Idaho · Hiking

Timber Creek

10.2 mi
round trip
1,986 ft
climb
5,849 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jul–Sep
best months

Is Timber Creek open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Idaho Panhandle National Forests. It doesn't name Timber Creek, so check the source for the area it covers (4 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Timber Creek is a hard hike in Idaho's Idaho Panhandle National Forests, on the St. Joe Ranger District. It's a natural-surfaced out-and-back with an elevation gain of about 2,000 feet, from roughly 3,800 feet to about 5,850 feet. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and is open from June 1 through September 30. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Mullan Pass, at about 6,000 feet, show July and August highs near 70°F with only about six wet days a month. Winter there is cold, with highs in the upper 20s. Bikes and horses are both allowed, and the trail is not accessible. Elbow Ridge NRT is about a mile away, the St. Joe River hike is about 1.6 miles off, and Spruce Tree campground is about 1.7 miles away. Red Ives Cabin campground sits about 2.8 miles from the trail.

  • Best time to go · Jul–Sep

    Best time to visit Timber Creek

    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.

    1. Jan

      28° / 19°

      19 wet

    2. Feb

      28° / 19°

      17 wet

    3. Mar

      34° / 22°

      19 wet

    4. Apr

      40° / 27°

      17 wet

    5. May

      50° / 36°

      15 wet

    6. Jun

      58° / 42°

      13 wet

    7. Jul

      70° / 52°

      6 wet

    8. Aug

      69° / 51°

      6 wet

    9. Sep

      59° / 44°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      44° / 32°

      13 wet

    11. Nov

      32° / 23°

      17 wet

    12. 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 mi away at 6,028 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.