Top Backpacking Trails in Idaho
20 routes. Each page shows when we last checked it. Updated October 2026.
Backpacking in Idaho is mostly a national forest and wilderness affair, and the trips on this site spread across the Sawtooth and White Cloud mountains, the Boise and Payette national forests, the Frank Church and Selway-Bitterroot wildernesses, Hells Canyon, the Pioneer Mountains, the Selkirks and Priest Lake in North Idaho, and the Palisades area in eastern Idaho. Many are granite lake basins, such as the Alice-Toxaway Loop and Sawtooth Lake in the Sawtooths or Ship Island Lake in the Bighorn Crags. Others follow rivers, like the roughly 50-mile Selway River Trail and the Snake River Trail in Hells Canyon.
Snow sets the season in the high country. The Forest Service says snow can block access to Rainbow Basin until early July, and the road to the Bighorn Crags is open from about mid-July to mid-October. Low canyon trips run the other way: guides describe spring as the popular time on the Snake River Trail, with summer heat and rattlesnakes.
Camping is mostly dispersed, and rules vary by managing agency. The Sawtooth Wilderness requires a free self-issued permit and limits campfires, while no hiking permit was found for many other trips. Food storage orders apply in parts of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and North Idaho, so carry a way to store food.
In 2026, the Grandjean trailhead in the Sawtooths closed after debris flows, and wildfires led to closures near Idaho City and north of Sandpoint. Check forest alerts before you go.
Quick picks
- Longest trip: Selway River Trail
- Easy lakeside overnight: Upper Priest Lake via the Navigation Trail
- Alpine lakes loop: Alice–Toxaway Loop
- Hot springs trip: Stanley Hot Springs via Boulder Creek
- Spring canyon trip: Snake River Trail to Kirkwood Ranch
Boise National Forest
Eastern Idaho
Frank Church Wilderness
Hells Canyon
- Seven Devils Loop Hells Canyon Wilderness, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (Seven Devils Mountains, near Riggins) 28 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping (no permit reported)
- Snake River Trail to Kirkwood Ranch Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Idaho side of the Snake River (Pittsburg Landing, west of White Bird) 10 miles Moderate Developed backcountry campground at Kirkwood Ranch; dispersed beyond
North Idaho
- Harrison Lake (Selkirk Mountains) Idaho Panhandle National Forests (Pack River, north of Sandpoint) 4.6 miles Moderate Dispersed lakeside sites (no permit reported)
- Upper Priest Lake via the Navigation Trail Idaho Panhandle National Forests (Upper Priest Lake Scenic Area, north of Nordman) 12 miles Easy Primitive boat-in/hike-in campgrounds with bear boxes
North-Central Idaho
Payette National Forest
Pioneer Mountains
Sawtooth Mountains
- Alice–Toxaway Loop Sawtooth Wilderness, Sawtooth National Recreation Area (Pettit Lake, south of Stanley) 18 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping (free self-issued permit)
- Marten and Kelly Lakes via Trap Creek Sawtooth National Recreation Area (Trap Creek, west of Stanley off Idaho Highway 21) 10 miles Moderate Dispersed lakeside camping (no permit found)
- Queens River Loop Sawtooth Wilderness, Boise National Forest side (Queens River Trailhead near Atlanta) 30 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping (Sawtooth Wilderness permit)
- Redfish Lake to Alpine and Baron Lakes Sawtooth Wilderness, Sawtooth National Recreation Area (Redfish Lake, south of Stanley) 16.6 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping (free self-issued permit)
- Sawtooth Lake via Iron Creek Sawtooth Wilderness, Sawtooth National Recreation Area (near Stanley) 10 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping (free self-issued permit)
- Vernon and Ardeth Lakes from Pettit Lake Sawtooth Wilderness, Sawtooth National Recreation Area (Tin Cup Trailhead at Pettit Lake) 25 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping (free self-issued permit)
Selway-Bitterroot
- Selway River Trail Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Nez Perce-Clearwater and Bitterroot National Forests (Race Creek near Lowell to Paradise near Darby, Montana) 50 miles Hard Dispersed riverside wilderness camping (no permit for hikers reported)
- Stanley Hot Springs via Boulder Creek Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests (Wilderness Gateway Campground on the Lochsa River, U.S. 12) 10 miles Moderate Dispersed wilderness camping near the springs (no permit reported)
White Cloud Mountains
- Big Boulder Lakes via Walker Lake Cecil D. Andrus–White Cloud Wilderness, Sawtooth National Recreation Area (Livingston Mill, south of Clayton) 17 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping (no permit; sign in at trailhead)
- Boulder Chain Lakes via Red Ridge Pass Cecil D. Andrus–White Cloud Wilderness, Sawtooth National Recreation Area (Livingston Mill, south of Clayton) 20.8 miles Hard Dispersed wilderness camping (no permit; sign in at trailhead)
Backpacking in Idaho: common questions
Do you need a permit to backpack in Idaho?
