About Hardscrabble Campground
Hardscrabble Campground is located approximately 12 miles north of Crouch, Idaho. It is one of 5 campgrounds that lie along the Middle Fork of the Payette River, north of Garden Valley at an elevation of approximately 3,215 feet. The Middle Fork drainage offers excellent trail opportunities. Fishing and hunting are popular activities as well. **Natural Features:** The campground is situated on the banks of the Middle Fork Payette River among Douglas fir and lodgepole pine trees, which offer partial shade. A few sites offer river views through the dense vegetation on the banks. A variety of wildlife makes its home in the Middle Fork drainage, including deer, elk and red-tailed hawks. **Recreation:** The Middle Fork Payette River offers good to excellent fishing most of the year. Anglers cast for whitefish and rainbow trout. Many trails for hiking, mountain biking, horseback and ATV…
- Season: Beginning of May – End of September
- Managed by: USFS - Boise National Forest
- Where: 10 mi southeast of Smiths Ferry, ID · 44.23887, -115.89986
Things to do:
Amenities:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: May–Jun & Aug–Sep (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Oct–Apr.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardscrabble Campground | ATV road | at camp | 0.1 mi |
| Middle Fork Payette | ATV road | at camp | 14.9 mi |
| One-Spoon | Horse, Dirt bike | 0.4 mi | 2.9 mi |
| Bear Wallow | Horse, ATV / OHV, Dirt bike | 2.1 mi | 6.7 mi |
| Lightning Ridge | Horse | 2.9 mi | 9.7 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
No signal at camp
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way casts shadows and the sky is crowded with stars.
Class 1 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Dump station: 19.8 mi
Nearest of each within 25 miles, straight-line.Camps nearby
- Campsite · 10 mi E of Smiths Ferry 1.5 mi
- Rattlesnake 2.1 mi
- Tie Creek Campground 2.5 mi
- Trail Creek Campground 2.9 mi
- Campsite · 10 mi E of Smiths Ferry 3.2 mi
- Silver Creek Campground 7.9 mi