Cow Camp
- 15.8 mi
- round trip
- 2,404 ft
- climb
- 7,319 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Cow Camp open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 5 alerts for Payette National Forest.
Over Snow Vehicle Closure
Agency alert covering Payette National Forest · Order 0412-638 · USFS · 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.
Cow Camp is a hard hike in Idaho's Payette National Forest, within the New Meadows Ranger District. The trail is an out-and-back of about 15.8 miles, with a one-way elevation gain of 2,404 feet, taking you from a low point of about 4,556 feet to a high of about 7,319 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced, with horses and bikes allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Warren, Idaho, put July and August highs around 79°F with lows in the mid-30s. That station sits roughly 1,400 feet below the trail's high point, so temperatures up top run cooler. The trail starts at the Pollock Mountain parking area, and the route is open year-round. Campbells Cow Camp By-Pass lies just 0.3 miles away, and Rapid River Ridge and Fall Creek are both within about 2 miles. For an overnight base, Smokey Boulder Dispersed campground is about 4.8 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Black Bear RV Park27 mi away
- Oregon Backcountry Outfitting42 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Aug
Best time to visit Cow Camp
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, 35.3 mi away at 5,907 ft. The station sits about 1,400 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: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)Rattlesnake Trail
~11 min drive
7.12-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,373 ft gain and 5,030 ft max elevation.
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RAPID RIVER RIDGE
~3 min drive
20.52-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,396 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Frypan Creek
~5 min drive
3.20-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,861 ft gain.
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Jackley Mountain Trail
~9 min drive
1.12-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 477 ft of elevation gain
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Fall Creek
~3 min drive
7.06-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 418 ft of elevation gain.
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Rapid River Ridge Trail
~7 min drive
29.7-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 5,970 ft gain/loss and 7,570 ft max elevation.
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Rapid River Ridge
~6 min drive
3.17-mile out-and-back trail on a ridge in Idaho with 1,017 ft gain
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Indian Spring Trail
~9 min drive
2.74-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 851 ft gain/loss.
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Lonesome Ridge
~5 min drive
7.71-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,810 ft elevation gain.
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Carbonate Hill Trail
~10 min drive
8.6-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,559 ft elevation gain and loss.
