Can you reserve a site at Blackwell Island Recreation Site?

No. Blackwell Island Recreation Site is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.

Blackwell Island Recreation Site — sites, fees and cancellation alerts

Overview

The Blackwell Island Recreation site opened in 2003, providing boat access to Lake Coeur d’Alene and the Spokane River. Amenities at the site include 130 vehicle-with-trailer parking spaces, 34 single vehicle parking spaces and four accessible boat launch lanes. Visitors can also enjoy a group picnic shelter or individual picnic units or take a walk on the ¼ mile interpretive raised boardwalk trail. An interpretive native plant garden is situated in the southwest corner of the site. This site operates from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily through the operating season. Blackwell Island is open from just before Memorial Day Weekend to mid-October due to fluctuating river water levels. Fees include $12 per day or $80 per season. Credit card machines are available on-site. Season pass is also useable at BLM’s Mineral Ridge Boat Launch, open year-round on the east side of Lake Coeur d’Alene. The Group picnic pavilion can be rented at $80 per day. Please note, this site is closed seasonally every winter from October to mid-May.

Getting there

From I-90, take the NW Boulevard exit and head south. Take the HWY 95 exit. Entrance to the site is on the right-hand side just after crossing the Hwy 95 south bridge over the Spokane River.

47.68330, -116.80520 · 47°40'59.9"N 116°48'18.7"W

Directions (Google Maps) · Directions (Apple Maps)

Typical weather

Typically 83°F in Aug, down to 36°F in Dec.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	36	41	48	56	66	72	83	83	74	58	44	36
Low °F	26	27	31	37	44	51	57	56	48	39	32	26
Precip in	3.2	2.1	2.7	1.9	2.1	2.2	0.7	0.8	0.8	2.0	3.3	3.5

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 0.4 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

Map

Fees and stay limits

$12 per day or $80 per season.

From Recreation.gov, which is not always current. The operator's own page is the authority on what you will be charged.

Common questions about Blackwell Island Recreation Site

Can you reserve a site at Blackwell Island Recreation Site?: No. Blackwell Island Recreation Site is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.

Camping near Blackwell Island Recreation Site

Beauty Creek Campground 8.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
Mokins Bay Campground 9.5 mi · Campground · we watch it
Bell Bay Campground 14.4 mi · Campground · we watch it
John C. Pointner Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary Trail 2.1 mi · Facility
Ross Point Day Use Recreation Site 3.4 mi · Facility
Mica Bay Boater Park 6.6 mi · Facility
Beauty Bay Recreation Area 7.2 mi · Facility
Blue Creek Bay Recreation Site and Trail 7.4 mi · Facility
Mineral Ridge Scenic Area and National Recreation Trail 7.6 mi · Facility
Mineral Ridge Boat Launch 8.1 mi · Facility
Kit Price Campground 15.8 mi · Campground
Honeysuckle Campground 15.8 mi · Campground

Contact

Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-05-21.

Blackwell Island Recreation Site