Our Trail Spotlight highlights day trips to multi-day hikes across Idaho. Trail conditions can change quickly- swollen rivers can become impassable, windstorms can knock trees down across trails, and snow can come earlier than expected. Please take these recommendations as a jumping off place and do additional research to understand current conditions and  keep yourself safe if you choose to hike this trail. Physical guidebooks and maps are always good to have or check out some online resources like Alltrails.com for updated trail reports. If your trip is as awesome as you hope it will be, please share photos and feedback!

Recommended by: Clay Jacobson, Idaho Centennial Trail Coordinator, Crew Leader

Duration: Day or Multiday

Area: Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest

Difficulty Rating: Where recently maintained, the Lolo Trail is well established and easy hiking (2 out of 5). Some segments may have considerable downfall and overgrowth.

Road Considerations: Best access is by Forest Service Road 107 (Saddle Camp Road/Grave Creek) From Highway 12. A high clearance vehicle is necessary. Access from the West side is possible from Weippe but the roads are in worse shape.

Total hiking miles: The Lolo trail is roughly 90 miles long though there are many continuity issues.

The Hike: The Lolo trail follows the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and the Nez Perce National Historic Trail. The Historic Lolo Motorway was built on the corridor by the CCC in the 1930’s, and it intersects both trails every few miles. This results in many short segments of trail with regular road access, but also makes for some confusion when trying to interpret which route is which.

In August of this year, ITA volunteers cleared a 3 mile section from Sherman Peak to Sherman Saddle. This section takes you to the top of Sherman Peak on a short access trail and then takes an easy descent along a ridge to the saddle where it ties back in to the road. From the ridge you get excellent views of the Selway Crags and the Lochsa River drainage.

The ITA crew also cleared the trail through The Smoking Place, Indian Grave Peak, and The Sinque Hole camp. This section is rich with Lewis and Clark and Nez Perce (Nee-Mee-Poo) history. From The Smoking Place, there are big views of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness high country.

The Lewis and Clark Heritage Foundation (lewisandclark.org) maintains informative signs that document the journey of Lewis and Clark, as well as the movements of the Nez Perce who used this trail for thousands of years to hunt the buffalo herds of the Bitterroot Valley.

Places to camp along the way: There are established campsites along the Lolo Motorway with signage and fire rings.

Things to consider: Opening the Lolo Trail as a continuous trail is a work in progress. You can expect to find severe maintenance issues on many of the segments. Short hikes based out of a vehicle is probably the preferred way to explore the trail for most hikers. There are many inconsistencies in the maps due to the presence of multiple historic routes in the area, and the addition of the Lolo Motorway which was laid over the top of them.

Fun places to visit on your way in or out: On Highway 12 you can stop at the Lochsa Historic Ranger Station for some great insights into the past and present Forest Service presence on the Nez-Perce Clearwater Forest. From the Lolo Motor Way, you can visit Castle Butte Look Out and the Liz Butte Lookout, but be prepared for some rough roads.

More info about this hike: Check the Forest Service’s site about this historic trail and motorway.