Hazard Lake

Payette National Forest — lakeside

Location: New Meadows, ID, ID

Price: From $10 per night

Price range: $10–$15 per night

Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (3 reviews)

Season: May through October

Hazard Lake Campground is situated along the shore of Hazard Lake at an elevation of 7,050’, Hazard Lake Campground presents convenient lakeside access and abundant recreational opportunities. This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Drinking Water, Boat Launch

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

Hazard Lake offers convenient lakeside access at 7,050' elevation with abundant recreational opportunities. Campers consistently praise it as one of the prettiest places they've been, with nearby hiking trails to Big Hazard and Upper Hazard lakes.

Wildlife alert: Elk, Mule Deer, American Pika, Columbian Ground Squirrel, Dusky Grouse, Red-tailed Hawk, and White-crowned Sparrows present in the area.

Insider tips for Hazard Lake: First-come, first-served only — physically arrive early to claim a site Drive slowly on the dirt road approaching the campground; the trip is worth the effort Pay via QR code using Recreation.gov mobile app once on-site Three lakes in the area: only Hazard Lake has pull-up camping; Big Hazard and Upper Hazard require hiking

Skip Hazard Lake if: You need hookups — no hookups available. You want guaranteed reservations — first-come, first-served only. You're visiting November through April — seasonal closure. You have a low-clearance vehicle — unpaved approach road.

Best time to visit Hazard Lake: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only. Weekdays — Campground gets full on weekends; first-come, first-served basis requires early arrival.

Nearby campgrounds: Upper Payette Lake Campground (MCCALL, ID), Grouse Campground (MCCALL, ID), Burgdorf (Mccall, ID), Jeanette (McCall, ID).

Cell Phone Coverage at Hazard Lake

Cell signal at Hazard Lake (New Meadows, 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.

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Payette National Forest — lakesideLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Hazard Lake

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New Meadows, ID, ID★ 4.3 (3 reviews)From $10/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Hazard Lake Campground is situated along the shore of Hazard Lake at an elevation of 7,050’, Hazard Lake Campground presents convenient lakeside access and abundant recreational opportunities. This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site.

Best for:CampersNature loversFamiliesSites: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.
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsBoat Launch
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Drinking Water

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 available✕ You want guaranteed reservations — first-come, first-served only✕ You're visiting November through April — seasonal closure✕ You have a low-clearance vehicle — unpaved approach road

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

First-come, first-served only

physically arrive early to claim a site

Drive slowly on the dirt road approaching the campground; the trip is worth the effort

Pay via QR code using Recreation.gov mobile app once on-site

Three lakes in the area: only Hazard Lake has pull-up camping; Big Hazard and Upper Hazard require hiking

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Best: Weekdays

Campground gets full on weekends; first-come, first-served basis requires early arrival

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: Elk, Mule Deer, American Pika, Columbian Ground Squirrel, Dusky Grouse, Red-tailed Hawk, and White-crowned Sparrows present in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
N/A· Payette National Forest
Getting there →

From McCall, travel five miles west on Highway 55. Turn right on Goose Lake Road/Forest Road #257. Follow the paved road to Brundage Mountain Resort where the road turns to gravel and continue approximately 18 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 — Payette National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Payette National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Hazard Lake cost per night?+
Hazard Lake costs $10–$15 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Hazard Lake open?+
Hazard Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Hazard Lake have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Hazard Lake?+
Hazard Lake is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Hazard Lake?+
Hazard Lake 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 Hazard Lake?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Hazard Lake is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Hazard Lake open, and what are check-in times?+
Hazard Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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●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.

$10 /night★ 4.3 (3)
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 Hazard Lake cost per night?+
What season is Hazard Lake open?+
Does Hazard Lake have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Upper Payette Lake Campground

MCCALL, ID

From $10/night

Grouse Campground

MCCALL, ID

From $10/night

Burgdorf

Mccall, ID

From $10/night

Jeanette

McCall, ID

From $10/night

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