Skip to content
Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground in Idaho
Hard to BookNational Forest

Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground

Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho

Sold out? We check Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground for cancellations and email you the moment a site opens.

Sold out for your dates?

Free to start. Email alerts included.

As of September 2026, Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground is a campground in Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho with 1 campsite. Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground is booked through Recreation.gov.

  • PermitSnag checks Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground for availability and tells alert holders when a site opens up.
  • Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground is located at 43.9257ยฐ N, 114.8508ยฐ W.
people allowed on each site
50

Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground reservations and next available dates

September 2026

open, tap to book on Recreation.govsold outin your alert

Stay and booking rules

  • Taxes apply

Published by Recreation.gov for Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground, read on September 29, 2026.

Campsites at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground

  • Group 1
  • Accessible 1

Amenities

  • restrooms
  • potable water

At a glance: Setting: Mountain.

Things to do: fishing, boating, hiking, wildlife, photography.

All sites at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground, as listed by Recreation.gov

Every site is in the PICB loop.

SiteTypeSleepsAccess
BGroup50Accessible

About Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground

Overview

Alturas Area Picnic B is located along the sandy shoreline of scenic Alturas Lake, at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountain Range.

Recreation

The site is part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, where outdoor activities abound. Alturas Lake offers excellent boating, water skiing, canoeing, kayaking and fishing for bull trout and Kokanee salmon. Alturas Creek runs through the adjacent campground.

The 10-mile round trip Alpine Meadows Trail begins nearby, with spectacular canyon, meadow and alpine lake views. The trail is also a popular area for bird watching.

Facilities

The picnic site is a day-use area only. It offers one accessible group site that can accommodate up to 50 people. Vault toilets, drinking water and garbage service are provided. Smokey Bear Boat Ramp is less than 1/4-mile away.

Natural Features

Summer wildflowers are plentiful, and a mixed-growth conifer forest provides partial shade. Temperatures are cool with an average summer high of 78 degrees and a low of 40 degrees.

Nearby Attractions

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area offers a myriad of excellent hiking and biking opportunities, and an estimated 750 miles of trails crisscross the valley and surrounding mountains.

Perkins Lake is less than 2 miles away, with excellent fishing and canoeing. Pettit and Yellowbelly Lakes are nearby with more fishing, canoeing and hiking. The Salmon River offers fishing for rainbow trout, Westslope cutthroat trout and occasional hybrid cutbows and bull trout.

Popular area events include an Arts and Crafts Fair in July, and Wagon Days, Salmon Festival, Quilt Fair and Fireman's Ball in September.

Rules and notices at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground

Recreation.gov does not date these notices. We last read them on September 29, 2026. Check Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground on Recreation.gov

Notices from Recreation.gov

Opening and closing dates are weather permitting, please call 928-537-8888 for more information.

No overnight camping; day use only.

Picnic area, when NOT reserved, is available on a first come, first serve basis.

Live music and amplified sound systems must be approved by the Sawtooth NRA; please call 208-774-3006

Don't Move Firewood: Help prevent the spread of tree-killing pests in our national forests by obtaining firewood near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org.

Idaho Off-road Vehicle Safety Message

Click here for more info about the Sawtooth National Forest

Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground FAQ

How hard is it to get a campsite at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground?

Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground is rated "Hard to Book" based on historical demand. This campground is popular and often books out weeks in advance. Your best strategy is to monitor cancellations.

How do I find last-minute availability at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground?

Cancellations happen frequently at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground, especially 1-2 weeks before check-in dates. PermitSnag monitors availability 24/7 and sends instant alerts when sites open up due to cancellations. This is often the best way to snag popular campsites.

How many campsites does Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground have?

Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) Campground has 1 campsites.

More campgrounds in Sawtooth National Forest

Same forest, same drive. Set an alert on any of them alongside this one.

All 21 Sawtooth National Forest campgrounds

Campgrounds

Browse Campsites

Monitor campsite availability across federal and state parks. Get alerts when sites open up at sold-out campgrounds.

One tick helps us more than youโ€™d think

Google lets you pick the sites it highlights for you. Add PermitSnag and our campground pages get marked as one of yours in AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Add PermitSnag in Google

Takes less than a minute.