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Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)

FSU.S. Forest Service — STANLEY · Idaho · Sawtooth National Forest

AgencyFSU.S. Forest Service
AreaSawtooth National Forest
LocationSTANLEY · Idaho · Sawtooth National Forest · 43.92572, -114.85078 · Map
Sites1 public sites counted from the federal listing — 1 group picnic area
Getting a siteReservable — the federal listing marks this campground as taking reservations. Some sites or seasons may still be first-come; the listing’s own words are below.
HookupsElectric at 0 of 1 sites
Water hookups at 0 of 1 sites
Sewer hookups at 0 of 1 sites
Full hookups (all three at one site) at 0 of 1 sites
Counted site by site from affirmative reports in the federal record. A site with no report is not counted either way.
Max RV lengthNot reported in the federal data
Months openNot in federal data — the federal listing does not publish a season for this campground. Check the official description below or Recreation.gov.
FeesNot reported — the federal listing carries no fee description for this campground.
Check-in / outIn 6:00 AM · Out 10:00 PM (most common in the listing)
Accessible sites1 marked accessible in the listing
AccessibilityN
Phone928-537-8888

Check availability & book on Recreation.gov →

This site takes no reservations and shows no live availability. Source: Recreation.gov (RIDB export pulled November 5, 2026); this listing was last updated in the federal record on 2026-02-25.

From the official listing

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.

Directions, from the listing

From Stanley, Idaho, take State Highway 75 south for about 22 miles. Turn right on Alturas Creek Road/Forest Road 205 and continue west for about 2.6 miles to the campground.

Nearest federal campgrounds

FSU.S. Forest ServiceSmokey Bear Campground
1 mi straight-line · Idaho
FSU.S. Forest ServiceNorth Shore Campground
1 mi straight-line · Idaho
FSU.S. Forest ServiceAlturas Lake Inlet
2 mi straight-line · STANLEY Idaho
FSU.S. Forest ServicePettit Lake Campground
4 mi straight-line · Idaho
FSU.S. Forest ServiceChemeketan Campground
7 mi straight-line · STANLEY Idaho

Trip Card — Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)

STANLEY · Idaho · Sawtooth National Forest

AgencyFS · U.S. Forest Service
LocationSTANLEY · Idaho · Sawtooth National Forest
FeesNot reported in the federal data
Getting a siteReservable
HookupsNone reported
Max RVNot reported
Months openNot in federal data
Sites1 sites

Book: recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232011 · Source: Recreation.gov, pulled November 5, 2026. Facility details come from federal recreation data and may be out of date — this site takes no reservations and shows no live availability; confirm details and book through Recreation.gov or the managing agency.