Southern Idaho + Oregon

Cornucopia Loop

- 27 miles, ~6,800ft climbing
- 5000-8250ft asl
- Eagle Cap Wilderness, north of Halfway, Oregon
- Wallowa Ranger Station, 541-426-5546
- This trailhead is up a short dirt road that is suitable for passenger cars.

"The gold mining town of Cornucopia, Oregon thrived, for the most part, from 1884 until 1942. Today, it is a ghost town and tourist attraction. Many old buildings still stand intact, with a spattering of newer houses and trailers occupied seasonally by hunters. It’s worth a quick drive-through while you’re up there.

Loop starts with a climb up an old mining road, then turns left at the first junction onto the Norway Trail. After making it over Norway Pass, you will drop down to the South Fork of the Imnaha River, crossing it twice before climbing up towards Crater Lake (not THE Crater Lake, just A Crater Lake) on the Cliff Creek Trail. Tag Crater Lake on a short spur, then go back and stay right on Pine Lakes Trail. After crossing the pass at the high point of the route, drop down to Upper and Lower Pine Lakes to begin the rocky 7 mile descent to the finish.

Loop begins and ends near the privately owned Cornucopia Lodge. Highly recommended to have a meal there before or after your trip. Dinner is served family style at 6:30PM. Call ahead for a reservation; vegetarian/vegan options may be available (541-742-4500)."
Historical Article

Standley Cabin Lollipop

- ~50 miles, 11,000ft climbing
- 3800-8096 ft asl
- Eagle Cap Wilderness, south of Wallowa, Oregon
- Wallowa Ranger Station, 541-426-5546
- This trailhead is down a dirt road that is suitable for passenger cars.

“Starting at the Bear Creek Trailhead at the end of Forest Road 040, you’ll start with a gentle climb up Bear Creek, connecting with the Dobbin Creek Trail after about 6 miles. This is where the fun part begins. After a 2000+ foot climb, you’ll arrive on the ridge and the old Standley Cabin Guard Station. There is a piped spring just south of the cabin that is easy to find. Now you’re on the highlight of the lollipop, the Washboard Trail. Difficult to follow at times, this trail is open to and utilized by horses, so you should only have minimal troubles on two feet. After a break on established trail heading down the North Minam and Minam River trails, the primitive Bear-Minam Trail will take you back up to the Standley cabin. Make sure you fill up your bottles before departing the Minam River. Abundant water except for on the ridge. Lollipop section can be completed in either direction.
Route includes Bear Creek Trail #1653, Dobbin Creek Trail #1654, Washboard Trial #1680, back to Bear Creek Trail heading south for almost 2 miles, Bowman Trail #1651, North Minam Trail, Minam River Trail #1673, Bear Minam Trail #1655, then back out on Dobbin Creek and Bear Creek trails.”

Wallowa Lakes Loop

- 33 miles, 8,600ft climbing
- 4669-8869 ft asl
- Eagle Cap Wilderness, south of Joseph, Oregon
- Wallowa Ranger Station, 541-426-5546
- This trailhead is at the end of a paved road with a parking lot.

“This loop starts and ends at the south end of Wallowa Lake, just south of Joseph, Oregon. This will take you through and past some of the best known highlights of the Wallowa Mountains, including the Lakes Basin and near Eagle Cap while going over two high passes. This isolated mountain range is full of greenery and glacier-carved valleys. The crux of the route is Polaris Pass, which can hold a tricky snow cornice on its north side well into June. Plenty of water along the whole route. While a summit of Eagle Cap is not included on this route, I would highly recommend the side trip off of Mirror Lake. If you want an even longer trip, add on the out and back up to Ice Lake on Trail #1808, and maybe even a summit of Matterhorn, the second tallest mountain in the range. If you have some mountaineering/climbing experience, you could even go for Sacajawea Peak, the highest point in Oregon outside of the Cascades at 9,839 feet.
Route includes West Fork Trail #1820, Lakes Basin Trail #1810, Glacier Lake Trail, back to the West Fork Trail (but now heading northbound), then take the right fork onto Polaris Trail #1831 (no signage here as of June 2018), and East Fork Trail #1804 will take you all the way back to the trailhead to complete the loop. Feel free to take the short alternate through the Lakes Basin on Horseshoe Lake Trail #1821, but I would highly recommend going between Douglas and Crescent Lakes instead of taking the shortcut along the south shore of Douglas Lake so you don't miss the amazing view of Eagle Cap across Mirror Lake.”

Boulder-Chain Lakes Loop

- ~27 miles, ~6,000ft climbing
- 8168-10,230 ft asl
- White Clouds Wilderness, between Stanley and Ketchum, Idaho
- Stanley Ranger Station, 208-774-3000; Sawtooth Nat'l Rec Area, 208-727-5000
- This trailhead is up a dirt road that can be rough due to its popularity. A passenger car could make it, but I would recommend a little more clearance.

