Getting To the Trailhead

2968-SparPeakTrailSignBe sure to print one of our full-color, downloadable maps, which are available on our Maps page (and where you can also find a list of outlets at which you can pick one up), and you can read more about the hiking trails of this vast area by reading Trails Of The Wild Cabinets, available from Keokee Press.

Below are driving directions to many of the major trailheads in the Scotchmans. Please drive carefully in all cases, and be especially careful on forest roads.

East Fork Creek Trail #134: Take Highway 200 (east from Sandpoint) to Clark Fork.  Turn north at the Chevron Station and follow Lightning Creek Road 419.  At about 7.5 miles, you will cross East Fork Creek (a large bridge).  On the north side of East Fork Creek, a road leads about a third of a mile back to a large parking area. The trail begins there.

Morris Creek Trail #132: Take Highway 200 (east from Sandpoint) to Clark Fork.  Turn north at the Chevron Station and follow Lightning Creek Road 419.  At about 6.25 miles, you will cross Morris Creek.  On the north side of Morris Creek is a small turnout. There is a small sign marker with the number #132 on it.

Regal Creek Trail #556: Take Highway 200 (east from Sandpoint) to Clark Fork.  Turn north at the Chevron Station and follow Lightning Creek Road 419.  The trailhead is nearly directly across the road from MP6 and just a few hundred yards short of Morris Creek. There is a fiberglass lath with the number 556 on it.

Goat Mountain Trail #35: Take Highway 200 (east from Sandpoint) to Clark Fork.  Turn north at the Chevron Station and follow Lightning Creek Road 419.  The trail head is about 3 miles in (right after the “grizzly bear” sign) and marked only with a small sign with number 135 and a logo of two hikers.  Park carefully on the roadside.

Scotchman Peak Trail #65: Take Highway 200 to Clark Fork, Idaho then turn north at the Chevron Station onto Main Street. Follow this road past Clark Fork High School, and then around a bend to the right. At the intersection with Lightning Creek Road, set your trip odometer to 0. (Don’t turn here; keep going straight on Mosquito Creek Road.)

At 0.6 miles, keep left at the fork. At 2.1 miles, turn right on FR 2295. (There won’t be a sign marking it as FR 2295. It’s marked as such on the map. You’ll know you’re heading into the right neighborhood when you pass the sign telling you you’re entering grizzly bear habitat.)

 At 3.1 miles, turn left onto FR 2294. (Again, there won’t be a sign marking it as FR 2294. You’ll see a small sign pointing toward Trail 65.)  At mile 3.6, turn left on FR 2294A.  (And, yet again, there won’t be a sign marking it as FR 2294A. Again, you’ll see a small sign pointing toward Trail 65.) Follow FR 2294A for 2.2 more miles to the end of the road, where you’ll find the trail head. Look Up.

Historic Star Peak Trail #999/998: Take Highway 200 (east from Sandpoint).  Watch for the Idaho/Montana state line.  After you cross into Montana, watch for the highway mile markers. At MT mile marker 6+, there is a wide turnout on the south side of highway 200.  Park there.  Carefully cross Highway 200 to Forest Road #2292. 100 yards up the road is the trailhead of the new tread the FSPW All Stars finished in 2014. Follow #999 2.5 miles to its intersection with #998, then another 2.5 miles to Star Peak Lookout.

Blacktail Creek Trail #997: Take Highway 200 (east from Sandpoint).  Watch for the Idaho/Montana state line.  After you cross into Montana, watch for the highway mile markers. At MT mile marker 8, there is a turnout on the south side of highway along the river. Carefully cross Highway 200 and find a road climbing the bank under the power ling a few yards west of where you cross. Watch for the trail opening on your right.

Pillick Ridge Trail #1036: Take Highway 200 (east from Sandpoint)and into Montana 12 miles to Montana Highway 56. Turn north on 56 6 ± miles and watch for a small brown sign on the left pointing to Pillick Ridge Trail #1036. Drive carefully on an unmaintained forest road about a half mile to a large parking area on the right. The trail sign is across from the parking lot.

Dry Creek Trail #1036: Follow Highway 200 east from Sandpoint and into Montana 12 miles to Montana Highway 56. Turn north on 56 9± miles and watch for a Forest Service sign pointing left to Dry Creek Road 1118. Just off the highway, park on the north side of Road 1118. Trail #1020 begins just across the road to the south.

Ross Creek Cedars: To get to the Cedars, take Hwy 200 to Hwy 56 at the “Bull River Junction”.  (About 25 to 30 minutes east of Clark Fork, or about 20 minutes west of Trout Creek).  Turn north on Highway 56, go about 18 miles and watch for the Forest Service sign for Ross Creek Cedars. Turn left and follow the signs to the parking lot for the Cedars.  In Winter:  After turning off Hwy 56, the Ross Creek road will be plowed or well traveled.  About 1.5 to 2 miles in there is a wide spot for parking on the main road, while the access road to the Cedars is on the left.  Watch for the signs.  Park there and walk, snowshoe, or ski the access road to the Cedars.

Little Spar Lake Trail #143: Take Hwy 200 east from Sandpoint 50 miles ± to Hwy 56 at  “Bull River Junction”.  (About 25 to 30 minutes east of Clark Fork, or about 20 minutes west of Trout Creek).  Turn north on Highway 56, and drive north about 25 miles to the intersection with the Revett Troy Mine Road. (If you get to Little Joe, you have gone a mile too far.) Turn west on the mine road, watching for a small sign on the right pointing to Spar Lake. Follow this road to FS Road #384 (the next intersection). Go left and follow signs to Spar Lake. Drive past the Spar Lake campground four miles on a lightly maintained FS road to the trailhead. (High clearance is recommended for fording Spar Creek just before the trailhead.)

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