STATE LINE RIDGE TRAIL

STATE LINE RIDGE TRAIL AND MUCH MORE

EVENT TYPE: Day hiking, backpacking, scrambling, and backcountry skiing
DISTANCE: 7.75 miles RT
ELEVATION:From the Steven Lakes Trailhead 2426 verts. From the freeway in winter, 2689 verts
DIFFICULTY: moderate to very difficult
MAPS: IPNF, Mullan Topo
GPS:
Summer trailhead 47°27’15” N 115°45’58”W
Winter trailhead 47°27’56” N 115°45’33” W
RANGER VDISTRICT: CDA River R.D. 208.769.3000

THE DESCRIPTIONS BELOW AND THE MAP ARE VERY COMPLICATED.
PLEASE TAKE A USFS IPNF MAP AND MULLAN TOPOS OF THE AREA WITH YOU.
SOME OF THE ROUTES LISTED BELOW CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT.
PLEASE PLAN AHEAD.

DESCRIPTION:

SNOW TRAVEL FROM THE STEVENS LAKES TRAILHEAD. (Route #1)
The Stevens Lakes trail is on the left (east) side of Willow Creek, which becomes the East Fork Willow Creek soon. Continue up the Stevens Lake Trail #165 for .3 of a mile. When the road becomes a trail with a vertical trail sign, a logging road veers off to the left (east). Follow this logging road as it does 7 switchbacks. Continue on the old road as it skirt past the bottom of the logged area. It will circle around until it skirts along side the logged area. Before you enters the forest, cut right (SW) into the shaft of the arrow. Turn left (SSE) straight up to the point of the arrow. At the point, choose a route up thru the woods, staying on the faint ridge line top for .3 of a mile to where you break out of the woods. The State Line Ridge is off to your SSW. Walk out about a mile to a rock prominence to have lunch. Any further in the snow season, can be very hazardous.
When you head back down, follow your steps to the point of the arrow. From here, you can center yourself in the shaft of the arrow and head straight down until you come across your tracks on the road you walked in on.
A note...in the winter, snowshoeing up the shaft of the arrow is steep near the bottom.

NON SNOW SEASON. (Route #1, then 2, then 1
Follow the route described above, but instead of cutting up in to the shaft of the arrow, stay on the road that skirts the arrow, bearing right until it reaches the State Line Ridge.
PLEASE BE AWARE. THIS ROUTE AFTER LEAVING THE FOREST ONTO THE STATE LINE RIDGE IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD ONLY BE ATTEMPTED BY EXPERIENCED SCRAMBLERS.

OPTION #1:

To extend your hike, continue along the State Line Ridge, over the rock prominences to CDA River Ranger District and the St. Joe River District divide. Turn right (west) to Stevens Peak. (Route #1 & 3)

OPTION #2:

To extend your hike/scramble even further, you can drop down the west side of Stevens Peak, and follow the Idaho Centennial Trail along the West Willow Ridge back to the trailhead. ( Route #5B)

OPTION #3:

To make your extended hike/scramble way more fun, competent scramblers can walk out the ridge NNE from Stevens peak, and drop down to Upper Stevens Lake, and back to the trailhead. (Route #4B)

OPTION #4:

Or you can hike the ridge NNE of Stevens Peak, as described above, but hike it out to the prominence 6540’ about half way to the end of the ridge.
Climb up to the 6540’ summit for the views and then, head back down to the saddle until you located a faint trail down to the Upper Sanctuary above Lone Lake. From the prominent bump in the sanctuary, walk the east side down along Long Lake and around the left (west) side of Lone Lake to it’s trail, Trail #138 back to the same trailhead that you started on. The faint trail down from 6540’ summit is very braided. Aim for the bump in the middle of the sanctuary. (Route #4 & 4C)

OPTION #5:

This route takes you over Stevens Peak from the east to the ridge to the west and high above Lone Lake? It is part of the Idaho Centennial Trail, but drops down to the the shared trailhead. ( Route 5 & 5C)

OPTION #5B

Option 5 B is part of option 5, but drops you down to the Upper Sanctuary, and down to Lone Lake to the shared trailhead. (Route 5 & 4C)

OPTION #6:

This option comes in from Lookout Pass, and takes you to Upper St. Regis Lake. From the Upper Lake, look for a chute, due South that climbs steeply up to the State Line. Once on the divide, turn right (west) to Stevens Peak. This portion of the hike is also on the Idaho Centennial Trail.
Be sure to return the way you ascended.
However, you can continue east for 1.1 miles, to where the ridge turns a sharp right. At this point you leave the State Line, turn left (N) and drop down to the north. About 650 ‘ bear left. In another .6 miles turn right at the “T”. Stay on this road until you come the the old railroad bed. Turn left all the way to Lookout Pass Ski Area. (Route #6)

DIRECTIONS:

Drive east on I-90 to exit #69. At the stop sign turn left over the freeway to the stop sign, and turn right past the Lucky Friday Mine. In about .5 miles the road forks to the right. Stay on this road back over the freeway, where it turns to dirt. The joint trailhead is just over a mile past the freeway.

Click on the right arrow -> in the upper left corner of the map to expand the map legend.

COOL THINGS CLOSE BY:

Upper & Lower St. Regis Lakes, Lookout Pass Ski Area, the Route of the Hiawatha, Trail of the CDA’s, Crystal Lake, Graham Mountain, Silver Mountain, Lower & Upper Glidden Lakes, and Lone Lake.

HAZARDS:

BECAUSE ALL THESE ROUTES ARE OFF TRAIL, I WILL STATE, THAT ANY TRAVEL ALONG THE RIDGES OR DOWN TO ANY OF THE LAKES, ARE ROUTE YOU WANT TO USE EXTREME CAUTION ON. THE LOGGING ROADS ALSO REQUIRE ROUTE FINDING SKILLS
PLEASE, USE EXTREME CAUTION.

R & P:

Butter and Herbs Italian in Pinehurst. The Pizza Factory & the 1313 Club, and Muchacho’s Tacos in Wallace. Radio Brewery in Kellogg. Moon Time, the Mexican Food Factory, Franklins Hoagies, and the Trails End Brewery in CDA.

PLAN YOUR TRIP:

Click for Current NOAA Weather Conditions