Backpacking Idaho

Traverse 25 carefully crafted backpacking trips to some of the most magnificent landscapes in Idaho.


A virtually undiscovered backpacking paradise, Idaho has numerous wilderness areas of vast size. Backpackers can find complete solitude, glimpse wildlife, and explore some of North America’s most amazing scenery. The state’s mountains boast great weather: fewer thunderstorms than the central Rockies, less rain than Oregon and Washington, and cooler summer temperatures than California.

Backpacking Idaho guides you to what author Doug Lorain calls a “Shangri-la” for backpackers. In the craggy Selkirk Mountains you’ll find lush forests, small cirque lakes, and jagged granite peaks. Watch for ospreys, river otters, and belted kingfishers near the swift Selway River. Explore hundreds of miles of trails in the gently rolling, forested hills of north-central Idaho, and head to Hell’s Canyon—the deepest gorge in North America—to find both alpine tundra and cactus-studded desert.

Inside you’ll find:

25 top backpacking trips throughout the state
Comparative ratings for scenery, solitude, and difficulty
Trail mileage, elevation gain, days on the trail, and shuttle distances
Highlights, trip itineraries, and more
12 additional recommendations for backpacking trips

“As an Idaho native I’ve hiked and camped here all my life, but I took away from this book some great hikes that I want to do.... This is a really fine book.”

—Craig Gehrke, Regional Director, Idaho Office of the Wilderness Society