Good Views From Summit

It’s an experience traveling the Magruder Corridor road, part of a 100-mile narrow road. According to the US Forest Service brochure, the road constructed by the CCCs in 1930s has changed little over the decades. It shows, and the narrow rocky in places road is used heavily by snowmobiles in winter and 4-wheelers in summer. There are no services available along this route or the adjoining roads for 130 miles. The portion of the Magruder Corridor road approaching Burnt Knob from the east is narrow, but it is very scenic and at high elevation. Much of it is over 7500’ high for northcentral Idaho roads.

Getting to Sabe Mountain is an experience traveling the Magruder Corridor road, a 100-mile narrow road much of which is over 7500’, high for Northcentral Idaho roads.  The are no services (gas or other) available along this route and the adjoining roads for 130 miles.   According to the US Forest Service brochure, the road, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1930s has changed little over the decades.  It shows.

Mineral Peak is an inactive US Forest Service Lookout and active Communication site.  It sits near the boundary of the Rattlesnake Wilderness and Rattlesnake National Recreation areas.  Summits views are good of the Rattlesnake mountains and a couple of distant cirque lakes.  Access is via trail up the Rattlesnake Corridor, approximately 16.5 miles or via a poorly maintained high clearance rough road approximately 5 miles off the East Fork Rattlesnake and Gold Creek Roads.

This old US Forest Service Lookout has good trail access from the trailhead on the North Fork of the Blackfoot River.  The trailhead is a popular access point into the Scapegoat and Bob Marshall Wilderness Areas for kayakers in the spring, fly fishers, backpackers, stock users and fall season hunters.  The summit has spectacular views of much of the Scapegoat Wilderness and high summits within the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area.

Trail Miles:  4.5 one way

Elevation Gain:  3700’

Water:  No water is available along the trail.

Nez Perce Peak is on the historic Nez Perce route to the eastern bison hunting grounds.  It was also used by prospectors and traders.  It is accessed by a steep-unmarked trail approximately 3 miles beginning on the Magruder Corridor road along Deep Creek.  The open grassland summit has excellent views of the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.  There are trees for wire antennas or lots of open space for other antennas.  Only a few wires, outhouse trail and stacked rock remain of the old US Forest Service Lookout. 

Indian Ridge is accessed by trail beginning on the Selway River near Indian Creek Campground. This US Forest Service primitive campground is famous from the humous outdoor book INDIAN CREEK CHRONICLES where the author, college student Pete Fromm spent a winter watching over an Idaho Fish and Game artificial salmon rearing channel. The well- marked summit trail climbs through towering centuries-old ponderosa pine open-forest and some recent fire snag forests.

Here's an easy drive-up summit that you can do on the way to the coast. Any vehicle can make it on these well-graded roads.

University Mountain with an adjoining lower non-SOTA summit, Mount Sentinel overlooks the city of Missoula.  Access is by three main routes, a road (closed to motor vehicles) or two trails.  It is a communication site for several Agency repeaters and a popular summit in summer and winter for hikers, mountain bikers and cross-country skiers.  The subordinate summit to the west is a launch site for hang gliders.  Visitors can be expected on any of your SOTA activations here.

Bare Cone Lookout is a popular drive-up destination, motorcycle, quad 4-wheeler and auto, on the Bitterroot National Forest. Visitors travel here to visit an active US Forest Service Lookout and to experience the outstanding vistas of managed forest, wild forest landscapes and the rugged southern end of the Selway Bitterroot Mountains. A trail passes near the summit. The trail is on the historic southern route of the Nez Perce people, access to hunting bison on the vast Montana plains to the east.

Castle Rock is a popular hike from Nez Perce Pass on the Bitterroot National Forest. It can also be accessed from a trailhead near Bare Cone Lookout to the east. Both routes are about the same distance and terrain. The last 200 feet is a scramble to the summit over loose rock and bedrock from either a notch in the cliffs on the west side or more open loose rock routes on the east side. Most folks will be using both hands and feet on this one. Summit views are tremendous to the north where you’ll be looking into the rugged southern mountains of the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness Area.