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Idaho's Hiking Trails
The state offers hiking trails in BIG numbers. Like over 19,000 miles of terrain for hiking, mountain and road biking, horseback riding, Nordic skiing and snowmobiling! Here's just about everything you need! But when it comes to travel by foot, Idaho has everything from short, easy paths to major, hiking tests. Idaho has everything for the novice hiker on his first, easy stroll, to exhausting trials for the veteran hiker.
For a practical tool to help you plan hikes on the trails of Idaho, take a look at Ralph and Jackie Johnson Maughan's resourceful book, HIKING IDAHO. It is available here from AMAZON:
The granddaddy of all of them is the famed Idaho State Centennial Trail. This hiking trail extends about 1,200 miles from the State of Nevada to the Canadian border. That’s a big walk! The Centennial Trail winds though mile after mile of some of the most remote country Idaho or any state has to offer. Across sagebrush flats, forbidding river canyons, rain drenched forests, alpine meadows teeming with wildflowers, next to dazzling highland lakes and over the daunting mountain ranges.
Along the way you'll view geological formations, outcroppings, caves and hot springs. You’ll view early Idaho: abandoned homesteads, cabins, mines and logging camps. This hiking trail crosses two historic routes; the Lewis and Clark Trail hard along the Clearwater-Lochsa divide and the Oregon Trail on the Snake River plains. The trail passes through 11 of the 12 national forests either completely or partially located in Idaho. And, it meanders across the largest contiguous wilderness in the lower 48 states, guiding the trekker through the stunning beauty of the state.
All of this can be found along the twelve hundred miles of the Idaho State Centennial Trail. A hiking trail to remember! Another lengthy and very popular trail is The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. This 73-mile long freshly-paved trail spans the Idaho panhandle between Mullan and Plummer. It's one of the most spectacular trails in the western United States. And, it's PAVED! Because of it's smooth surface and gentle grades, the trail is perfect for casual hikers, inline skaters and road bikers. No ATVs, electric golf carts, electric or gas powered bicycles, four-wheel drive vehicles or any motorized vehicles are allowed on the trail, shoulder of the trail or within the trail corridor. The trail has 20 developed trailheads, 17 scenic waysides with benches and picnic tables. The trail begins off Interstate Route 90 near Mullan, then follows the Coeur d'Alene River, past Lake Coeur d'Alene and through farmlands to the town of Plummer. Or, you might decide to hike all or part of the historic Lewis and Clark expedition passage across Idaho. For complete details on hiking the trail, consider HIKE LEWIS AND CLARK'S IDAHO available here from AMAZON:
These extensive hiking trails are a cooperative undertaking by state and federal organizations, indian tribes and private and public land managers who allow users to cross their property. Idaho's Department of Parks and Recreation handles overall coordination. For maps, and for additional information click here, then click on "Recreation", then click on "Hiking". For more information, contact the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0065. Phone: (208) 334-4199, or log on to www.idahoparks.org for inquiries. As mentioned, the Centennial Trail is huge, but it isn’t a hiker’s only option in Idaho. Not by a long shot! Here’s just a few of the more popular hiking trail experiences in Idaho, rated from “Easy” to “Moderate” to “Difficult”, depending on elevation changes and trail conditions: ::EASY HIKES::
::MODERATE HIKES::
::DIFFICULT HIKES::
For any day hike lasting more than a few hours, a backpack should be carried by each hiker with the following items, at a minimum:
I make up batches of trail mix myself. The snack is loaded with salt replacement, protein and carbohydrates - a snack that gives that lift needed while hiking. I call it "Idaho Trail Mix".
My Idaho Trail Mix
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The Trail provides every recreation seeker with a variety of great options depending on the trail's conditions, regulations and laws. In addition to hiking, parts of the trail are open to the likes of snowmobiling, horseback riding, mountain biking, motorized trailbiking, Nordic skiing and, where the hiking trail is actually a "road", to conventional motor vehicles.
