Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)

Sawtooth National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: STANLEY, ID, ID

Price: From $125 per night

Rating: 3 out of 5 (1 reviews)

Season: May through October

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

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Fishing, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/alturas-lake-picnic-area-id to be notified when sites open up.

Alturas Lake Picnic Area sits on the scenic shoreline of Alturas Lake at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountain Range, offering excellent boating, fishing for bull trout and Kokanee salmon, and access to the 10-mile round trip Alpine Meadows Trail with spectacular canyon and meadow views.

Wildlife alert: Gray wolves are present in the area (research-grade iNaturalist observations within 8km). Also expect mule deer and pronghorn. Grouse species are common.

Insider tips for Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id): Book early — this is a federal campground with only 1 tent site, making availability extremely limited Bring your own water filtration or plan for vault toilets; drinking water is available but no hookups means limited water infrastructure Fish for bull trout and Kokanee salmon directly from Alturas Lake, which borders the picnic area

Skip Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) if: You need hookups — no hookups are available at this site. You require camping outside May through October — seasonal operations only.

Best time to visit Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id): May-October — This is the official operating season for the campground per federal seasonal operations schedule.

Nearby campgrounds: Smokey Bear Campground (Ketchum, ID), North Shore Campground (Ketchum, ID), Alturas Lake Inlet (STANLEY, ID), Pettit Lake Campground (Ketchum, ID).

Cell Phone Coverage at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)

Cell signal at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) (STANLEY, ID): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›ID›Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)
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Sawtooth National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)

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STANLEY, ID, ID★ 3 (1 reviews)From $125/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

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

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
ADA sites1 sites
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsBoat Launch

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need hookups — no hookups are available at this site✕ You require camping outside May through October — seasonal operations only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 1 tent site, making availability extremely limited

Bring your own water filtration or plan for vault toilets; drinking water is available but no hookups means limited water infrastructure

Fish for bull trout and Kokanee salmon directly from Alturas Lake, which borders the picnic area

Best: May-October

This is the official operating season for the campground per federal seasonal operations schedule

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Gray wolves are present in the area (research-grade iNaturalist observations within 8km). Also expect mule deer and pronghorn. Grouse species are common.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
928-537-8888· Sawtooth National Forest
Getting there →

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.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Sawtooth National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Sawtooth National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.
  • Bear country — store all food in bear boxes or locked vehicle at all times.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) cost per night?+
Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) costs $125 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) open?+
Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)?+
Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)?+
Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id)?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) open, and what are check-in times?+
Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Forest Service Concessionaire
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$125 /night★ 3 (1)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) cost per night?+
What season is Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) open?+
Does Alturas Lake Picnic Area (Id) have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Forest campground camping

Smokey Bear Campground

Ketchum, ID

From $20/night

North Shore Campground

Ketchum, ID

From $20/night

Alturas Lake Inlet

STANLEY, ID

From $24/night

Pettit Lake Campground

Ketchum, ID

From $20/night

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