This Payette River Scenic Byway follows the Payette River through the Boise and Payette National Forests, with the byway being packed with stunning scenery year-round and plenty of opportunities to hop out for some fun in the fresh air.

There are some great opportunities for astronomy along this byway. Although it isn’t the longest byway in the Pacific Northwest, it is one that has a plethora of great sites!

Length	112 miles
States	1 – Idaho
Astronomy Sites	4

Astronomy Sites

This is not an exhaustive list, but rather a sampling of the best options that are going to provide great results. There are a lot of options that are available in the places that are suggested, as these are places that have existing known great opportunities.

Lake Cascade State Park/Cascade Reservoir

Lake Cascade State Park is nestled in the majestic mountains of central Idaho approximately 75 miles north of Boise on State Highway 55.  The reservoir has 41 square miles of surface water and 86 miles of shoreline. This location has a plethora of activities to do during the day and a lot of opportunities for astronomy activities such as photography and viewing.

Payryte Lake

Payette Lake is a 5,330 acre expanse of clean, glacial water sitting at an elevation of roughly 5,000 feet in the mountains of Idaho. This leaves a large area for a lot of opportunities for outdoor recreation and astronomy. As the lake is in a valley area, there are a ton of great views of the stars.

Boise National Forest

Covering over 2 million acres, the Boise National Forest has a plethora of activities and opportunities for enjoyment. The diversity of activities to enjoy in the forest includes rafting, kayaking, biking, hiking, and numerous winter sports. This diversity also goes to astronomy as well where there are a plethora of areas to do stargazing and astrophotography with a DSLR.

Deadwood Reservoir

Deadwood Reservoir is formed by Deadwood Dam which is part of the Boise Project. Recreation on this 4.5 square mile reservoir with 21 miles of shoreline is managed by the Boise National Forest,. Hiking, boating, camping, and fishing are the major recreation activities at Deadwood Reservoir, located high in the mountains northwest of Boise. Available species include Atlantic, Chinook, and kokanee salmon, and rainbow and cutthroat trout. With the plethora of shoreline, there are a plethora of astronomy options for viewing the night sky and DSLR photography.

Camping/Lodging

This is not an entirely exhaustive list, but a good selection from around the byway for camping at different points throughout the byway.

Lake Cascade State Park

Lake Cascade offers two group camping opportunities, including a group camp and the Osprey Point group yurt complex, more than 200 individual campsites in 12 developed campgrounds, dispersed camping areas with primitive camping, and more. Reservations can be made 9 months in advance.

Ponderosa State Park

Ponderosa State Park offers every kind of overnight experience imaginable with a variety of standard and serviced campsites, or cabins for small or large groups, amid a beyond-scenic mountain setting next to Payette Lake. There are a total of 173 campsites, some of which can be reserved up to 9 months in advance.

Boise National Forest

There are over 70 campgrounds on the Boise National Forest, with some campgrounds being more developed than others with a range of paved roads, pressurized water systems, and more modern restrooms. Many campgrounds and picnic areas are wheelchair accessible. RV or trailer limitations may apply based on size and available sites. Make sure to check with www.recreation.gov for specific facilities available at each campground that are under the reservation system or on the Boise web page for non-reservation campground facilities.

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