It depends on the area. The Sawtooth Wilderness requires a free self-registered permit (or a group permit), and the Forest Service limits groups there to 12 people from May 1 through November 30. The White Clouds and Hemingway-Boulders wilderness order sets a 12-person group limit but no general permit, and no hiking permit requirement was found for most other trips on this site, such as Rainbow Basin, the Bighorn Crags, and the Selway River Trail. Rules vary by managing agency, so confirm with the ranger district before you go.
When is the best time to backpack in Idaho?
For most mountain trips, midsummer through early fall. The Forest Service says snow can block access to Rainbow Basin until early July and that the road to the Bighorn Crags is open from about mid-July to mid-October, while it calls the lower Loon Lake area typically snow-free from June through November. Hells Canyon is the exception: guides describe late winter through spring as the popular season on the Snake River Trail, with summer heat and rattlesnakes.
Do you need a bear canister in Idaho?
Usually not, but food storage orders apply in some areas. The Sawtooth National Recreation Area requires proper food storage from the Saturday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, but that order excludes the Sawtooth, White Clouds, and Hemingway-Boulders wildernesses, where a hang, canister, or bear-resistant bag is recommended rather than required. In North Idaho, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests have a seasonal food storage order from April 1 to December 1 on parts of the Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry, and Priest Lake ranger districts. Check the managing agency for the rule where you are going.
Can you have a campfire while backpacking in Idaho?
Often only with limits. In the Sawtooth Wilderness, the Forest Service bans fires within a quarter mile of any trail, within 200 yards of Sawtooth, Alpine, Saddleback, Goat, and Scenic Lakes, and in the Pettit, Yellow Belly Lake, Goat, and Alpine Creek drainages, and requires a stove, fire pan, or fire blanket elsewhere. In the White Clouds, fires are banned above 8,800 feet except near a few named lakes such as Walker and Island Lakes. Seasonal fire restrictions can apply anywhere, so bring a stove and check current restrictions.
Can you bring a dog backpacking in Idaho?
On many trips, yes, but rules vary by managing agency. In the Sawtooth Wilderness, dogs must be leashed on trails from July 1 through Labor Day, and they are not allowed in the Goat Creek drainage. For other trips on this site, such as the Seven Devils Loop and Rainbow Basin, dog rules come from guides rather than the Forest Service, so confirm with the ranger district.
Are any Idaho backpacking areas closed in 2026?
Some are. The Forest Service closed the Grandjean Campground and Trailhead on the west side of the Sawtooths after debris flows in July 2026, with the order running through December 31, 2026. Fire closures in 2026 included the Crooked Fire area northeast of Idaho City and, after the Silver Fire north of Sandpoint, the Beehive Lake Trail in the Selkirks through 2027. Check the managing national forest's alerts page before any trip.
Where this comes from
- USFS: Sawtooth Wilderness Area Occupancy and Use order 0414-04-161
- USFS: Hemingway-Boulders and Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness Areas Occupancy and Use order 0414-04-160
- USFS: Sawtooth National Recreation Area food storage order 0414-04-143
- USFS: Grandjean Area, Road, and Trail Closure order 0414-04-165
- USFS: Boise National Forest alerts (Crooked Fire closure, Rainbow Basin order)
- USFS: Idaho Panhandle Seasonal Food Storage Order
- USFS: Beehive Lake Trail #279 Closure (Silver Fire)
- Idaho Capital Sun: New trail closures due to Crooked Fire near Idaho City (Sept. 2026)