Pets allowed
Allowed
Elevation Gain
1,500.00 ft (457.20 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
10.00 mi (16.09 km)
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The trail to Illinois Peak starts on a four-wheel drive road at the Trout Creek Driveway and continues for about a quarter of a mile until the actual trailhead. There are huckleberries that line this road during berry season. The hike begins in a mostly wooded area, but it then opens up to a clearing with beautiful views and wildflowers during the right season. The trail can get hot because it is pretty exposed for most of the way. The hike is mostly gradual until the last third, which includes switchbacks up to the summit. Illinois Peak is the highest peak in Idaho's Shoshone County, so you definitely reap the benefit of seeing the 360-degree vista of Montana and Idaho. At the summit there are ruins of an old fire watchtower where you can sit and have lunch, but the weather does change rapidly, so prepare accordingly.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

None

Open Year-round

Yes

Pros

Views. Maintained trail. Low traffic. Wildflowers and wildlife.

Cons

Trailhead is unmarked. Exposed trail. No facilities.

Trailhead Elevation

6,190.00 ft (1,886.71 m)

Highest point

7,690.00 ft (2,343.91 m)

Features

Family friendly
Wildflowers
Big vistas
Wildlife
Backcountry camping

Typically multi-day

No

Permit required

No

Location

Nearby Adventures

Western Bitteroot + Clearwater Mountains, Montana
Missoula + Bitterroot Mountains, Montana

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