Middle Fork Payette River
- 16.9 mi
- round trip
- 1,993 ft
- climb
- 6,112 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Middle Fork Payette River open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Boise National Forest. It doesn't name Middle Fork Payette River, so check the source for the area it covers.
UPDATED Sept. 19 - Crooked Fire Area, Road, and Trail Closure
Agency closure covering Boise National Forest · Order 0402-03-140 · USFS · Boise National Forest
Lava Fire Road Closure
Agency alert covering Boise National Forest · Order 0402-06-84 · USFS · Boise National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Boise National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
The Middle Fork Payette River is a hard hike of about 17 miles in the Cascade Ranger District of Idaho's Boise National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is an out-and-back with a one-way climb of about 2,000 feet, from a low point of roughly 4,500 feet to a high of about 6,100 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Deadwood Lodge, at a similar elevation, run to highs around 82°F in July and 73°F in September, while winter highs stay in the low to mid 30s. The trail is on natural surface and allows both horses and bikes. Several other hikes sit within a few miles, including Cup Corral Cutoff, Clear Creek Summit and Ligget. Stolle Meadows Cabin, about 8 miles away, offers a place to stay.
Local outfitters
- Arrowhead RV Park13 mi away
- Riverpond Campground29 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Middle Fork Payette River
Best months: June–September. 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° / 8°
Feb
36° / 12°
Mar
42° / 16°
Apr
49° / 22°
May
61° / 30°
Jun
70° / 35°
Jul
82° / 40°
Aug
81° / 38°
Sep
73° / 32°
Oct
57° / 26°
Nov
40° / 16°
Dec
31° / 9°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Deadwood Lodge, ID, 10 mi away at 5,948 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Stupid Dingo, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Wewukiye
~12 min drive
8.76-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 577 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Stupid Dingo, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Vulcan Hot Springs
~12 min drive
1.59-mile out-and-back trail to Vulcan Hot Springs in Idaho, 131 ft elevation gain.
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CUP CORRAL CUTOFF
~2 min drive
1.32-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 976 ft elevation gain
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Bull Creek-Trail
~9 min drive
11.72-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,902 ft elevation gain/loss.
Photo: Stupid Dingo, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)WEST SIDE WARM LAKE
~12 min drive
14.34-mile out-and-back trail to West Side Warm Lake in Idaho
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Monumental
~5 min drive
3.60-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 561 ft gain.
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Ligget
~4 min drive
3.29-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,075 ft of elevation gain.
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Fool Creek Trail
~10 min drive
9.62-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 5,366 ft gain/loss and a max elevation of 7,496 ft.
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SILVER CREEK SUMMIT
~14 min drive
7.04-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,552 ft gain and 6,328 ft max elevation.
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Long Lake
~11 min drive
1.39-mile out-and-back trail to Long Lake in Idaho with 442 ft of elevation gain.
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