Coalmine
- 4.6 mi
- round trip
- 607 ft
- climb
- 8,011 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Coalmine open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Coalmine is a 4.6-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho's Caribou-Targhee National Forest, within the Forest Service's Dubois Ranger District. The trail rises from about 7,380 feet to about 8,011 feet, a climb of 607 feet one way, and is rated moderate. The route is natural-surface and open to both horses and bikes. It is not an accessible trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Lakeview, Montana, show July and August highs around 77°F with lows in the low 40s. That station sits roughly 1,300 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The hike is open year-round. Trail Creek and Trail Creek Cutoff both lie about a mile away, and Salamander Lake is about 1.4 miles off. Steel Creek Group Campground, about 5.9 miles away, offers a place to camp.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Coalmine
Best months: May–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
24° / 4°
Feb
27° / 5°
Mar
36° / 14°
Apr
47° / 24°
May
59° / 32°
Jun
67° / 38°
Jul
77° / 43°
Aug
77° / 41°
Sep
67° / 35°
Oct
51° / 25°
Nov
36° / 15°
Dec
24° / 5°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lakeview, MT, 8 mi away at 6,710 ft. The station sits about 1,300 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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