Following the September announcement that Green Bay will be closed to day use to better accommodate the area’s paid campsites, the U.S. Forest Service has clarified that the popular beach will remain open to both campers and day-use visitors during the off-season.
Camping is available for $15 per night May through September, and in the intervening seven months, the beach and picnic area are free to use without a reservation.
“We’ve received a lot of feedback from residents about this change, and we appreciate all the concerns,” Idaho Panhandle National Forests Public Affairs Officer Patrick Lair told the Reader. “Our goal is to provide a better experience at Green Bay. Our hope is that combined with day-use access at the nearby Garfield Bay, Green Bay may serve primarily as a campground during the summer months.”
Inspired by increased foot traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic, the USFS shut down and renovated the park in 2024 using funds from the Great America Outdoors Act. At that time, IPNF Recreational Staff Officer Josh Jurgensen told the Reader that even after renovations, the public could “still use the lakeshore for day use.”
A view of Lake Pend Oreille from the beach at Green Bay. Photo by Soncirey Mitchell
The beach and campground opened the following year with an improved road; widened parking lot; accessible paths; and pads, fire rings and picnic tables at each of its 16 campsites. To address “complaints of partying and littering,” as well as make the campground safer, the USFS also hired a full-time campground host, according to Lair.
Though attendants did not begin enforcing day-use restrictions until September 2026, Lair told the Reader that the “decision to close the beach to day use at Green Bay Campground was made by the former Sandpoint District Ranger around 2021 or 2022, when the renovation plans were under discussion.”
“With the new design, many campsites are closely connected to the beach area, and day-use visitors must walk through the campsites to access the beach from the parking lot, which creates a conflict with paying campers,” Lair later added. “This is the first full year of operation for the new campground. As these conflicts became apparent, the employees began enforcing the day-use policy.”
With camping season officially at an end as of Thursday, Oct. 1, Green Bay is once again open to all. Availability for 2027 campsites will be announced online on Saturday, May 1 at bit.ly/GreenBayInfo.
Additional reporting by Ben Olson.
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