Center Mountain
- 26.3 mi
- round trip
- 3,978 ft
- climb
- 9,324 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Center Mountain 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.
Center Mountain is a hard hike in Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, within the Krassel Ranger District of the Payette National Forest. The route is an out-and-back that climbs from about 4,859 feet to 9,324 feet, a total gain of 3,978 feet over a distance of about 26 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows horses, but bikes are not permitted. That makes it a route for hikers on foot or on horseback, with no room for mountain bikes. Several other hikes sit close by. Estep is about 1.3 miles away, Ramey Ridge about 2.4 miles, and Big Creek about 2.7 miles. Pueblo Summit lies roughly 5 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Black Bear RV Park45 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
HIKE
Estep
~2 min drive
7.58-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,723 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Ramey Ridge
~4 min drive
26.21-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,590 ft elevation gain.
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Rock Rabbit
~11 min drive
Rock Rabbit is an 8.24-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 28 feet of elevation gain.
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NORTH FK LOGAN CREEK
~12 min drive
1.96-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,409 ft gain/loss
HIKE
Shelrock Ridge Trail
~23 min drive
29.22-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 9,742 ft gain/loss.
HIKE
Big Creek
~5 min drive
68.34-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,256 ft gain and 3,255 ft loss.
HIKE
Bear Lake
~13 min drive
2.66-mile out-and-back trail at Bear Lake in Idaho with 391 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
South Fork Chamberlain Creek Trail
~23 min drive
17.46-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,668 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
MAYHAN CUTOFF
~7 min drive
5.3-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,126 ft elevation gain and loss.
HIKE
Telephone Creek
~24 min drive
11.56-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho.
Also worth it near here
Route details
- Distance
- 26.3 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 3,978 ft
- Summit
- 9,325 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
Season
Season: Year-round.
Questions about this route
How long is the Center Mountain on Center Mountain?
About 26.3 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Center Mountain?
About 3,978 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Center Mountain?
It is rated hard.
When is the best time for the Center Mountain?
Year-round.
Conditions and forecast on Center Mountain
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
