Picnic Point (Id)

Boise National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: CASCADE, ID, ID

Price: From $15 per night

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (21 reviews)

Season: May through October

Picnic Point Campground is located on a bluff overlooking beautiful Warm Lake, at an elevation of 5,300 feet. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing, swimming, hiking and viewing local wildlife. The campground offers tent-only campsites, which can be accessed via a 50 to 200 foot hike from the parking area.

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

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

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

Picnic Point offers excellent lake access with 8 walk-in tent sites overlooking Warm Lake at 5,300 feet elevation. Visitors enjoy outstanding fishing for multiple trout species, boating, swimming, and wildlife viewing in a quieter tent-only environment without RVs.

Wildlife alert: Gray Wolf, American Elk, Mule Deer present in area. Also Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Bluebird, and garter snakes.

Insider tips for Picnic Point (Id): All 8 sites are walk-in only with no RVs allowed, creating a quieter camping experience Most sites have lake views of Warm Lake Billy Rice Swim Beach is within walking distance for day-use activities Book early as this is a popular federal campground with limited sites

Skip Picnic Point (Id) if: You need RV hookups (no hookups available). You prefer developed campgrounds (vault toilets, drinking water only). You want to camp outside May-October (seasonal closure).

Best time to visit Picnic Point (Id): May-October — Official seasonal operations period.

Nearby campgrounds: Shoreline (CASCADE, ID), Stolle Meadows Cabin (CASCADE, ID), Penn Basin (Cascade, ID), Poverty Flat (McCall, ID).

Cell Phone Coverage at Picnic Point (Id)

Cell signal at Picnic Point (Id) (CASCADE, 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
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Boise National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Picnic Point (Id)

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CASCADE, ID, ID★ 4.4 (21 reviews)From $15/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Picnic Point Campground is located on a bluff overlooking beautiful Warm Lake, at an elevation of 5,300 feet. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing, swimming, hiking and viewing local wildlife. The campground offers tent-only campsites, which can be accessed via a 50 to 200 foot hike from the parking area.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites: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
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking WaterBoat Launch
Recreation
Picnic TablesElectric Hookups
Family & Pets
Vault ToiletsFishing

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 RV hookups (no hookups available)✕ You prefer developed campgrounds (vault toilets, drinking water only)✕ You want to camp outside May-October (seasonal closure)

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

All 8 sites are walk-in only with no RVs allowed, creating a quieter camping experience

Most sites have lake views of Warm Lake

Billy Rice Swim Beach is within walking distance for day-use activities

Book early as this is a popular federal campground with limited sites

Best: May-October

Official seasonal operations period

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 Wolf, American Elk, Mule Deer present in area. Also Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Bluebird, and garter snakes.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
208-382-7400· Boise National Forest
Getting there →

From Cascade, turn east on Warm Lake Highway. Travel approximately 26 miles along the paved road to Forest Road 489 and turn south. Continue about a half-mile past the Shoreline Campground and North Shore Lodge. The campground will be located just past the lodge, on the left side of the road.

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 — Boise National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Boise 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 Picnic Point (Id) cost per night?+
Picnic Point (Id) costs $15 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Picnic Point (Id) open?+
Picnic Point (Id) is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Picnic Point (Id) have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Picnic Point (Id)?+
Picnic Point (Id) is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Picnic Point (Id)?+
Picnic Point (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 Picnic Point (Id)?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Picnic Point (Id) is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Picnic Point (Id) open, and what are check-in times?+
Picnic Point (Id) 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.

$15 /night★ 4.4 (21)
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 Picnic Point (Id) cost per night?+
What season is Picnic Point (Id) open?+
Does Picnic Point (Id) have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Shoreline

CASCADE, ID

From $20/night

Stolle Meadows Cabin

CASCADE, ID

From $80/night

Penn Basin

Cascade, ID

From $10/night

Poverty Flat

McCall, ID

From $10/night

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