Pulaski Tunnel Trail

The Pulaski Tunnel Trail (five minutes from Wallace, ID) traces part of the route that Edward Pulaski’s crew followed during their escape from the 1910 fires. The trail’s two-mile course brings hikers to an overlook across the creek from the Nicholson mine adit - better known as the Pulaski Tunnel - where “Big Ed” Pulaski saved all but six of his 45-man firefighting crew in August of 1910.

The site's harsh history is now buffered by a thick green cloak of spruce and fir; the West Fork of Placer Creek cascades down the ravine. Interpretive signs along the trail tell of the calamitous summer of fire and the people who suffered its scars.

Allow two to four hours for the four-mile round trip to the Pulaski Tunnel overlook.

Comments from the trailhead guest register:

"Wonderful - Profound, I am in awe..."
"The Gold Standard of Trails"
"Super trail & signage. A great tribute!"

To learn more about Ed Pulaski and the legacy of this site, click here -->

For closer look at the hiking trail, click here -->

Maps

At a Glance

Operational Hours:	Open year round.
Area Amenities:	Interpretive Site, Accessible, Toilets
Open Season:	Open year round. No closures. People hike and snowshoe it in the winter.
Restrictions:	Foot traffic only. No horses, mountain bikes, or motorized vehicles allowed.
Closest Towns:	Wallace, ID
Water:	None. Bring your own drinking water.
Restroom:	Outhouse

General Information

Accessibility:

First 725 feet of trail are accessible to visitors with disabilities.

Directions:

From I-90, take exit 61 toward I-90 BUS/Wallace. At off-ramp stop sign, turn and head south. Turn left on I-90 Business Route. Turn right onto 2nd Street. Continue to follow 2nd Street. Turn right onto Bank Street. Bank Street turns left and becomes King Street. King Street turns slightly left and becomes National Forest Road 456/Moon Pass Road. Continue on FS Road 456 for about one mile until you see the well-marked parking area on your left.

Recreation Map

Map showing recreational areas. Map Information

Activities

Day Hiking

Moderate day hike. Four miles round trip from trailhead to tunnel overlook and back. Steady 800 foot elevation gain on the way to the tunnel. Moderate difficulty.

Best Season:	June - September

Amenities

Interpretive Site:	Multiple interpretive signs explaining history of the tunnel.
Toilets:	1 outhouse
Accessible:	First 725 feet of the trail is accessible