Sheepeater
- 10.5 mi
- round trip
- 4,322 ft
- climb
- 7,842 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Sheepeater 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.
Sheepeater is a hard hike in Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest, on the North Fork Ranger District. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs from about 3,390 feet to 7,842 feet, a total gain of 4,322 feet over a route of about 10.5 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Jackson, Montana, show July highs around 77°F with lows near 42°F, and the station sits about 1,360 feet lower than the high point, so temperatures on the summit run cooler. The trail is natural-surface and allows both horses and bikes. Spring Creek Campground, about 2.5 miles away, is the closest place to camp. Stormy Pk.-Virginia and Boulder Basin are both within a mile, and Virginia Gulch is about 3.3 miles off.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Sheepeater
Best months: June–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° / 8°
6 wet
Feb
31° / 8°
6 wet
Mar
39° / 16°
8 wet
Apr
46° / 23°
9 wet
May
57° / 31°
10 wet
Jun
66° / 37°
9 wet
Jul
77° / 42°
6 wet
Aug
76° / 39°
5 wet
Sep
66° / 32°
4 wet
Oct
51° / 25°
5 wet
Nov
36° / 14°
7 wet
Dec
27° / 7°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Jackson, MT, 43 mi away at 6,480 ft. The station sits about 1,400 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.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: roy.luck, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Stormy Pk.-Virginia
Next door
21.92-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,756 ft elevation gain.
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Garden Creek - Horse Heaven Trail
~11 min drive
28.32-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 8,342 ft elevation gain/loss.
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Owl Creek
~14 min drive
Owl Creek is a 4.90-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 709 feet of elevation gain.
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Head of West Fork
~18 min drive
1.36-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 204 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: roy.luck, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Boulder Basin
~2 min drive
18.65-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,938 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Elkhorn
~19 min drive
5.82-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 637 ft gain and 2,899 ft loss.
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Swampy Meadows
~15 min drive
5.52-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,369 ft elevation loss on the return leg.
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SHEEP CREEK
~18 min drive
1.26-mile out-and-back trail in Montana with 934 ft elevation gain
HIKE
Virginia Gulch
~6 min drive
8.70-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,296 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Fritzer Gulch
~20 min drive
8.13-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,552 ft elevation gain.
Route details
- Distance
- 10.5 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 4,322 ft
- Summit
- 7,851 ft
- Difficulty
- Hard
Season
Season: Year-round.
Questions about this route
How long is the Sheepeater on Sheepeater Point?
About 10.5 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Sheepeater?
About 4,322 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Sheepeater?
It is rated hard.
When is the best time for the Sheepeater?
Year-round.
Conditions and forecast on Sheepeater Point
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.
