Box Lake
- 8.1 mi
- round trip
- 1,760 ft
- climb
- 7,544 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Box Lake open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Payette National Forest.
Brundage Mountain Resort Snowcat Route Closure
Agency alert covering Payette National Forest · Order 0412-637 · USFS · Payette National Forest
Lost Valley Log Hauling
Agency alert covering Payette National Forest · USFS · Payette National Forest
Granite Mountain Over Snow Vehicle Closure
Agency alert covering Payette National Forest · Order 0412-635 · USFS · Payette National Forest
Gordon Titus Upper Elevation Parking Lot Winter Restrictions
Agency alert covering Payette National Forest · Order 0412-543 · USFS · Payette National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Payette National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Box Lake is a hard hike in Idaho's Payette National Forest, within the McCall Ranger District. The trail is an out-and-back of about 8 miles, with a total elevation gain of 1,760 feet, starting at a low point of about 5,690 feet and reaching a high of about 7,540 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trailhead is at Box Lake, with parking labeled "BOX LAKE." The route is natural-surfaced and allows horses and bikes. It is not an accessible trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Warren, Idaho, show July and August highs around 79°F with lows in the mid-30s. That station sits roughly 1,600 feet below the trail's high point, so temperatures on the summit run cooler. The National Forest Development 104 Pack Trail and Fall Creek Trail both lie within a mile of the trailhead. Lake Fork campground is about 4.6 miles away, and the McCall Area climbing area is about 5 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Black Bear RV Park10 mi away
- Arrowhead RV Park33 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Aug
Best time to visit Box Lake
Best months: June–August. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
35° / 7°
Feb
41° / 7°
Mar
46° / 17°
Apr
50° / 20°
May
59° / 27°
Jun
68° / 34°
Jul
79° / 37°
Aug
79° / 35°
Sep
69° / 30°
Oct
56° / 23°
Nov
41° / 16°
Dec
34° / 9°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Warren, ID, 23.4 mi away at 5,907 ft. The station sits about 1,600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: waterarchives, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Ridgeline Trail
~11 min drive
0.90-mile lollipop trail in Idaho with 230 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
National Forest Development 104 Pack Trail
~1 min drive
4.14-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,350 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Fall Creek Trail
~2 min drive
11.72-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,775 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Fall Creek Loop
~8 min drive
11.60-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,034 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Stupid Dingo, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Peninsula Trail
~13 min drive
0.78-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 110 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Fall Creek Saddle
~2 min drive
1.97-mile out-and-back trail at Fall Creek Saddle in Idaho with 110 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Crestline Trail
~6 min drive
22.32-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 5,455 ft gain/loss, max 7,853 ft
HIKE
Loon Creek
~9 min drive
19.84-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 824 ft gain.
HIKE
BOX LAKE
~5 min drive
1.66-mile out-and-back trail to Box Lake in Idaho with 401 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Maki Lake
~3 min drive
4.12-mile out-and-back trail to Maki Lake in Idaho with 349 ft gain.
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