 per night
- Sites
- Not on record
- Season
- Not on record
- Fee
- Single Site: $10 per night (2 vehicles included per site)
More campgrounds: camping near Shoshone and campgrounds in Shoshone.
Sources
- apps.fs.usda.gov (all fields), accessed 2026-09-30
- epqs.nationalmap.gov (elevationFt), accessed 2026-10-01