St. Joe Lake Trail #49

Description: This 6.1-mile single-track mainline trail provides access to St. Joe Lake and the Idaho-Montana border. Good fishing holes can be found with effort along the way. The lake is located in a cirque at the base of Graves and Illinois Peaks in the Bitterroot Mountain Range and has numerous dispersed campsites. The trail follows the upper St. Joe Wild & Scenic River and passes by Rambikur Falls, named after a Forest Service employee who worked at Red Ives Ranger Station. There are some old mining areas with old cabins (mouth of Wisdom Creek and ½ mile below St. Joe Lake) that can be explored.

The trail itself is among the easiest in the area and ends at an extraordinarily beautiful lake, so there is little wonder why it receives more use than other more accessible lakes in the region. But that is no reason to avoid the journey; for other than peering into the fish-filled cobalt depths of a large deep lake, visitors also have the opportunity of extending their hike 1.5 steep miles up to the "top of the Joe," 7690 feet above sea level aboard Illinois Peak. Needless to say, views are humbling from the highest peak in this region of Idaho. As if there is not already enough magnetism to this place, the acres and acres of wildflowers on the south-facing slope below Rambikur Falls are simply overwhelming in late July/August. This trail is highly recommended. The trailhead has a small meadow where there is room for camping plus water and feed for stock.

Directions:

• Approximate travel time from Avery to the Trail 49 St. Joe Lake Trailhead is 2 hour 25 minutes.

• From Avery drive upriver on Forest Highway 50 for 29.5 miles to Gold Creek.

• Turn right at Gold Creek onto Road 218 and drive upriver 9.8 miles to Red Ives Ranger Station.

• Turn left at Red Ives onto Road 320 and drive 17.3 miles east on this narrow primitive road to the Trail 49 St. Joe Lake Trailhead. High clearance vehicles are required for Road 320.