Custer Interpretive Trail
Photo: Bas van Oorschot, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 0.8 mi
- loop
- 33 ft
- climb
- 6,487 ft
- high point
- Loop
- route
- Jul–Aug
- best months
Is Custer Interpretive Trail 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.
The Custer Interpretive Trail is a short, easy loop in Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest, within the Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger District. The trail is about 0.8 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 33 feet, and it makes a quick addition to a day spent exploring the surrounding area. The route is a loop, and it stays low, with the trail's low point at about 6,451 feet and the high point at about 6,487 feet. The trail surface is natural, and bikes are not allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Stanley weather station show July highs around 80°F with lows near 34°F, while winter highs there stay in the mid-20s. The trail is open year-round, and the trip takes about half an hour. Custer #1 Campground is about 1.8 miles away, and Bonanza Group Campground is about 2.1 miles away. The Custer Lookout Cutoff and the Estes Mtn Trail are both within about 5 miles.
Local outfitters
- The Sawmill Station15 mi away
- Camp Perkins32 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jul–Aug
Best time to visit Custer Interpretive Trail
Best months: July–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
26° / -3°
Feb
33° / -1°
Mar
43° / 9°
Apr
50° / 18°
May
60° / 26°
Jun
69° / 31°
Jul
80° / 34°
Aug
79° / 32°
Sep
70° / 25°
Oct
56° / 19°
Nov
38° / 10°
Dec
25° / -2°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Stanley, ID, 16.5 mi away at 6,249 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: tinosa, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)CUSTER TRAIL, RD #013, #070 -W
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