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Best Autumn Hikes in Idaho

We track 67 routes that match this search in Idaho. They average 25.5 km and 714 m (2,343 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 400 km.

That is 64 percent of the 105 routes we map in Idaho. They are shorter than the local average, 25.5 km against 41.3 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day.

Autumn walking means cooler air, low light and, in the right forest, colour that makes a familiar route feel new. The mix is broad: 9 are rated easy and 12 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 47.
Expert

Pacific Northwest Trail 02 Idaho

Idaho · United States

Distance
156 km
/ 97.1 mi
Elevation gain
5,148 m
Typical duration
44 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 44.
Expert

Idaho Centennial Trail (West)

Idaho · United States

Distance
277 km
/ 172 mi
Elevation gain
11,006 m
Typical duration
82 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Lake Coeur d'Alene
Moderate

Caribou Ridge

Idaho · United States

Distance
7.9 km
/ 4.9 mi
Elevation gain
104 m
Typical duration
1 hr 48 min
  • Mountain
Redfish Lake and the Grand Mogul in the Sawtooth Range of Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho
Moderate

Fishhook Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
58 m
Typical duration
56 min
Ribes cereum . Near Redfish Inlet, Sawtooth National Forest near Stanley, Idaho.
Moderate

Redfish Inlet Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
100 m
Typical duration
20 min
Bottom of a Push-up
Moderate

Tubbs Hill Main Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
3.2 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
160 m
Typical duration
55 min
Douglas A2D Skyshark on static display at Pacific Fighters adjacent to Idaho Falls Regional Airport.
Easy

Freeman Loop

Idaho · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
21 min
Pettit Lake in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho
Moderate

Trail 041

Idaho · United States

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
157 m
Typical duration
51 min
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 60.
Moderate

Graham Coal Connector

Idaho · United States

Distance
6.0 km
/ 3.7 mi
Elevation gain
699 m
Typical duration
2 hr 18 min
Moderate

Goose Creek Falls Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Waterfall
  • River
02-35-22: valley
Moderate

Pt. Sublime Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
133 m
Typical duration
26 min
02-35-22: valley
Moderate

Huckleberry Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
3.4 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
135 m
Typical duration
55 min
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 47.
Moderate

Idaho Centennial Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
15.4 km
/ 9.6 mi
Elevation gain
220 m
Typical duration
3 hr 33 min
White Bird battlefield along the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, White Bird, Idaho. US Forest Service photo, by Roger Peterson
Moderate

White Bird Loop Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
5.0 km
/ 3.1 mi
Elevation gain
222 m
Typical duration
1 hr 23 min
  • Wildlife watching
Moderate

Coal Creek Trail #41

Idaho · United States

Distance
5.6 km
/ 3.5 mi
Elevation gain
26 m
Typical duration
1 hr 12 min
  • River
  • Mountain
01-18-24: skyline drive
Easy

Iron Mountain Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Lake Serene Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
3.2 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
214 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Lake
Pettit Lake in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho
Easy

Trail 383

Idaho · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
24 m
Typical duration
17 min
Moderate

Summit View Loop

Idaho · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
50 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Moderate

Goose Creek Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
8.8 km
/ 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
105 m
Typical duration
2 hr
  • River
02-35-22: valley
Moderate

Kerttu Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
142 m
Typical duration
39 min
Moderate

Van Camp Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
6.3 km
/ 3.9 mi
Elevation gain
163 m
Typical duration
1 hr 34 min
  • Mountain
Eagle Watch 2015 at Mineral Ridge Boat Launch
Moderate

Red Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
30 m
Typical duration
12 min
Round Lake State Park, Idaho
Easy

Stewardship Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
30 m
Typical duration
44 min
Round Lake State Park, Idaho
Easy

Trapper's Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
21 m
Typical duration
30 min
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 42.
Moderate

Trail A

Idaho · United States

Distance
14.3 km
/ 8.9 mi
Elevation gain
469 m
Typical duration
3 hr 41 min
Moderate

Blue Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
192 m
Typical duration
1 hr 8 min
Moderate

Trail 097

Idaho · United States

Distance
8.1 km
/ 5.1 mi
Elevation gain
193 m
Typical duration
1 hr 59 min
Easy

Trail 089

Idaho · United States

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.8 mi
Typical duration
15 min
Moderate

Kennally Creek Pack Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
13.2 km
/ 8.2 mi
Elevation gain
551 m
Typical duration
3 hr 34 min
  • River
Ponderosa Pine Pinus ponderosa subsp. ponderosa foliage and cones, Idaho Panhandle National Forest, northern Idaho, USA. Photo by Elisa Stamm/USFS.
Moderate

Trail 10

Idaho · United States

Distance
4.5 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
67 m
Typical duration
1 hr 3 min
Easy

Graham Creek Trail #33

Idaho · United States

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
118 m
Typical duration
58 min
  • River
Payette's Short-wing Grasshopper (Melanoplus payettei). Species of insect.
Hard

Korth Trail

Idaho · United States

Distance
15.5 km
/ 9.6 mi
Elevation gain
399 m
Typical duration
3 hr 50 min
McCroskey State Park
Moderate

James E. Dewey Trail

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.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Pacific Northwest Trail 02 IdahoIdaho156 km5,148 m44 hrExpertJune to October
Palouse to Cascades State Park TrailIdaho400 km2,018 m97 hrExpertApril to October
Pacific Northwest Trail 01 MontanaIdaho350 km7,077 m93 hrExpertJune to October
Lewis & Clark National Historic TrailIdaho84.8 km4,759 m26 hrExpertJune to October
Idaho Centennial Trail (West)Idaho277 km11,006 m82 hrExpertJune to October
Meadow Creek National Recreation TrailIdaho41.9 km567 m10 hrExpertJune to October
East Boyd-Glover Roundtop NRTIdaho34.7 km3,336 m12 hrExpertJune to October
Trout Creek National Recreation TrailIdaho32.5 km1,275 m9 hr 12 minExpertJune to October
Lochsa River Historic TrailIdaho26.8 km1,066 m7 hr 32 minHardApril to October
Caribou RidgeIdaho7.9 km104 m1 hr 48 minModerateApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Pacific Northwest Trail 02 Idaho, Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail 01 Montana. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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