Elbow Ridge Nrt
- 11.8 mi
- round trip
- 2,674 ft
- climb
- 6,167 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Is Elbow Ridge Nrt open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It doesn't name Elbow Ridge Nrt, so check the source for the area it covers (4 listed).
Emergency Road Closure Lightning Creek / Forest Road 419
Agency closure covering Idaho Panhandle National Forests · Order 0104-06-26-002 · USFS · Idaho Panhandle National Forests
Emergency Road Closure Forest Road 225, Slate Creek
Agency closure covering St. Joe Ranger District · Order 01-04-04-26-001 · USFS · St. Joe Ranger District
Abandoned Mines Area Closure
Agency closure covering Idaho Panhandle National Forests · Order 1-04-00-25-001 · USFS · Idaho Panhandle National Forests
Idaho Panhandle Seasonal Food Storage Order
Agency closure covering Idaho Panhandle National Forests · Order 01-04-00-24-001 · USFS · Idaho Panhandle National Forests
Heavy Truck Traffic on FS Road 209
Agency alert covering Idaho Panhandle National Forests · USFS · Idaho Panhandle National Forests
As of · Source: USFS · Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Elbow Ridge NRT is a hard hike in Idaho's Idaho Panhandle National Forests, on the St. Joe Ranger District. The trail is about 12 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 2,674 feet, and it rises from a low point of about 3,900 feet to a high of about 6,170 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced, with horses and bikes allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at a similar elevation show July and August highs around 70°F with only about six wet days a month, while winter highs stay near 28°F. The trail is open from June 1 to September 30. Spruce Tree campground and the St. Joe River hike are both about a mile away, and Timber Creek is just under a mile off. Red Ives Cabin is about 2 miles away.
Best time to go · Jul–Sep
Best time to visit Elbow Ridge Nrt
Best months: July–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° / 19°
19 wet
Feb
28° / 19°
17 wet
Mar
34° / 22°
19 wet
Apr
40° / 27°
17 wet
May
50° / 36°
15 wet
Jun
58° / 42°
13 wet
Jul
70° / 52°
6 wet
Aug
69° / 51°
6 wet
Sep
59° / 44°
8 wet
Oct
44° / 32°
13 wet
Nov
32° / 23°
17 wet
Dec
27° / 18°
18 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Mullan Pass Vor/Dme, ID, 32.1 mi away at 6,028 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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Timber Creek
~2 min drive
10.15-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,986 ft of elevation gain.
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Beaver Peak
~6 min drive
5.50-mile out-and-back trail at Beaver Peak in Idaho with 332 ft gain.
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Wahoo-Indian Divide
~8 min drive
10.33-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,194 ft elevation gain.
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Wahoo-Fly Connection
~8 min drive
2.68-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 122 ft gain.
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St. Joe River
~2 min drive
41.60-mile out-and-back trail on the St. Joe River in Idaho.
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Broken Leg Trail
~6 min drive
4.59-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,699 ft elevation gain.
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Simmons Ridge Trail
~13 min drive
15.16-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,938 ft gain and 6,613 ft max elevation.
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Fly Creek
~10 min drive
1.90-mile out-and-back trail at Fly Creek in Idaho with 182 ft of elevation gain.
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Line Creek
~2 min drive
6.79-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,443 ft elevation gain.
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BEAVER CREEK
~6 min drive
2.18-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,262 ft elevation gain.
