Our first family project in collaboration with Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation was a huge success!

Twelve volunteers (the youngest was 5!) spent the weekend working on the Cougar Creek–Deep Creek #336 and Trail #337 near Upper Payette Lake outside of McCall. Together, they cleared 18 trees and more than half a mile of brush, making the entire loop fully passable again!

And the trail work was just one part of the fun. One of our volunteers, a teacher, planned some awesome activities for the kids, including painting with natural materials and creating a footprint trap to discover what wildlife had been passing through the area.

A huge thank-you to everyone who came out and made this such a special weekend! We loved seeing families get outside, work together, and experience the fun of giving back to their trails. We’re hoping this is just the beginning of more projects designed to get families and younger volunteers out on the trails with us!

@selwaybitterroot

Volunteers needed for a late summer weekend in the Idaho Panhandle!
Trestle Ridge | August 22-23 near Clark Fork. We're reconnecting a long-neglected stretch of trail that connects to the Trestle Ridge Trail, with lovely views up top! Light saw work and brushing -- no experience necessary! Welcome to join for one or both days! Car camp with us or head home in the evenings -- your call!
See link in profile to learn more and sign up.
BONUS: When you sign up for this project, you will be entered to win a pair of St. Joe River Cruise Tickets (a six hour excursion!) from Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises!
Photo by Beth Goodnight

Yesterday, six staff members from the offices of Senator Crapo, Senator Risch, and Representative Fulcher joined us in the Boise National Forest for a day of hands-on trail work! This hearty crew got right to work, removing 14 trees blocking the trail with crosscut saws and hand saws, while also brushing back limbs and overgrown vegetation.

A huge thank-you to this awesome group for spending the day with us and learning firsthand about traditional trail work and the challenges facing Idaho’s trails. We loved having you out there!

An ITA crew of 7, with their intrepid cook Jay, recently took on the Rapid River Trail... No, not that Rapid River trail. This Rapid River flows by the Seafoam Guard Station, where we set up our camp, down to the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

Our crew spent a week logging out trees, clearing debris slides, and brushing this old trail which goes about 14 miles from the trailhead at Float Creek to the confluence with the Middle Fork. It follows an old road bed to Bruin Creek, where two antiquated wheelbarrows lie hidden in the fireweed.

Beyond our work area, there are several slides on the loose granitic slopes that will require additional trail projects to repair, though they are passible on foot. The area seemed more popular for fishermen than hikers, and we didn't see anybody out on the trail for the whole week. This is a great place to explore if you are seeking solitude in the Stanley Area.

Near the trailhead, Josephus Lake is a good jumping off point for exploring the multitude of high mountain lakes hidden in the crags above. However, don't take the Seafoam Lake road in your personal vehicle! Our crew helped fix two flat tires for a young couple that had tried it. - Clay Jacobson, Crew Leader and ICT Coordinator

Volunteers needed!

This project just got an update and we still have spots open for one of our most adventurous projects of the summer! The Windy Bill project runs starting this weekend, August 9-15 in the Proposed Great Burn Wilderness near Pierce, Idaho. This weeklong backpacking trip has you logging out the Scurvy Mountain and Windy Bill Trails -- part of the Idaho Centennial Trail -- with stunning views overlooking the Moose Mountains, Cayuse and Kelly Creek drainages, and Scurvy Lake. Gear gets packed in, you hike out. Food per diem provided. If you're ready for a week of saw work in incredible backcountry sign up now!

https://idahotrailsassociation.org/event/2026-windy-bill/

This was a great week…as we worked the trails, as we hacky-sacked, as we climbed peaks, and as we enjoyed meals together! The beautiful scenery, the hard work, the removal of 207 trees and a BFB, the cold water of Ruth Lake, the physical exercise, and the great companionship made it truly wonderful. And finding my new love in the Rock Bar was a good addition too. Thank you all. – Conner Hall, volunteer

Photos by: Rachel Burnett, Chris Keilty, Sarah Antrobus, and Alex Cravener

We have spots for one or two more families this weekend!⚡

When: August 8-9
Where: Upper Payette Lake outside of McCall

What: We'll camp together along beautiful Upper Payette Lake, spend time exploring the lakeshore, playing games, and giving back to Idaho's trails. This special project is designed with families in mind—parents or guardians can take turns heading out for a day of trail work while the rest of the family enjoys camp. We'll have fun activities planned for kids and their grown-ups, making it a great weekend for everyone. Families with kids of all ages are welcome! Come make memories, meet other trail-loving families, and help care for the places we all love. We can't wait to see you there!

See link in profile to learn more!

@selwaybitterroot

ITA continued its work on the Little Queens River trail in the Sawtooth Wilderness last week sending in 11 women volunteers to continue efforts to clear downfall and brush the trail in order to open up the Queens River loop after the 2013 fire.
Backpacking in with all of our gear and tools, we worked our way toward camp. Over the next four hot days the crew cut out over 80 trees and brushed vegetation overtaking the trail. Five members of the crew were on their first ITA project and quickly became seasoned sawyers and loppers. Every member of this crew worked hard and we became an efficient and dedicated team of GOATS ;-)) Laughter, soaks in the nearby creek, tracking down water on the trail, crazy mustachioed “gentlemen”, backgammon lessons, a swim in the lake, fixing a flat tire, watermelon at the trailhead, all created a memorable women only project.
Over all, we covered 6 1/4 miles of trail clogged with downed trees just above and beyond the Scenic Lake Trail in order to open up access to the next crew following us in with pack animals as we swapped out tools and headed home.
Thanks to Kirsten for her exemplary leadership and to the whole crew for their hard work and the many laughs. –Cindy Walker - Co-crew Leader

Seven Idaho Trails Association volunteers car-camped at the lovely Kennally Creek campground for 4 days in late July to work on the Needles Trail Route located about 2 miles from the trailhead at the campground. Each day, our crew hiked 2.5 miles up to where the work started on the Needles Trail. I say up, because the trail climbed about 1000 feet. We cut or removed 80 trees, which included 4 giant tangles of logs of 6-10 trees each! We also installed a water bar. The work was hard--in the blazing heat. And yet, not a complaint was heard. Each evening, we returned to the cool shade of the campground and the refreshing lovely water of Kennally Creek. - Crew Leader Alisa Rettschlag

Photos by: Alisa Rettschlag and Kim Yauchzee

We still have some spots left on a five-day project on the beautiful Twin Lakes Trail high above Rapid River in central Idaho!
When: August 5-9
Where: Payette National Forest, Rapid River drainage
What: High above Rapid River, volunteers will work on clearing the trails that access Twin Lakes, a pretty lake basin nestled at the base of Echols Mountain. Meeting at the trailhead just east of Huckleberry Campground, we'll hike with day packs and some tools while a packer brings our gear about 4 miles to Bear Saddle, where we'll camp for the first few days while working the trail to Twin Lakes. We'll then move camp ourselves (no pack support) to Twin Lakes and continue working on the Echols Ridge Trail that accesses the lakes from the northeast. These lakes are a hidden gem with great camping! Lots of trails coming from Rapid River intersect here, and we'll work up and down the Twin Lakes Creek and Echols Ridge trails as far as time allows. A packer will come to retrieve our gear on the last day.

👉 See link in profile for more info!