Pole Mountain
- 14.5 mi
- round trip
- 657 ft
- climb
- 6,081 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Is Pole Mountain open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It doesn't name Pole Mountain, 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.
Pole Mountain is a hard hike in the St. Joe Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, about 10.5 miles from the town of Gold Creek, Idaho. The trail is an out-and-back of about 14.5 miles, with a one-way elevation gain of 657 feet, starting at roughly 5,179 feet and reaching about 6,081 feet at the top. 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 natural-surface and allows both horses and bikes. It is not an accessible route. Scribner Falls and Mallard Peak are both about 0.6 miles away, and Waterfall is about 0.9 miles off. For an overnight base, Surveyors Lookout campground sits about 3.4 miles away.
Best time to go · Jul–Sep
Best time to visit Pole Mountain
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, 33.4 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
HIKE
Scribner Falls
Next door
13.44-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 450 ft elevation gain.
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Waterfall
~2 min drive
0.79-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 53 ft 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.
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Larkins Creek
~13 min drive
9.90-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,428 ft gain.
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Mallard Peak
~1 min drive
12.92-mile out-and-back trail to Mallard Peak in Idaho with 1,317 ft gain.
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Fawn Lake
~6 min drive
9.16-mile out-and-back trail to Fawn Lake in Idaho with 76 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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The Nub Trail
~13 min drive
12.84-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 6,434 ft elevation gain
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Sawtooth Creek
~2 min drive
8.59-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 736 ft gain.
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Skyland Lake
~7 min drive
0.44-mile out-and-back trail to Skyland Lake in Idaho with 82 ft of elevation gain.
