Shafer Butte
Campground
Campground · 1.5 mi from the trail
Idaho · Cross-country skiing · Near Idaho City
Redtail
- 0.6 mi
- round trip
- 78 ft
- climb
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- best months
Is Redtail open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Boise National Forest. It doesn't name Redtail, so check the source for the area it covers.
UPDATED Sept. 19 - Crooked Fire Area, Road, and Trail Closure
Agency closure covering Boise National Forest · Order 0402-03-140 · USFS · Boise National Forest
Lava Fire Road Closure
Agency alert covering Boise National Forest · Order 0402-06-84 · USFS · Boise National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Boise National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Redtail is a short out-and-back ski trail in Idaho covering 0.57 miles with 78 feet of elevation gain.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Frontier Point Nordic Lodge
Restaurant
On your way back · 1 mi
If it rainsCamEQ, Facade of Art Museum designed by Trout Architects and Mark Mack in 1988, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: CamEQ, Facade of Art Museum designed by Trout Architects and Mark Mack in 1988, Public domain (commons)
More in Idaho City- Nearby · Lower Loop Nordic · Mores Mountain Extension · Charcoal Gulch
Best time to go · May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Best time to visit Redtail
Best months: May–June and September–October. 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
37° / 24°
13 wet · 9 snow
Feb
43° / 27°
12 wet · 6 snow
Mar
51° / 32°
13 wet · 5 snow
Apr
58° / 36°
11 wet · 3 snow
May
68° / 43°
11 wet · 1 snow
Jun
77° / 49°
7 wet
Jul
88° / 58°
4 wet
Aug
86° / 58°
3 wet
Sep
76° / 50°
5 wet
Oct
61° / 40°
7 wet · 1 snow
Nov
46° / 30°
12 wet · 5 snow
Dec
37° / 23°
14 wet · 9 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Boise 7 N, ID, 5.2 mi away at 3,885 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive
Photo: Josh Lehman joshlehman, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Lower Loop Nordic
~1 min drive
0.82-mile trail at Shafer Butte with 214 ft elevation gain
SKI
Mores Mountain Extension
~2 min drive
1.46-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 239 ft elevation gain.
SKI
Charcoal Gulch
~23 min drive
5.40-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,101 ft elevation gain.
SEE
Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area
~2 min drive
Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area in Idaho has 11 lifts and 81 runs.
SKI
Lower Loop
~1 min drive
0.49-mile out-and-back ski trail in Idaho with 188 ft of elevation gain.
SKI
Bob's Knob Uphill Route
~4 min drive
0.8 mi
SKI
Shafer Butte Extension
~2 min drive
1.25-mile out-and-back route with 445 ft of elevation gain in Idaho.
SKI
Sapper's Return
Next door
0.86-mile loop with 157 ft gain in Idaho.
SKI
Buena Vista
~24 min drive
Buena Vista is a 3.30-mile loop trail in Idaho with 82 feet of elevation gain.
SKI
Lower Loop
~1 min drive
0.35-mile out-and-back route in Idaho with 155 ft of elevation gain.
