Best Hiking Trails in Idaho

The Idaho Centennial Trail is a state-spanning backpacking route that travels 900 miles from south to north. The trail traverses some of the wildest and most picturesque landscapes in Idaho. From inspiring desert landscapes to the jagged peaks of the Sawtooth Mountains, the Centennial Trail covers a lot of scenic ground.

In far southern Idaho near the Utah border, this national reserve lives up to its name. Littered across this expansive environment are giant boulders and rocks sticking high into the air. The monoliths were once an essential landmark for emigrants on the California Trail. Today, City of Rocks is a hot spot for hiking and climbing.

In the Northern Idaho Panhandle near the Montana border, Scotchman Peak is the highest Idaho Cabinet Mountain. The uphill hike to Scotchman Peak requires strong leg muscles to climb. This challenging day hike ascends 3,700 feet in less than four miles and is steep the entire way.

The Wild and Scenic Lochsa River is quite the sight to behold. The name of the river translates in the Nez Perce language to "Rough Water," and this untamed river lives up to its reputation. The river offers some of the best white water rafting in Idaho. And the adjacent Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness has abundant hiking trails.

High above Boise, the Around the Mountain Trail circles every peak touched by Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area. The trail is most popular with mountain bikers, but this scenic six-mile route also attracts hikers and trail runners. And every type of user enjoys the big views around every turn.

In southwestern Idaho, Bruneau Dunes is home to the largest freestanding sand dune in North America. These shifting natural features are nothing but fun to explore. Visitors can hike up the different dunes of the park and ride down the sandy slopes on a sled.

A classic alpine hike outside Ketchum and Sun Valley, the Pioneer Cabin Trail makes hikers work for a reward. And quite a reward it is! At the end of this trail, at an elevation of nearly 9,500 feet, an old cabin waits quietly beneath the jaw-dropping Pioneer Mountains.

Great hiking trails line the Boise Foothills right outside the capital city. Many of these trails are accessible by public transportation, bicycling, or walking. And the vast majority of trails near Boise are managed by the non-profit Ridge to Rivers Partnership.

Approximately 10 miles east of Coeur d'Alene in Northern Idaho, Mineral Ridge is the BLM's first recreational site in Idaho. Much of the beauty that inspired the designation of this National Recreation Trail still shines on this 3.3-mile loop hike. At its apex, a stunning view of Lake Coeur d'Alene unfolds on the horizon.

Craters of the Moon offers one of the most unique hiking opportunities in the state. Few other places in Idaho offer a walk on a lunar-like surface. Designated a national monument and preserve in 1924, the landscape of Craters of the Moon oozed into existence thousands of years ago.