“Starting at the Fourth of July Trailhead at the end of Forest Road 209, almost the whole route is above 8500 ft, so this is definitely a later summer option. This loop features a mile or two of off trail route finding and scrambling in the Antz and Four Lakes Basins. Once you reach the top of Windy Devil and drop down into the Chain Lakes, there is established trail the rest of the way. Feel free to take a side trip to Lonesome Lake as well, one of the highest in Idaho at 10,449 feet. Once you make it out of the Chain Lakes, you’ll have great views of Castle Peak (the tallest in the range), as you climb up and over Castle Divide. This will drop you into Chamberlain Basin, and from there you’re home free."
Hiking Blog

Josephus Lake

- 19 miles, 3,000 ft climbing
- Salmon-Challis Nat'l Forest, Frank Church-RONR Wilderness, Middle Fork Ranger District, 208-879-4101
- Soldier Basin Trail #4013, Big Soldier Trail #4105, Soldier Basin Trail, Muskeg Creek #4018, Cutthroat Trail #4019, Soldier Basin Trail
- This trailhead is 20 miles down a rough, dirt road that requires high ground clearance. Despite this, it is popular on summer weekends, so get there early or try to go on a weekday.

"This route is essentially an out and back, but there is a good sized loop in the middle. The remains of the fire tower (lost to a wildfire) at the turnaround point offer a great 360-degree view of the Salmon River Mountains. You will go by many lakes that offer good swimming opportunities, and the ridge walk on the southern side of the loop really is special."

Mystery Peak Loop

- 53 miles, 12,500ft climbing
- 5230-9111 ft asl
- Sawtooth Wilderness, west of Stanley, Idaho
- Stanley Ranger Station, 208-774-3000; Sawtooth Nat'l Rec Area, 208-727-5000
- This trailhead is off of a paved road.

“Although route travels through several well visited areas, there is also opportunity to spend miles and miles in stunning solitude.
Leaving Redfish, the trail is initially steep. It eases off along the ridge as it joins the Alpine Ridge Trail #528. Look behind you to see the rounder White Cloud Mountains just to the east. Leaving the ridge, the trail descends into a cooler, wetter valley. The terrain here is full of soft sand.
As you approach the Iron Creek trailhead, you’ll pass the turn-off for Goat Lake Trail. At the junction, the Alpine Way Trail coincides briefly with the Iron Creek - Sawtooth Lake Trail (#640). When the trails split, take the right fork to continue on #528. The north end of this route takes you around McGown and Mystery Peaks, the latter of which received the moniker for being tucked away in the Boulder Mtns and difficult to spot. Be on the lookout for a rounded, jutting summit while you’re making your way north on the Alpine Way Trail.
Around mile 23, trail 64 intersects with trail 614. Turn left towards Sawtooth Lake. Passing the northern shore of Sawtooth Lake, the trail joins the North Fork Baron-Sawtooth Lake Trail and follows the eastern edge of the lake and the valley at the base of Mount Regan.
As you continue south and re-enter the trees, the trail is less maintained. It is the most isolated area in the route. Near mile 29, the trail crosses North Fork Baron Creek. During high water, this crossing can be tricky, but there should be some down trees that you can cross on if you're sure-footed. After that, thick undergrowth, blowdowns, and landslides from the 2020 earthquake will slow your pace. Trekking poles may help to push through the foliage.
After joining with the better maintained Baron Lakes Trail 101, the trail begins to climb. Around mile 37, the trail veers away from the creek and tree coverage is lost. A series of switchbacks take you up and around a noisy and stunning waterfall.
At Upper Baron Lake, you begin the grand finale of this nearly 4000 ft climb as switchbacks take you up and over the pass. Aside from a brief climb around mile 49, once you reach the top of this pass, it is mostly downhill to Redfish Lake.”

Queens River Loop

- 32 miles, 6,200ft climbing
- 5200-9200 feet above sea level
- Sawtooth Wilderness, outside Atlanta, Idaho
- Stanley Ranger Station, 208-774-3000; Sawtooth Nat'l Rec Area, 208-727-5000
- Trailhead is down a long dirt road that is on the rough side. I wouldn't recommend a low clearance car, but you could probably still make it.

“Don't let this route fool you. It is much more difficult than it looks on paper. Down trees, primitive trail that disappears at times, bushwhacking, and many river crossings are just a few of the challenges you will face on this route. However, you’ll be rewarded with pristine alpine lakes, craggy mountaintops, the Queens River Canyon, and solitude.
The Queens River Trailhead is located 5 miles west of Atlanta, Idaho. Turn North onto China Basin Road at the Queens River Campground, and drive 2 more miles until reaching the trailhead and parking area. From the trailhead, cross the bridge and turn left on #454 up the Little Queens River, left at the fork for Trail #459 heading North, right on #494 heading East along Johnson Creek, and back to #458 all the way down the Queens River and back to the parking area.
Take a side trip to Browns Lake, take a dip in Pats Lake, or climb the peak of Mt Everly if you’re not going for speed. If you want to get into the Sawtooths but you want to avoid the crowds in areas like Redfish Lake, then this is the route for you. Water available throughout.”
Hiking Blog
Hiking Blog