Rattle Ridge
- 8.4 mi
- round trip
- 1,229 ft
- climb
- 6,153 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Rattle Ridge open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It doesn't name Rattle Ridge, so check the source for the area it covers (3 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
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
Beehive Lake Trail #279 Closure
Agency alert covering Sandpoint Ranger District · Order 01-04-06-26-007 · USFS · Sandpoint Ranger District
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.
Rattle Ridge is a hard hike in the Sandpoint Ranger District of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, managed by the Forest Service. The route is an out-and-back of about 8.4 miles, with a one-way elevation gain of 1,229 feet, taking you from a low point of about 4,917 feet to a high of about 6,153 feet. The trail is open from June 1 to September 30, and it is a natural-surface route. Bikes are allowed. The Rattle Ridge Spur lies about 1.2 miles away, and Porcupine Creek and Char Creek are both within about 3 miles. For an overnight base, Lunch Peak Lookout is about 6.2 miles off.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Forest Service - Northern Region, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)STRONG CREEK
~13 min drive
13.56-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,709 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Rattle Ridge Spur
~2 min drive
1.0-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 405 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
PORCUPINE CREEK
~5 min drive
9.86-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,360 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Moose Lake
~8 min drive
3.18-mile out-and-back trail to Moose Lake in Idaho with 543 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Spar Peak
~12 min drive
6.81-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 2,959 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
East Fork Creek
~7 min drive
2.79-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 275 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Char Creek
~5 min drive
12.80-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,817 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Regal Mine
~10 min drive
4.59-mile out-and-back trail at Regal Mine in Idaho with 1,341 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Spruce Lake Spur
~9 min drive
0.94-mile out-and-back trail at Spruce Lake Spur in Montana
HIKE
Thunder Creek
~6 min drive
7.45-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,203 ft of elevation gain.
Route details
- Distance
- 8.4 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 1,229 ft
- Summit
- 6,119 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
Questions about this route
How long is the Rattle Ridge on Lightning Mountain?
About 8.4 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Rattle Ridge?
About 1,229 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Rattle Ridge?
It is rated hard.
Conditions and forecast on Lightning Mountain
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
