Duck Lake
- 1.7 mi
- round trip
- 100 ft
- climb
- 6,735 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Duck 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.
Duck Lake is an easy hike of about 1.7 miles in the New Meadows Ranger District of Idaho's Payette National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is an out-and-back with a low point of about 6,636 feet and a high of about 6,735 feet, and it gains roughly 100 feet of elevation. The route is natural-surfaced and allows bikes. 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, while winter highs stay in the mid-30s and lows near 7°F. Granite Mountain Trail is about a mile away, and Twin Lakes (Hard Butte) is about 1.5 miles off. Grouse Campground, about 3.8 miles away, and Hazard Lake, about 5.6 miles away, are the closest campgrounds.
Local outfitters
- Black Bear RV Park16 mi away
- Arrowhead RV Park43 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Aug
Best time to visit Duck 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, 25.9 mi away at 5,907 ft. The station sits about 800 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
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Granite Mountain Trail
~2 min drive
5.46-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 1,756 ft elevation gain.
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Twin Lakes (Hard Butte)
~3 min drive
0.57-mile out-and-back trail to Twin Lakes (Hard Butte) in Idaho with 146 ft of elevation gain.
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Hidden Lake Loop Trail
~6 min drive
6.54-mile out-and-back out-and-back in Idaho with 2,434 ft elevation gain
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Goose Creek Trail
~10 min drive
10.97-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 623 ft gain and 2,129 ft loss.
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Granite Mountain
~5 min drive
5.05-mile out-and-back trail on Granite Mountain in Idaho with 226 ft gain.
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Hidden Lake Spur Trail
~4 min drive
0.66-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 62 ft of elevation gain.
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Grassy Mountain Trail
~6 min drive
6.32-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 913 ft elevation gain.
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Twentymile Trail (#085)
~13 min drive
20-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,444 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Hard Creek
~6 min drive
5.79-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 430 ft elevation gain.
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Frog Lake
~6 min drive
Frog Lake is a 1.90-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 108 feet of elevation gain.
