Big Sand Lake
Idaho
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13.5 mi
Distance
4,204 ft
Gain
5h 35m
Time
No verdict for this trail
We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.
What we do know
Inside Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest
2 managing-area boundaries mapped — agency alerts for them feed this page automatically.
Boundary data
What's missing
No access route mapped
We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.
Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.
Why you'll love it
Here's your day, mapped
Big Sand Lake
Suggested plan · check conditions before you go
Want dates, gear and meals worked out too?
Meals
Gear for the day
Elevation & route
- Distance
- 13.5 mi
- Elevation gain
- 4,204 ft
- Elevation loss
- 4,204 ft
- Highest point
- 6,671 ft
- Lowest point
- 5,167 ft
Photos
Directions & GPX
Permits & access
- Managing agency
- Forest Service
- Dogs
- unknown
- Bikes
- no
About this trail
BIG SAND LAKE is a 27.08-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,204 feet of elevation gain and loss. The route reaches a maximum elevation of 6,671 feet.
Facts about this trail
The climb
- Starts at
- 5,772 ft
- High point
- 6,671 ft
- Total climbing
- 4,204 ft
- Total descent
- 4,204 ft
- Steepest stretch
- 52% grade around mile 12.8 on the way out
- Length (round trip)
- 27 mi
- Shape
- Out and back
It rolls up and down the whole way rather than holding one long climb.
Source: Roamze elevation profile and trail geometry (DEM samples along the mapped route)
Where it is
- Lochsa/Powell Ranger District · Ranger district
- Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest · National forest
- Managed by
- Forest Service
Conditions
Active alerts for Lochsa/Powell Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:
critical · posted Sep 1, 2026
Knife Edge Camping Partial Closure
caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
NFSR 520 Reconstruction and Timber Harvest Closure
caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
- CEDAR RIDGEHiking0.1 mi
- Elk Summit CampgroundCamping0.2 mi
- CEDAR - MOOSE CREEKHiking0.4 mi
- Cedar-East Moose TrailHiking0.7 mi
- DIABLO MOUNTAINHiking2 mi
- Diablo Mountain TrailHiking2.6 mi
- Big Sand CreekCanoeing4.4 mi
- Colt Killed CreekCanoeing9.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Add to a trip & share
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