Silverleads Ridge
- 6.6 mi
- round trip
- 1,189 ft
- climb
- 6,468 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Silverleads Ridge 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.
Silverleads Ridge is a hard hike in Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest, on the North Fork Ranger District. The trail is about 6.6 miles long, with an elevation gain of 1,189 feet, and it rises from a low point of 5,059 feet to a high of 6,468 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is natural-surfaced, with horses and bikes allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Jackson, Montana, show July highs around 77°F with lows near 42°F, while winter highs stay in the 20s. The trail is open year-round. Stein Mountain lies about 0.7 miles away, and Big Silverleads is about 1.1 miles off. Carl Gulch and Sheep Creek are each roughly 1.7 miles away.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Silverleads Ridge
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, 26.3 mi away at 6,480 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: WaterArchives.org from Sacramento, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Wagonhammer
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Carl Gulch
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5.14-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,158 ft elevation loss.
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Nez Perce Ridge
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5.84-mile out-and-back trail on a ridge in Idaho with 2,889 ft of elevation gain.
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STEIN MOUNTAIN
~1 min drive
5.26-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,819 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Little Silverleads
~3 min drive
Little Silverleads is a 2.35-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 117 ft of elevation gain.
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SHEEP CREEK
~3 min drive
12.78-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 5,206 ft elevation gain
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South Nez Perce Indian
~15 min drive
2.75-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 37 feet of elevation gain.
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Big Silverleads
~2 min drive
12.96-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 857 ft gain and 4,009 ft loss.
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BUTCHER KNIFE RIDGE
~14 min drive
1.1-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 236 ft elevation gain.
