Middle Fork East
Photo: Northwest Rafting Company, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 25.0 mi
- round trip
- 117 ft
- climb
- 4,663 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jun, Aug–Sep
- best months
Is Middle Fork East 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.
Middle Fork East is a hard hike of about 25 miles in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, part of the Middle Fork Ranger District of Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest. The trail is managed by the Forest Service. The route is an out-and-back with a high point of about 4,663 feet and a low of about 4,062 feet. The climb is short, with a total gain of about 117 feet, but the trail's natural surface and the wilderness setting make it a serious undertaking. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Middle Fork Lodge, which sits about 180 feet lower, run from highs around 75°F in June to about 86°F in July, with fewer wet days than in other months. Winter is cold, with typical January highs around 34°F. Horses are allowed, and the trail is not open to bikes. The West Fork Thomas Creek Trail starts just 0.1 mile away, and Norton Lake and the Middle Fork Trail are each within about a mile. Little Loon Creek, about 5 miles off, offers canoeing.
Local outfitters
- The Sawmill Station42 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Jun, Aug–Sep
Best time to visit Middle Fork East
Best months: May–June and August–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
34° / 16°
10 wet
Feb
40° / 18°
8 wet
Mar
50° / 25°
10 wet
Apr
57° / 31°
11 wet
May
67° / 38°
12 wet
Jun
75° / 44°
11 wet
Jul
86° / 48°
6 wet
Aug
85° / 46°
5 wet
Sep
76° / 39°
6 wet
Oct
61° / 31°
8 wet
Nov
43° / 23°
11 wet
Dec
33° / 15°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Middle Fork Lodge, ID, 0.8 mi away at 4,480 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Northwest Rafting Company, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Norton Lake
~1 min drive
38.80-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,685 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Northwest Rafting Company, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Middle Fork Trail
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West Fork Thomas Creek Trail
Next door
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Photo: Northwest Rafting Company, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)White Creek
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Jack Creek Spur 1
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1.56-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 532 ft elevation gain.
