This summer, the IDFG wildlife habitat crew was busy opening up and improving Snow Peak Wildlife Management Area trails for hikers and horseback riders.
Starting at Sawtooth Saddle (at the end of the FS 201 road), the crew cleared logs and removed brush along 3 miles of Trail #100 down to Buck Creek and about 6 miles of Trail #40 towards the North Fork of the Clearwater River. Sawtooth Saddle is a good place to camp before heading onto the WMA and features feed troughs and a corral for horses. Hikers and horseback riders can use Trail #40 to head to the Little North Fork of the Clearwater River Trail #50.
In the summer of 2018, a recreational trails grant provided funding for a Montana Conservation Corps trail crew to clear logs and remove brush on more than 20 miles of trail. Last summer, Snow Peak Lookout Trail #55, Scribner Falls Trail #106, Canyon Creek Trail #99, and the upper 3 miles of Papoose Mountain Trail #101 were cleared and brushed. Each winter brings downed logs, but these trails are more passable than they have been in years.
Snow Peak Lookout Trail #55 is a popular hike out to an old forest service lookout where mountain goats are commonly seen. Scribner Falls Trail #106 parallels the 201 Road from Surveyor’s Lookout turn-off to the Table Camp area and is an easy hike with good views of the WMA and a waterfall. It. Canyon Creek Trail #99 heads down to the confluence with Buck Creek crossing the creek 14 times in the lower stretch. Papoose Mountain Trail #101 runs along a ridge line with great huckleberry picking in late July and August.
Take advantage of these great backcountry trails to access fantastic fishing on the Little North Fork of the Clearwater, big game and forest grouse hunting, and wildlife watching opportunities.
