Big Silverleads
- 13.0 mi
- round trip
- 7,354 ft
- climb
- 6,781 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Big Silverleads open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Salmon-Challis National Forest.
Stoddard Bridge Construction Closure
Agency alert covering Salmon-Challis National Forest · Order 0413-07-17 · USFS · Salmon-Challis National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Salmon-Challis National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Big Silverleads is a hard hike of about 13 miles on the North Fork Ranger District of Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows both horses and bikes. The out-and-back route starts around 6,769 feet and climbs to about 6,781 feet, with a total gain of roughly 7,354 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 3.4 miles in, where the grade reaches about 44%. That makes the trip a serious commitment, and the round-trip descent is as steep as the climb. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Jackson, MT, run to highs around 77°F in July with lows near 42°F, while winter highs sit in the upper 20s. Several other hikes lie close by. Stein Mountain is half a mile away, Silverleads Ridge is about a mile off, Little Silverleads is 1.7 miles away, and Carl Gulch is 1.8 miles away.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Big Silverleads
Best months: June–September. 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
28° / 8°
6 wet
Feb
31° / 8°
6 wet
Mar
39° / 16°
8 wet
Apr
46° / 23°
9 wet
May
57° / 31°
10 wet
Jun
66° / 37°
9 wet
Jul
77° / 42°
6 wet
Aug
76° / 39°
5 wet
Sep
66° / 32°
4 wet
Oct
51° / 25°
5 wet
Nov
36° / 14°
7 wet
Dec
27° / 7°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Jackson, MT, 25.6 mi away at 6,480 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: WaterArchives.org from Sacramento, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Wagonhammer
~9 min drive
10.38-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,375 ft elevation gain.
Photo: WaterArchives.org from Sacramento, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Burns Gulch
~9 min drive
2.56-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 747 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Carl Gulch
~3 min drive
5.14-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,158 ft elevation loss.
HIKE
Nez Perce Ridge
~14 min drive
5.84-mile out-and-back trail on a ridge in Idaho with 2,889 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
STEIN MOUNTAIN
Next door
5.26-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,819 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Little Silverleads
~3 min drive
Little Silverleads is a 2.35-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 117 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
SHEEP CREEK
~4 min drive
12.78-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 5,206 ft elevation gain
HIKE
INDIAN PEAK SUMMIT
~16 min drive
3.18-mile out-and-back to Indian Peak Summit in Idaho with 1,344 ft gain
HIKE
Silverleads Ridge
~2 min drive
6.64-mile out-and-back trail on a ridge in Idaho with 1,189 ft gain.
HIKE
Napoleon Gulch
~13 min drive
1.14-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 339 ft elevation gain.
