It’s mid June and much of the higher country forest roads have snow and restricted or no access. So, we fell back to Northwest Passage. Always pleasant here in the forest, near the river with river access when it’s warmer and the river is lower later in the season. There is a stocked fishing pond for kids and some rock climbing in the area. Verizon is nearly non-existent but we can get voice and sms using our weboost. AT&T data has excellent download speeds but upload is

Northwest Passage Campground is a first come first serve campground located at the north end of Payette Lake, along the Payette River. It is part of Ponderosa State Park, but has nothing in common with that crowded and popular neighbor. In fact we arrived on a Thursday before the 4th of July and had a large choice of sites! It offers 22 non-reservable campsites in one large loop, fire rings, tables, central water, and vault toilets. On the first visit we chose Site 16 and then Site 7 on our return. It features quiet, well spaced, & mostly private sites. Sites after site #8 have more foliage for privacy. The swimming area is centrally located along the loop and offers a great place to launch kayaks and other non-motorized water toys. In addition the nearby activities are plentiful. Cons: Mosquitos were large and numerous and the fee system was a bit confusing.