Brush Lake Picnic Area

Closed — Open seasonally from May through October. No fees required. Day use only; overnight camping is not permitted.

About

Brush Lake Picnic Area is a day use recreation site located in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests within the Lower Kootenai River Region. The facility features 4 picnic sites with vault toilets but no potable water, making it essential for visitors to bring their own drinking water. The picnic area sits along Brush Lake and provides lake access for boating, fishing, and swimming, though boat launching can become challenging during late summer and fall when water levels drop. The area operates on a first-come, first-served basis with no fees required for use. Recreation opportunities extend beyond picnicking to include lake and pond fishing, ice fishing in winter months, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, and swimming. The site is accessed via US Highway 95 north of Bonners Ferry, then Forest Service Road 1004 (Brush Lake Road). This is strictly a day use facility with no overnight camping permitted. Visitors should plan to pack in all supplies including water and pack out all trash, as no services or amenities beyond the basic picnic sites and vault toilets are provided.

Directions

Travel 18 miles north of Bonners Ferry on US Highway 95. Turn right (southeast) onto Forest Service Road 1004 (Brush Lake Road) and continue about 3 miles to the Brush Lake Picnic Area.

Nearby Campgrounds