Bear Grass Saddle
- 3.6 mi
- round trip
- 93 ft
- climb
- 7,446 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Bear Grass Saddle open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 5 alerts for Payette National Forest.
Over Snow Vehicle Closure
Agency alert covering Payette National Forest · Order 0412-638 · USFS · Payette National Forest
Brundage Mountain Resort Snowcat Route Closure
Agency alert covering Payette National Forest · Order 0412-637 · USFS · Payette National Forest
Lost Valley Log Hauling
Agency alert covering Payette National Forest · USFS · Payette National Forest
Granite Mountain Over Snow Vehicle Closure
Agency alert covering Payette National Forest · Order 0412-635 · USFS · Payette National Forest
Gordon Titus Upper Elevation Parking Lot Winter Restrictions
Agency alert covering Payette National Forest · Order 0412-543 · USFS · Payette National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Payette National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Bear Grass Saddle is a hike in the New Meadows Ranger District of Idaho's Payette National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is an out-and-back route of about 3.6 miles, with a one-way climb of about 93 feet. The trail's natural surface and the relatively small amount of gain make it a short, low-elevation outing, but it is rated hard, so plan for a steady pace. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Warren, Idaho, show July and August highs around 79°F with lows in the upper 30s, and the station sits well below the saddle, so temperatures up top run cooler. The trail is open to bikes and horses. It is not an accessible route. Paradise Lake is just under a mile away, and Gay Lake is about 2 miles off. Farther out, Hazard Lake offers camping and the Manning Crevice Bridge Area has climbing.
Local outfitters
- Black Bear RV Park29 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Aug
Best time to visit Bear Grass Saddle
Best months: June–August. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
35° / 7°
Feb
41° / 7°
Mar
46° / 17°
Apr
50° / 20°
May
59° / 27°
Jun
68° / 34°
Jul
79° / 37°
Aug
79° / 35°
Sep
69° / 30°
Oct
56° / 23°
Nov
41° / 16°
Dec
34° / 9°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Warren, ID, 25.3 mi away at 5,907 ft. The station sits about 1,500 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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