Middle Fork Payette River
- 13.5 mi
- round trip
- 388 ft
- climb
- 4,454 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 13.5-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho's Boise National Forest, within the Emmett Ranger District. The trail rises from about 4,033 feet to about 4,454 feet, a climb of 388 feet one way, and is rated hard. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open from July 1 to October 15. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July and August highs around 82°F with only four or five wet days a month, while winter highs stay near freezing. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows both horses and bikes. The Middle Fork Payette River/Wet Foot Trailhead is the parking point. Nearby, the Pine Creek Extension and Pine Creek Loop hikes are each about 2.2 miles away, and Fool Creek is about 3.2 miles off. Peace Valley Campground sits about 3.5 miles away.
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
32° / 15°
14 wet
Feb
37° / 17°
12 wet
Mar
45° / 24°
14 wet
Apr
53° / 30°
13 wet
May
63° / 37°
13 wet
Jun
70° / 43°
10 wet
Jul
82° / 48°
5 wet
Aug
82° / 47°
4 wet
Sep
73° / 40°
6 wet
Oct
58° / 31°
10 wet
Nov
42° / 24°
14 wet
Dec
31° / 16°
16 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cascade 1 Nw, ID, 14.1 mi away at 4,896 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
HIKE
PINE CREEK EXTENSION
~4 min drive
1.76-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 461 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
PINE CREEK LOOP
~4 min drive
4.9-mile out-and-back out-and-back in Idaho with 1,197 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
SILVER CREEK SUMMIT
~7 min drive
7.04-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,552 ft gain and 6,328 ft max elevation.
HIKE
Fool Creek Trail
~8 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.
HIKE
BITTER CREEK-SILVER CREEK
~8 min drive
1.5-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 596 ft elevation gain
HIKE
FOOL CREEK
~5 min drive
1.94-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,158 ft elevation gain/loss.
HIKE
UPPER PINE CREEK
~10 min drive
6.7-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,393 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Bull Creek-Trail
~8 min drive
11.72-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,902 ft elevation gain/loss.
HIKE
MOUNTAIN TOP
~8 min drive
2.08-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 733 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
SKUNK CREEK - WET FOOT
~6 min drive
4.38-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,329 ft elevation gain and loss.
