The first thing you notice about camping later in the season is the quiet.

Late-summer and fall camping offer a solitude that you don't get during the regular camping season.

"We like this time of the year," said Mary Marcotte of Meridian, who was camped last week with her husband, Royce, at Mountain View Campground near Lowman.

They had a choice camping spot next to the South Fork of the Payette River and the campground definitely wasn't crowded."It's quiet and there aren't too many people," Royce Marcotte said.

Even though fall is an ideal time of the year to camp in Idaho, you've got to pick and choose your camping areas and be prepared for limited services, like bringing along your own toilet paper.

The U.S. Forest Service starts shutting down some campgrounds as early as mid-September.

Water will be turned off at campgrounds as soon as the weather starts freezing at night.

But for some campers, it's the ideal season, when the only screeching you hear in the campground is from an osprey hovering over the river.

Keep warm, hover by the campfire and enjoy the quiet.

Here's an update on the status of campgrounds from McCall to Stanley for fall:

Boise Forest

North Fork Payette River

Swinging Bridge, Canyon, Cold Springs, and Big Eddy campgrounds along Idaho 55 are open through Sept. 15.

Sagehen area

Sagehen Dam, Sagehen Creek, Hollywood Point, and Eastside campgrounds near Sagehen Reservoir are open through Sept. 15.

Antelope, Antelope Annex and Cartwright Ridge campgrounds near Sagehen Reservoir are open through Sept. 30.

Middle Fork Payette

Boiling Springs, Trail Creek, Rattlesnake, Hardscrabble, Tie Creek, and Hot Springs campgrounds are open through Oct. 13.

Silver Creek Plunge campground is open through Sept. 15.

Deadwood Lookout Cabin is open through Sept. 21.

Boiling Springs Cabin is open through Feb. 15. It will reopen May 15.

Deadwood Reservoir

Water will be shut off and fees discontinued for campgrounds in the Deadwood area Sept. 13.

Lowman area

Water will be shut off and fees discontinued for campgrounds in the Lowman area Oct. 4.

Areas will remain open for use after these dates until closed by snow.

Cascade area

All campgrounds will close Sept. 16. The exceptions are Warm Lake and Lower French Creek . Water will be turned off at all areas.

Non-fee campgrounds along Johnson Creek will remain open until they are snowed in.

PAYETTE FOREST

Everything depends on the weather, but most campgrounds in the Weiser, Council, New Meadows and McCall areas will remain open until Oct. 15. Some will stay open until Oct. 30 if they don't get snow.

• Expect water systems to shut down and fees to be reduced in early October.

• Good fall campgrounds, because of their low elevation, are Brownlee, located between Cambridge and Brownlee Reservoir, and Manns Creek and Spring Creek, located in the Weiser area. They also have great fall colors.

• Idaho Power campgrounds along Brownlee, Oxbow and Hells Canyon reservoirs are open year-round and provide electrical hookups throughout fall and winter. When it is freezing, water to individual sites is shut off and can be obtained from the main restroom buildings.

THE SAWTOOTH FOREST

Redfish Lake area

Chinook Bay: Open through Sept. 22; then gated closed for the season.

Glacier View A: Open through Sept. 15; then gated closed for the season.

Glacier View: Open through Monday; then gated closed unless use dictates one of the two loops should be opened.

Mt. Heyburn: Open through Sept. 22 with a host, then open through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Mountain View: Open through Sept. 22; then gated closed for the season.

North Shore picnic area: Open through Sept. 15 with services; remains open with no fees and limited services.

Outlet: Open through Sept. 15; then gated closed for the season.

Outlet day-use beach: Open through Sept. 15; then gated closed for the season.

Point: Open through Sept. 15; then gated closed for the season.

Point day-use: Open through Sept. 15 with services; remains open with no fees and limited services.

Redfish Inlet: Open with no fees and limited services.

Redfish RV dump: Open through Sept. 15.

