On this Women in the Wild Project, volunteers will continue ITA’s work on the Caton Lake Trail in the Boise National Forest. Starting from the Caton Lake/Rainbow Lake Trailhead, pack llamas will help bring in some of our gear and the crew will establish a backcountry primitive basecamp at Caton Meadows. ITA has been working on this trail since 2017, and due to the amount of fire and new downfall each year, there is never a shortage of trees blocking the trail to Caton Lake. However, each year ITA keeps cutting away to help keep the trail from being lost completely under fallen trees. Later this season, ITA is hosting a project to rebuild a trail bridge near the meadow, and a final backpacking project in September to hopefully “make the lake”!
This project is partly funded by a Legacy Trails Grant, a Federal program through American Trails. This section of trail is also part of the Idaho Centennial Trail, and ITA is committed to continuing to maintain sections of this 1000-mile trail each year.
More info can be found on All Trails.
Project information is subject to change. Crew leaders will communicate via email. Failure to respond to your crew leader may result in being dropped from the project. See our FAQs, reach out to your crew leader, or contact ITA staff at trails@idahotrailsassociation.org if you have questions.
Trails: Caton Lake Trail #093
Itinerary: This is a Sunday–Saturday weeklong project. Sunday, either work from the trailhead for a day or pack into base camp at Caton Meadows. The crew leader will specify in their pre-trip emails. Clear trail and return to base camp each evening for the rest of the project. Sunday, return to the trailhead and head home (no pack support for hike out).
Food Provided by ITA: No
Crew Leader: Patti Stieger
Estimated Drive Time from Closest Town: 2 hours 15 min from Cascade
Trail Map: Click here for trail map and elevation profile
Refundable deposit: $50
Why do I need to pay a deposit? We’ve had trouble with people backing out of trips at the last minute which can really affect the productivity of the overall project. By charging a refundable fee, volunteers are less likely to cancel their reservation. Refunds will not be given to volunteers that do not show up or cancel their reservation. Exceptions will be made for medical reasons or unforeseen circumstances. Volunteers can choose to donate the deposit to ITA. All donations are tax-deductible and will go towards maintaining trails throughout Idaho. If you require assistance in paying for this fee, please contact us at trails@idahotrailsassociation.org and we will waive the cost.
Difficulty Rating
Volunteer Spots Available: 2 of 8
If there are no volunteer spots available, click “Sign Up” to get on our waitlist for this project!
