U.S. Forest Service · Boise National Forest · Idaho

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.

First-come, first-servedTents only

More like this: first-come in Idaho · tent only in Idaho

4fires
active
Rx High Valley (prescribed burn) · 13 mi away
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

SeasonBeginning of May to End of September
ForestBoise National Forest
BookingNo reservations are necessary. This is a fee campground with 6 sites. Fee envelopes and a collection box are provided near the entrance.

Boise National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Hardscrabble Campground20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 4.22 inches of precipitation, 22.8 inches of snowFebruary: 2.53 inches of precipitation, 10.2 inches of snowMarch: 2.91 inches of precipitation, 3.5 inches of snowApril: 2.13 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowMay: 1.79 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 1.35 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.42 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.46 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.85 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.73 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowNovember: 3.20 inches of precipitation, 8.0 inches of snowDecember: 4.96 inches of precipitation, 24.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 26.5°F averageFebruary: 31.2°F averageMarch: 39.5°F averageApril: 46.2°F averageMay: 53.8°F averageJune: 60.8°F averageJuly: 68.4°F averageAugust: 67.1°F averageSeptember: 58.9°F averageOctober: 47.5°F averageNovember: 34.8°F averageDecember: 26.5°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 in25 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Garden Valley, 10 miles from the campground at 3,100 feet, station USC00103448 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 27 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 69 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates44.2389° N, 115.8999° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx High Valley

    13 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Rx Fawn Tussock

    17 mi from the campground · 86 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Lowman Wui

    24 mi from the campground · 63 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Mores South

    30 mi from the campground · 245 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearOutdoor gear ↗43.6 mi
RV sales & serviceNelson's RV's ↗45.2 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Limited data for this unit

No site-by-site records, no fee schedule, no directions or photos in the Recreation.gov record. What is here comes from the agency's own listing. The rest lives there.

Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the record fills in.

Explore

Video

A Photographic tour of Hardscrabble Campground on Middle Fork of Payette River

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.4 mi
    One-Spoon
    2.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 3.1 mi
    Lightning Ridge ↗
    14.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 1 more
  • 3.2 mi
    Upper Sixmile
    2.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 3.5 mi
    Bear Wallow ↗
    6.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 3.5 mi
    Table Mountain ↗
    12.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more
  • 3.6 mi
    Bear Wallow Six Shortcut
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 2 more

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Boise National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Idaho

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Hardscrabble Campground?

No. Hardscrabble Campground is first-come, first-served. No reservations are necessary. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

Can I bring an RV to Hardscrabble Campground?

Hardscrabble Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Hardscrabble Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Rattlesnake (2.1 mi), Tie Creek Campground (2.5 mi, first-come), and Silver Creek Campground (7.9 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby