Middle Fork River
- 5.2 mi
- round trip
- 25 ft
- climb
- 3,532 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr, Jun
- best months
Is Middle Fork River 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 Middle Fork River is a 5.2-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, within the Middle Fork Ranger District of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route rises about 130 feet from a low point of 3,404 feet to a high of 3,532 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 88°F with lows near 51°F, while September cools to highs around 76°F with fewer wet days. Soldier Bar Airfield, a campground about 4.4 miles away, is the closest base for an overnight stay. Short Creek Lookout Spur and South Fork Waterfall are both within about 5 miles, and Goat Creek (Wilderness) is roughly 4.9 miles off.
Best time to go · Apr, Jun
Best time to visit Middle Fork River
Best months: April, June and September–October. 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
31° / 16°
10 wet · 7 snow
Feb
38° / 19°
8 wet · 5 snow
Mar
50° / 27°
10 wet · 3 snow
Apr
59° / 33°
12 wet · 1 snow
May
68° / 40°
13 wet
Jun
76° / 45°
11 wet
Jul
88° / 51°
7 wet
Aug
87° / 50°
6 wet
Sep
76° / 41°
6 wet
Oct
58° / 33°
8 wet · 1 snow
Nov
41° / 25°
10 wet · 4 snow
Dec
30° / 17°
11 wet · 7 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Taylor Rch, ID, 6.6 mi away at 3,835 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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