Expert
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 156 km / 97.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 5,148 m
- Typical duration
- 44 hr
- Mountain
- Waymarked route
- Long-distance path
Best Autumn Hikes in Idaho
The directory currently contains 67 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Idaho. Their average mapped distance is 25.5 km and average recorded ascent is 714 m (2,343 ft); the longest route in the set is 400 km.
This subset represents 64% of the 105 quality-checked routes in Idaho. Its average distance is 25.5 km, compared with 41.3 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 714 m (2,343 ft), versus 907 m (2,976 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.
Every route in this set carries an autumn season tag. Weather, daylight and vegetation vary by location and year. Within this set, 9 routes (13%) are rated easy, 12 (18%) are rated hard or expert, and 8 (12%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.
Data refreshed September 2026
Choose by the details
How do these routes differ?
A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.
Shortest mapped distance in this sample
41.9 km
Meadow Creek National Recreation TrailCompare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.
Lowest recorded ascent in this sample
567 m
Meadow Creek National Recreation Trail6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.
Return logistics
0 recorded loops
Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.
Plan the return journey →Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.
Trails
Expert
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 400 km / 249 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,018 m
- Typical duration
- 97 hr
- Waterfall
- Mountain
- Long-distance path
Expert
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 350 km / 217 mi
- Elevation gain
- 7,077 m
- Typical duration
- 93 hr
- Coastal
- Mountain
- Waymarked route
Expert
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 84.8 km / 52.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 4,759 m
- Typical duration
- 26 hr
- Mountain
- Long-distance path
Expert
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 277 km / 172 mi
- Elevation gain
- 11,006 m
- Typical duration
- 82 hr
- Mountain
- Long-distance path
Expert
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 41.9 km / 26.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 567 m
- Typical duration
- 10 hr
- River
- Mountain
- Alpine meadow
Expert
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 34.7 km / 21.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 3,336 m
- Typical duration
- 12 hr
- Mountain
Expert
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 32.5 km / 20.2 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,275 m
- Typical duration
- 9 hr 12 min
- River
- Mountain
Hard
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 26.8 km / 16.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,066 m
- Typical duration
- 7 hr 32 min
- River
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 7.9 km / 4.9 mi
- Elevation gain
- 104 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 48 min
- Mountain
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 1.9 km / 1.2 mi
- Elevation gain
- 45 m
- Typical duration
- 27 min
- Waterfall
- Lake
- River
Easy
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 1.6 km / 1.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 6 m
- Typical duration
- 21 min
- Waterfall
Expert
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 50.0 km / 31.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 924 m
- Typical duration
- 12 hr
- River
- Mountain
Moderate
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 0.9 km / 0.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 100 m
- Typical duration
- 20 min
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 3.2 km / 2.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 160 m
- Typical duration
- 55 min
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 2.5 km / 1.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 109 m
- Typical duration
- 41 min
- Mountain
- Forest
Easy
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 7.2 km / 4.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 70 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 36 min
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 6.0 km / 3.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 699 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr 18 min
- Forest
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 3.1 km / 1.9 mi
- Elevation gain
- 190 m
- Typical duration
- 55 min
- Mountain
- Forest
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 2.1 km / 1.3 mi
- Elevation gain
- 97 m
- Typical duration
- 35 min
- Wildlife watching
Moderate
Hard
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 22.7 km / 14.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 992 m
- Typical duration
- 6 hr 27 min
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 5.6 km / 3.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 26 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 12 min
- River
- Mountain
- Forest
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 3.2 km / 2.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 214 m
- Typical duration
- 59 min
- Lake
- Forest
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 1.1 km / 0.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 133 m
- Typical duration
- 26 min
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 3.4 km / 2.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 135 m
- Typical duration
- 55 min
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 15.4 km / 9.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 220 m
- Typical duration
- 3 hr 33 min
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 8.8 km / 5.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 105 m
- Typical duration
- 2 hr
- River
- Forest
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 6.7 km / 4.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 205 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 42 min
- River
- Forest
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 5.0 km / 3.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 222 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 23 min
- Wildlife watching
Easy
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 1.6 km / 1.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 32 m
- Typical duration
- 23 min
- Mountain
Easy
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 1.1 km / 0.7 mi
- Elevation gain
- 50 m
- Typical duration
- 19 min
- Mountain
- Summit push
Moderate
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 6.3 km / 3.9 mi
- Elevation gain
- 163 m
- Typical duration
- 1 hr 34 min
- Mountain
Moderate
Easy
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 3.3 km / 2.0 mi
- Elevation gain
- 30 m
- Typical duration
- 44 min
Easy
Easy
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 3.8 km / 2.4 mi
- Elevation gain
- 118 m
- Typical duration
- 58 min
- River
- Forest
Moderate
Moderate
Moderate
Easy
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 13.2 km / 8.2 mi
- Elevation gain
- 551 m
- Typical duration
- 3 hr 34 min
- River
Moderate
Hard
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 15.5 km / 9.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 399 m
- Typical duration
- 3 hr 50 min
Moderate
Idaho · United States
- Distance
- 2.4 km / 1.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 146 m
- Typical duration
- 43 min
The shortlist, side by side
The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Time | Difficulty | Best season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Northwest Trail 02 IdahoIdaho | 156 km | 5,148 m | 44 hr | Expert | June to October |
| Palouse to Cascades State Park TrailIdaho | 400 km | 2,018 m | 97 hr | Expert | April to October |
| Pacific Northwest Trail 01 MontanaIdaho | 350 km | 7,077 m | 93 hr | Expert | June to October |
| Lewis & Clark National Historic TrailIdaho | 84.8 km | 4,759 m | 26 hr | Expert | June to October |
| Idaho Centennial Trail (West)Idaho | 277 km | 11,006 m | 82 hr | Expert | June to October |
| Meadow Creek National Recreation TrailIdaho | 41.9 km | 567 m | 10 hr | Expert | June to October |
| East Boyd-Glover Roundtop NRTIdaho | 34.7 km | 3,336 m | 12 hr | Expert | June to October |
| Trout Creek National Recreation TrailIdaho | 32.5 km | 1,275 m | 9 hr 12 min | Expert | June to October |
| Lochsa River Historic TrailIdaho | 26.8 km | 1,066 m | 7 hr 32 min | Hard | April to October |
| Caribou RidgeIdaho | 7.9 km | 104 m | 1 hr 48 min | Moderate | April to October |
Pacific Northwest Trail 02 Idaho, Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail 01 Montana currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.
Frequently asked questions
Plan with more confidence
All planning articles →Choosing a route
How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label
Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.
Read article →Understanding the map
Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb
Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.
Read article →Planning your day
Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace
Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.
Read article →Related guides
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