A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service campground

Alturas Lake Inlet

Forest Service campground in Sawtooth National Forest, Blaine County, Idaho. 7,033 feet. 21.7 miles from Stanley.

Managed by
Forest Service Sawtooth National Forest
Elevation
7,033 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
27 27 standard non-electric
Longest rig
40 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Blaine County

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.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • swimming site
  • water sports

The land around Alturas Lake Inlet

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.