USDA Forest Service · Idaho
Alturas Lake Inlet
USDA Forest Service · Idaho, United States · in Sawtooth National Recreation Area
- Sites
- 28
- Hookups
- 27 no hookups
- Season
- June 5 to September 20
- Max RV length
- 40 ft
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 7,047 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Sawtooth National Forest
- Nearest town
- STANLEY
- Address
- SAWTOOTH NRA, STANLEY, ID, 83340
- Phone
- 928-537-8888
- Activities
- Biking, Boating, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Scuba Diving, Swimming
28 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Alturas Lake Inlet Campground is located on the shores of scenic Alturas Lake at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountain Range.
Recreation
This site is part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, where outdoor activities abound. Alturas Lake offers excellent boating, water skiing, canoeing, kayaking and fishing for bull trout and Kokanee salmon.
The 10-mile round trip Alpine Meadows Trail begins nearby, with spectacular canyon, meadow and alpine lake views. The trail is also a popular area for bird watching.
Facilities
This campground contains several family campsites, some of which have lake or creek views. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Roads and parking spurs are gravel.
A day-use site is adjacent to the campground with a designated swim beach. Smokey Bear Boat Ramp is less than 1/4-mile away.
Natural Features
Alturas Creek runs through the campground, where summer wildflowers are plentiful and a mixed-growth conifer forest provides partial shade. Temperatures are cool, with an average summer high of 78 degrees and a low of 40 degrees.
Nearby Attractions
The Sawtooth National Recreation Area offers a myriad of excellent hiking and biking opportunities, and an estimated 750 miles of trails crisscross the valley and surrounding mountains.
Perkins Lake is less than 2 miles away, with excellent fishing and canoeing. Pettit and Yellowbelly Lakes are nearby, with more fishing, canoeing and hiking. The Salmon River offers fishing for rainbow trout, Westslope cutthroat trout and occasional hybrid cutbows and bull trout.
Popular area events include an Arts and Crafts Fair in July, and Wagon Days, Salmon Festival, Quilt Fair and Fireman's Ball in September.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 16° | -3° | 40° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 29° | 15° | -11° | 45° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 36° | 19° | 7° | 52° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 40° | 25° | 11° | 56° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 50° | 32° | 20° | 64° | 11 of 11 |
| June | 63° | 41° | 26° | 79° | 5 of 11 |
| July | 78° | 54° | 37° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 77° | 52° | 38° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 65° | 43° | 29° | 78° | 2 of 11 |
| October | 51° | 32° | 19° | 68° | 8 of 10 |
| November | 42° | 22° | -9° | 56° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 29° | 14° | -3° | 45° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- North Shore Campground · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi · 4 sites
- Smokey Bear Campground · USDA Forest Service · 2 mi · 4 sites
- Pettit Lake Campground · USDA Forest Service · 6 mi · 4 sites
- Chemeketan Campground · USDA Forest Service · 7 mi · 1 sites
- Bear Creek Campground · USDA Forest Service · 12 mi
All public campgrounds in Idaho · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.