Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Idaho / Payette National Forest

Loon Lake Loop (Payette National Forest)

Payette National Forest, McCall Ranger District (Chinook Campground, north of McCall)

The Idaho Statesman calls Loon Lake one of the most popular hiking destinations on the Payette National Forest, and it comes with a remarkable story. In January 1943, a B-23 bomber lost in a snowstorm crash-landed on the frozen lake. All eight crew survived, and the wreckage still sits in the trees on the south shore.

The same article describes the hike as easy but lengthy and family-friendly, drawing backpackers with young kids. A loop of about 11 miles with modest climbing covers both routes to the lake.

The hike

The trailhead is at the end of Forest Service Road 378 near Chinook Campground. The Forest Service handout says it’s about 37 miles and an hour and a half from McCall. The route follows Highway 55 west, then the Warren Wagon Road north about 35 miles, roughly 8 miles past the Burgdorf junction. It lists water and toilets at the campground and calls the area typically snow-free from June through November.

Two trails leave the trailhead, and together they make a loop. Visit Idaho describes the left trail, the Secesh River Trail (#080), as about six miles long. It follows the cascading Secesh River for about four miles, crosses a bridge, and then climbs stoutly on trail #084 up out of the river basin to the lake. Visit Idaho’s writer had the kids trade off carrying a pack after each mile to spread the load. The right trail, the Loon Lake Trail (#081), crosses the bridge visible from the parking lot and climbs almost directly to a sustained roll for about five miles. East Idaho News gives the forested west side as 4.6 miles with 540 feet of gain and the canyon route as 5.7 miles with about 450 feet. The Forest Service lists the whole loop at 10.9 miles and 1,200 feet of gain, starting at 5,700 feet.

One travel blog says the river’s name comes from secessionist gold miners who settled near Warren after the Civil War. The same blog describes walking back through burned forest; another guide mentions a 2007 fire and dense new growth.

At the lake, the trails split again. Visit Idaho says trail #081 goes left to a formal camp spot in the woods, with a faint path down to a string of primitive sites along the lake. Trail #084 goes right to the south side, where more primitive sites sit near the bomber.

The bomber is the draw. The Forest Service handout gives GPS coordinates for the crash site on the south side of the lake and says to cross Loon Creek and follow the social trail. East Idaho News says there’s no official trail because the lake is inside the Secesh recommended wilderness. A 1993 Idaho Statesman article, quoted on SummitPost, says all eight crewmen survived the January 29, 1943, crash. Five days later, three of them set out to hike for help. One travel blog says a commercial pilot from Warren eventually found the wreckage and all eight survived. The same blog was surprised how intact the plane still is.

East Idaho News reports vandalism at the site, including names chiseled into the plane. The Forest Service asks visitors not to take any pieces of the plane home.

Tips

Camping

The Forest Service says there are plenty of spots to camp near the lake. Visit Idaho describes a formal camp spot in the woods off trail #081, primitive sites along the north shore, and more primitive sites on the south shore near the bomber. There are no toilets at the lake. We found no permit requirement. Chinook Campground, on the way to the trailhead, is the nearest developed campground. Store food securely.

Inside Intel: Don’t expect the lake to yourself. Visit Idaho calls it an Idaho classic; the writer’s family found an idyllic spot on the north shore in a small stand of pines, alongside about half a dozen other tents. If you want to be close to the bomber, the south shore sites are near it. One guide mentions that the far-side sites near the bomber also have really good fishing.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

North shore pines at Loon Lake:

The primitive sites along Loon Lake's shore are where most people pitch, often alongside other tents. If you wake up sore on your side, these pad and pillow fixes are worth a look.

See the tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.