Upper Payette Lake Campground

Payette National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: MCCALL, ID, ID

Price: From $10 per night

Price range: $10–$30 per night

Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (30 reviews)

Season: May through October

Upper Payette Lake Campground is located 16 miles from McCall, Idaho, on the shores of beautiful Upper Payette Lake. Visitors enjoy fishing, canoeing and exploring local trails. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.

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/upper-payette-lake-campground to be notified when sites open up.

Upper Payette Lake Campground offers beautiful lakeside camping 16 miles from McCall with clear water ideal for fishing, boating, and kayaking. Campers consistently praise the private, quiet sites and scenic fall colors (4.7/5 rating from 47 reviews).

Wildlife alert: Moose, Pacific Marten, prairie rattlesnake, and three garter snake species present within 8km. Great Blue Herons and Steller's Jays common around the lake.

Insider tips for Upper Payette Lake Campground: Book early — this is a popular federal campground with only 21 sites Narrow gravel road in/out requires patience; be prepared to pull over for oncoming traffic Bring a kayak or canoe — multiple campers highlighted excellent water access and clear lake conditions Download Recreation.gov mobile app before arrival for QR code site payment option

Skip Upper Payette Lake Campground if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available, only suitable for self-contained RVs. You prefer paved roads — Forest Road 495 is gravel. You plan to visit November-April — seasonal operations May through October only.

Best time to visit Upper Payette Lake Campground: September-October — Fall colors were noted as beautiful by campers; still within May-October operating season.

Nearby campgrounds: Grouse Campground (MCCALL, ID), Hazard Lake (New Meadows, ID), Burgdorf Guard Station (Riggins, ID), Jeanette (McCall, ID).

Cell Phone Coverage at Upper Payette Lake Campground

Cell signal at Upper Payette Lake Campground (MCCALL, 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›Upper Payette Lake Campground
Upper Payette Lake Campground — photo 1
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Payette National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Upper Payette Lake Campground

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MCCALL, ID, ID★ 4.3 (30 reviews)From $10/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Upper Payette Lake Campground is located 16 miles from McCall, Idaho, on the shores of beautiful Upper Payette Lake. Visitors enjoy fishing, canoeing and exploring local trails. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:TentRV
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. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites2 sites
PetsAllowed
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 RV hookups — no hookups available, only suitable for self-contained RVs✕ You prefer paved roads — Forest Road 495 is gravel✕ You plan to visit November-April — seasonal operations May through October only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground with only 21 sites

Narrow gravel road in/out requires patience; be prepared to pull over for oncoming traffic

Bring a kayak or canoe

multiple campers highlighted excellent water access and clear lake conditions

Download Recreation.gov mobile app before arrival for QR code site payment option

Best: September-October

Fall colors were noted as beautiful by campers; still within May-October operating season

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: Moose, Pacific Marten, prairie rattlesnake, and three garter snake species present within 8km. Great Blue Herons and Steller's Jays common around the lake.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
208-634-0400· Payette National Forest
Getting there →

From McCall, Idaho, take Highway 55 north to Warren Wagon Road/Forest Highway 21. Turn right and continue for 16 miles to gravel Forest Road 495 and follow for a mile into 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 Upper Payette Lake Campground cost per night?+
Upper Payette Lake Campground costs $10–$30 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Upper Payette Lake Campground open?+
Upper Payette Lake Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Upper Payette Lake Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Upper Payette Lake Campground?+
Upper Payette Lake Campground is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Upper Payette Lake Campground?+
Upper Payette Lake Campground 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 Upper Payette Lake Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Upper Payette Lake Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Upper Payette Lake Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Upper Payette Lake Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Upper Payette Lake Campground MapUpper Payette Lake Group Campground Map
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.

$10 /night★ 4.3 (30)
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 Upper Payette Lake Campground cost per night?+
What season is Upper Payette Lake Campground open?+
Does Upper Payette Lake Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Grouse Campground

MCCALL, ID

From $10/night

Hazard Lake

New Meadows, ID

From $10/night

Burgdorf Guard Station

Riggins, ID

From $160/night

Jeanette

McCall, ID

From $10/night

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