Heart Lake
- 0.5 mi
- round trip
- 304 ft
- climb
- 6,167 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Is Heart Lake open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It doesn't name Heart Lake, 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.
Heart Lake is a short, easy out-and-back hike in Idaho's Idaho Panhandle National Forests, within the St. Joe Ranger District. The trail is about half a mile long, with a total elevation gain of about 300 feet, and it starts at roughly 6,130 feet, reaching a high point of about 6,167 feet before returning to the starting level. The route is natural-surfaced and open to bikes. It is not an accessible trail. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trip is estimated to take about half an hour. 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. Fawn Lake Trail lies about 0.8 miles away, and Larkins Creek and Mud Lake are within about 2 miles. For an overnight stay, Surveyors Lookout campground is about 4.5 miles off.
- Fawn Lake TrailHiking0.8 mi
- Larkins CreekHiking1.2 mi
- Mud LakeHiking1.8 mi
- Surveyors LookoutCamping4.5 mi
- Canyon CreekCanoeing5.7 mi
- Collins CreekCanoeing6.6 mi
- Aquarius Campground - Purple Beach Group Camp AndCamping6.9 mi
- Aquarius CampgroundCamping6.9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Fawn Lake TrailHiking · ~1 min drive
- Mud LakeHiking · ~3 min drive
- Elmer Creek TrailHiking · ~4 min drive
- Black Lake TrailHiking · ~8 min drive
- Hero LakeHiking · ~4 min drive
- Larkins Lake TrailHiking · ~3 min drive
- ELMER CREEKHiking · ~4 min drive
- HONEY CREEK AHiking · ~11 min drive
- Martin CreekHiking · ~4 min drive
- Elmer Creek TrailHiking · ~4 min drive
Best time to visit Heart Lake
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, 35.9 mi away at 6,028 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
