Hiking the White Cloud Loop Trail: A Stunning Adventure Through Idaho’s Sawtooth National Recreation Area
This overlooked locals-only jewel across the Salmon River Valley from the more-famous Sawtooth Mountains delivers solitude and adventure on a 32-mile partly off-trail loop.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
Download the app.
The White Cloud Loop Trail is a challenging route that meanders through and around the White Cloud mountains of Idaho’s Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Meanders being the keyword. You can tackle the trail in a few different ways, and you’ll need experience with route-finding and class 4 scrambling—especially between Born Lakes and Windy Devil Pass. If you’re up to the task, you’ll experience mountains that evoke Yellowstone’s Gallatin Range or Absarokas, with scenic vistas, elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, black bears, and even gray wolves—almost to yourself.
Trail Facts
Distance: 32.5-mile loop
Elevation Gain: 6,955 feet
Difficulty: Very Challenging
The Route: White Cloud Loop Trail
Our choice route for this hike was a four-day, 32.5-mile, partly off-trail loop.
Day One
Heading down to Quiet Lake to find a place to camp for the night. [Photo by Tim Seaver]Start at the Fourth of July Creek trailhead on the west side of the White Cloud range. Follow trails 109 and 219 for 2.1 miles to the saddle between Blackman and Patterson Peaks. Once there, head off-trail over 10,872-foot Patterson Peak—with an amazing 360 of the White Clouds. Descend into Four Lakes Basin and camp at the northern tip of Quiet Lake or the outlet of Noisy Lake.
Day Two
Hummock Lake, one of the Boulder Chain Lakes, as seen from the Scoop Lake outlet. [Photo by Tim Seaver]Ascend off-trail past Shallow Lake, cross Windy Devil Ridge, and drop into the valley of the trout-rich Boulder Chain Lakes, ringed by craggy, white peaks. Find good camping at Hatchet or Baker Lake.
Day Three
Castle Peak, the White Cloud range’s highest point at 11,519 feet, towers above Chamberlain Basin. [Photo by Tim Seaver]Hoof southwest via trails 47 and 110 to Chamberlain Basin, a lake-dotted cirque below the 2,500-foot-tall south face of Castle Peak—the range’s highpoint at 11,815 feet. Pack a bear canister as bruins here raid hangs. En route to Chamberlain Basin, make the 1.5-mile round-trip, off-trail side trip to visit secluded Castle Lake. It sits at 9,419 feet in a small cirque bounded by the sheer cliffs of Merriam and Castle peaks.
Day Four
Still as glass, Fourth of July Lake reflects the beauty of the snow-covered White Cloud Wilderness. [Photo by Tim Seaver]From Chamberlain Basin, hike just under 10 miles back to the Fourth of July Creek trailhead to complete the loop.
The Map: White Cloud Loop Trail
Additional Photos
A view of Ants Basin from Patterson Peak. [Photo by Tim Seaver]Quiet Lake is a peaceful and beautiful spot to camp. [Photo by Tim Seaver]Stopping for a look at the Castle Divide. [Photo by Tim Seaver]At 11,815 feet, Castle Peak is the White Cloud mountains highest point. [Photo by Tim Seaver]
