A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service campground

Cold Springs Campground

Forest Service campground in Payette National Forest, Adams County, Idaho. About 5,000 feet. 7.7 miles from New Meadows.

Managed by
Forest Service Payette National Forest
Elevation
About 5,000 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
32 30 standard non-electric, 2 group standard non-electric
Longest rig
24 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Adams County

Overview

Cold Springs Campground is located near Lost Valley Reservoir, just 10 miles from New Meadows, Idaho. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing and swimming.

Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.

Recreation

Lost Valley Reservoir is just 3/4-mile from the campground, offering boating, canoeing and fishing opportunities. On the north end of the reservoir is the Lost Creek Interpretive Site, an excellent location for bird watching.

Facilities

The campground offers two group sites that can accommodate up to 75 and 50 guests each. Several additional single and double-family sites are available as well. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Roads and parking spurs are gravel. The campground has no hookups or trash receptacles. Please pack out your trash.

A boat ramp is located on the southeast shore of Lost Valley Reservoir, while Slaughter Gulch Day Use Site can be found on the west shore.

Natural Features

The campground is set in an open meadow lined with ponderosa pines and fir trees at an elevation of 5,000 feet. A few sites are shaded, but most are not. Summer wildflowers are abundant.

Nearby Attractions

Lost Valley Reservoir is less then a mile from the campground.

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

What people do here

  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • swimming site
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Cold Springs Campground

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.