The Sawtooth Wilderness Loop is a 70-mile, remote trail in Idaho with easy camping and water access, but a decent amount of elevation gain. It can be hiked in 4-6 days.
Region: Mountain West (Sawtooth Wilderness, Idaho)
Length: 70 miles (4-6 days)
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
- Over 12,000 cumulative feet of elevation gain
- Rocky trail, especially over the passes
- Some deadfall covering the trail
Logistical Difficulty: Moderate
- Remote location
- High elevation and exposed ridges
- Quickly changing weather depending on the season
Season: Late spring to early fall
Total Elevation Gain: 12,463 feet
Hiking the Sawtooth Wilderness Loop Trail
This loop hike is striking and remains almost entirely in the heart of the wilderness. The trail is fairly easy to follow with enough use to keep the trails in good condition. There are multiple wildfire burn areas that offer some downed logs along the way, but with a good map or GPS track, it is a fairly easy route to follow.
We hiked from the Grandjean trailhead and went in a clockwise direction. Either direction offers a similar experience with subtle differences. If the loop is done clockwise, there is a 10-mile section through a desolate burn area before arriving at Sawtooth Lake. The lake is the spectacle and biggest feature in the first half of the hike when going in this direction. After the lake it is about 15 miles to the next batch of lakes, Barren and Upper Barren Lakes.
At the Barren Lakes the next alpine lakes begin with ponds, canyons, and streams lining the trail between the major named lakes. Water was not an issue for us on this hike, and great views and peaks in the notorious Sawtooth jagged style greeted us over every pass. We took a short detour to climb “The Temple” simply for the greater view offered of the weathered mountain range.
How to Get to the Sawtooth Wilderness Loop
Closest Major City: Boise, Idaho (100 miles)
We hiked from the Grandjean trailhead in a complete clockwise circle back to the same point. There are multiple access points and three different options to shorten the loop.
When to Hike the Sawtooth Wilderness Loop
Midsummer through early fall is the best time to hike the Sawtooth Wilderness Loop. Since this trail reaches nearly 10,000 feet, the snow takes some time to melt. This also means during the hiking season there are plentiful lakes and streams to get water
Sawtooth Wilderness Loop Terrain
The Sawtooth Wilderness Loop has moderate terrain throughout. It is a fairly well-kept route, but with the oscillating climbs and descents and some very rocky areas to traverse it is not easy. The whole trail is at a fairly high altitude as well.
Logistics: Permits, Camping, Water
Permits: There are self-issue wilderness permits at the trailheads
Camping: Camping is free and there are numerous lakes to camp at along the route. Nearly every lake we found had a good spot to camp nearby.
Water: Reliable water is plentiful even late in the season and we only carried about 1 liter each and never dry camped on the loop.
Know Before You Go
Weather: Snow comes in fast and the nights are cold. We brought four seasons’ worth of layers but were lucky enough to have sun the whole route. But we did see remnants of snow from a recent snowstorm high on the peaks.
Shorter Options: This trail can be broken up into a 30- and 40-mile option by taking trails that cut through the middle of the loop.
Bears: This is grizzly bear territory, so we recommend bringing bear spray and bear hang your food.
Route Finding: We’ve linked to our Gaia GPS track, and we recommend having a map and compass (and knowing how to use it) or having a reliable GPS track. It is quite an easy trail to follow and fairly well signed, but we did have to double check at a couple of the intersections.