Little Bear
- 4.8 mi
- round trip
- 1,331 ft
- climb
- 7,753 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Little Bear open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Sawtooth National Forest.
Paradise Prescribed Burn Restricted Access
Agency alert covering Sawtooth National Forest · USFS · Sawtooth National Forest
Grandjean Area, Road, and Trail Closure
Agency alert covering Sawtooth National Forest · Order 0414-04-165 · USFS · Sawtooth National Forest
Over-Snow Vehicle and Bicycle Prohibitions
Agency alert covering Sawtooth National Forest · Order 0414-00-028 · USFS · Sawtooth National Forest
Occupancy and Use - Food Storage
Agency alert covering Sawtooth National Forest · Order 0414-04-143 · USFS · Sawtooth National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Sawtooth National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Little Bear is a moderate hike of about 4.8 miles in the Fairfield Ranger District of Idaho's Sawtooth National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is an out-and-back with a one-way climb of about 1,331 feet, starting at roughly 6,400 feet and reaching about 7,750 feet at the high point. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Stanley show July and August highs around 80°F with lows near 39°F and only five or six wet days a month. That station sits about 1,250 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures up top run cooler. The trail is on natural surface and allows both horses and bikes. Steep Creek is about 0.4 miles away, and Perkins Creek and Gold Run are each within about a mile. For an overnight base, Powerplant Campground is about 8.7 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Camp Perkins12 mi away
- The Sawmill Station40 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Steep CreekHiking0.4 mi
- Perkins CreekHiking1.1 mi
- Gold RunHiking1.2 mi
- South Fork Boise RiverCanoeing5.6 mi
- Powerplant CampgroundCamping8.7 mi
Alturas Lake InletCampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain8.8 mi- Alturas Inlet CgCamping9.3 mi
- Middle Fork Boise RiverCanoeing9.4 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
West Fork Skeleton Cr (Mill)Hiking · ~15 min drivePhoto: Sam Beebe, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Steep CreekHiking · Next door
- Emma Creek TrailHiking · ~6 min drive
- High Creek TrailHiking · ~10 min drive
Alpine Creek TrailHiking · ~15 min drivePhoto: Stupid Dingo, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Perkins CreekHiking · ~2 min drive
- Jake's GulchHiking · ~7 min drive
- Vienna Creek TrailHiking · ~4 min drive
- Gold RunHiking · ~2 min drive
- Goat Lake TrailHiking · ~8 min drive
Best time to visit Little Bear
Best months: June–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
29° / 4°
12 wet
Feb
35° / 7°
12 wet
Mar
42° / 14°
14 wet
Apr
49° / 21°
12 wet
May
60° / 30°
12 wet
Jun
69° / 35°
10 wet
Jul
80° / 39°
6 wet
Aug
80° / 37°
5 wet
Sep
70° / 31°
7 wet
Oct
55° / 24°
9 wet
Nov
39° / 14°
12 wet
Dec
28° / 6°
14 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Stanley Rs, ID, 27 mi away at 6,495 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.
