Sawtooth Wilderness, Idaho, USA

September 2019

Express Tips:

• Give yourself as much time as possible to enjoy this area, you will want to explore
• This area is known to be cold, even in the summer months
• No need for high-clearance or 4WD to get to the trailhead

The Sawtooth Wilderness backcountry is one of the most beautiful places on earth. This hidden gem is not to be overlooked. With 300+ miles of trails, you are sure to find an adventure to suit your needs. The area has been recognized as a “Primitive Area” since 1937 and the Sawtooth Wilderness was officially created by Congress in 1972. The area is home to deer, elk, black bears, antelope, and wolves. The area is typically one of the coldest in Idaho, and all of the continental United States, especially in summer.

You can start this destination hike by flying into the Boise airport. We flew in on a Friday on Southwest Airlines. When we fly with Southwest we take advantage of our companion pass. https://www.southwest.com/air/booking/index.html

We didn’t need to rent a car for this trip, but you can rent them at the airport. I keep a car in Boise because I frequently travel to and from Boise as I work for a company with a large facility there. Though my car does have high clearance and is AWD, we didn’t need it for this trip.

The drive up highway 21 is very rustic with small mining towns, public backcountry ski hills, picturesque meadows, and scenic overlooks. The views as we approached Stanely and the Sawtooths were especially beautiful. The Sawtooths are in reality just as rugged and jagged as the name suggests.

After looking at one other camping location, close to Redfish Lake, we eventually settled in at Mountain View campground near Little Redfish Lake. There are only seven camping sites available at this site, and all are first-come-first-serve year-round. There were several other campgrounds around us, but this one had running water, flushable toilets, along with great views.

We woke up at around 7 am, it was cold outside, but we were nice and warm. The nighttime lows during this trip were below freezing, so we made it a point to empty our hydration bladder tubes each night. We packed up and drove the 20 minutes to the Iron Creek Trailhead, prepared, and then started hiking at around 8:30 am.

The first 1.8 miles of Trail 640 starting at Iron Creek were unassuming, but still pleasant. The trail was wide, well kept, and could easily be completed by families with small children.

Near the end of these first 1.8 miles, you will see mountains that look like saw teeth and this is where the ascent begins. At 3.5 miles from the trailhead and after some good climbing, you will see your first lake, Alpine Lake. The clear blue lake looks beautiful from the trail above.

In a little less than a mile, at about 4.3 miles from the trailhead, you’ll get your first views of Sawtooth Lake. We made a left at this point on to Trail 478 to follow Sawtooth Lake. At about 4.5 miles from the trailhead, almost all of the beautiful blue lake can be seen. We loved this lake and continued along the single track trail that flanks its eastern shore.

We continued beyond Sawtooth lake on Trail 478 about 0.8 miles to explore a small set of lakes. These lakes are unnamed, but we found a good spot to eat lunch and enjoy the views and solitude.

After lunch, we retraced our steps back to the trailhead. Along the way, we met two people that were headed up the steep, unmarked route to the top of Alpine Peak. As an option, this could be a good destination for anyone looking to extend their hike or wanting even more breathtaking views that would be willing to pay for it by going up the very steep route to Alpine Peak.