Sandy Beach boat ramp: Open through Sept. 22; remains open with no fees and limited services.

Sockeye: Closed for reconstruction.

Sunny Gulch: Open through Sept. 22 with services; operated through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Stanley Lake Area

Elk Creek: Open through Sept. 15 with services; operated through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Iron Creek: Open through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Lakeview: Closed.

Sheep Trail: Open through Sept. 15 with services; operated through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Stanley Lake: Open through Sept. 8; then gated closed for the season.

Stanley Lake Inlet: Open through Sept. 22 with services; open through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Trap Creek: Open through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Grandjean: Open through Sept. 8 with services; through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Salmon River area

Holman: Open through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Casino Creek: Open through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Lower O'Brien: Closed for the season.

Mormon Bend: Open through Sept. 15 with services; through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Riverside (hillside): Closed.

Riverside (riverside): Closed.

Salmon River (hillside): Closed.

Salmon River (riverside): Closed.

Upper O'Brien: Closed.

Whiskey Flat: Open through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Alturas Lake area

Alturas Inlet Beach: Open through Sept. 22 with services and stays open with no fees and limited services.

Alturas Lake Inlet: Open through Sept. 22; then gated closed for the season.

Alturas Picnic A: Open through Sept. 15; then gated closed for the season.

Alturas Picnic B: Open through Sept. 15; then gated closed for the season.

Chemeketan : Open through Sept. 15 with services; through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

North Shore: Open through Monday; then gated closed for the season.

Pettit Lake: Open through Sept. 15 with services; through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Smiley Creek RV dump: Open through Sept. 22.

Smokey Bear: Open through Sept. 22 with services; through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Smokey Bear boat ramp: Open through Sept. 22 with services; through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and limited services.

Wood River area

Caribou: Open through Sept. 15 with services; through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Murdock: Open through Sept. 15 with services; through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Wood River: Open through Sept. 22 with services; through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

Wood River picnic area: Open through Sept. 22.

North Fork: Open through Sept. 22 with services; through Oct. 31 with reduced fees and services.

North Fork RV dump: Open through Sept. 22.

Easley: Open through Sept. 15.

HELLS CANYON

Idaho Power Co. campgrounds along Brownlee, Oxbow and Hells Canyon reservoirs are open year-round and are great places for late-season boating, fishing, wildlife watching and hunting.

Hells Canyon Park is on the Idaho side of Hells Canyon Reservoir. Copperfield Park is upstream on the Oregon side of the same reservoir.

McCormick Park is on Oxbow Reservoir in Idaho just downstream from Brownlee Dam.

Woodhead Park is on Brownlee Reservoir.

Electricity to campsites remains on during the winter; however, water is turned off after freezing temperatures. Water is available at main restroom buildings.

Summer camping rates remain in effect through October and are reduced during winter.

STATE PARKS

Ponderosa State Park

Here are the closing dates for campgrounds at Ponderosa:

Northwest Passage (north end of Payette Lake): Monday.

Chokecherry Loop/Peninsula Campground: Monday.

Blackberry Loop/Peninsula Campground: Sept. 15.

Aspen Loop/Peninsula Campground: Sept. 22.

Note: The campground loops in the group camp will close when snow begins to accumulate. Water will be turned off depending on the weather. It can be as early as mid-September and as late as early October.

Three Island Crossing

The park near Glenns Ferry is open year-round for camping. It has electrical hookups.

The water to individual sites will be turned off after a few nights of freezing temperatures. That usually occurs at the end of October or early November.

Bruneau Dunes

The park south of Mountain Home is open year-round for camping. It has electrical hookups.

The water to individual sites will be turned off depending on the weather.

Lake Cascade

The park at Lake Cascade, north of Boise, starts shutting down some campgrounds in mid-October. About three-fourths of the campgrounds will close for the winter.

The park has group yurts available in fall and winter.

Water in campgrounds is shut off in mid-October.

For more details, call (208) 382-6544.

Pete Zimowsky: 377-6445