USDA Forest Service · Idaho
Picnic Point (Id)
USDA Forest Service · Idaho, United States
- Sites
- 8
- Season
- May 16 to September 15
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 5,299 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)
- Access road
- NORTH SIDE WARM LAKE (NFSR 489) · asphalt · suitable for passenger cars
- Lake
- Boise National Forest
- Nearest town
- CASCADE
- Address
- PO BOX 696, CASCADE, ID, 83611
- Phone
- 208-382-7400
- Activities
- Biking, Boating, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Swimming, Wildlife Viewing
8 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Picnic Point Campground is located on a bluff overlooking beautiful Warm Lake, at an elevation of 5,300 feet. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing, swimming, hiking and viewing local wildlife.
Recreation
Warm Lake offers great fishing opportunities for cutthroat, rainbow, lake and bull trout. Boating, canoeing and swimming are popular activities. A boat ramp is located at neighboring Shoreline Campground. Billy Rice Swim Beach is within walking distance, offering a day-use site for picnicking and access to a swimming beach.
The surrounding area offers great hiking, mountain biking, horseback and off-road vehicle riding and hunting. The WeWuKiye (Wa Wu Kia) Trail No. 252 was recently built and can be accessed nearby, at the entrance to Shoreline Campground. It is available for hiking and mountain biking.
For off-road vehicle enthusiasts, Telephone Ridge Trail No. 112 offers 20 miles of trails for all riding levels, with staging areas at Shoreline Campground and at Warm Lake Campground down the road.
Facilities
The campground offers tent-only campsites, which can be accessed via a 50 to 200 foot hike from the parking area. Some sites overlook the scenic lake. Stairs lead to the lakeshore from three locations within the campground.
Sites are equipped with a table, campfire ring and grill. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided throughout the campground, but electricity is not available. The parking area is dirt, as are the pathways within the campground.
Natural Features
The campground is situated beneath towering ponderosa pines, which provide partial shade. Summer wildflowers are abundant in the area. A variety of wildlife including bears, deer, elk, fox, grouse, eagles, osprey, grosbeaks, whooping cranes and otters, lives around the lake.
Nearby Attractions
Rustic North Shore Lodge is not far from the campground, offering a small restaurant, lounge and store with limited supplies.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 19° | -2° | 45° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 34° | 20° | -7° | 46° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 40° | 25° | 8° | 56° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 43° | 29° | 14° | 66° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 52° | 33° | 24° | 72° | 8 of 11 |
| June | 68° | 44° | 30° | 84° | 3 of 11 |
| July | 83° | 54° | 41° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 81° | 54° | 43° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 69° | 46° | 35° | 83° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 54° | 34° | 9° | 72° | 7 of 10 |
| November | 44° | 27° | -5° | 61° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 33° | 18° | 5° | 44° | 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
- Shoreline · USDA Forest Service · 0 mi · 33 sites
- Warm Lake · USDA Forest Service · 1 mi · 13 sites
- South Fork Salmon River Campground · USDA Forest Service · 1 mi
- Stolle Meadows Cabin · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi · 1 sites
- Summit Lake Campground · USDA Forest Service · 4 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.