Discover the Best of Idaho’s Wild Country on the ICT

The ICT was designated as the official state trail during Idaho’s Centennial year in 1990 by the Lasting Legacy Committee of the Idaho Centennial Commission. Since that time, only a few people have actually completed the Idaho Centennial Trail, revealing the challenge and time-commitment involved.

Here on the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation web site, we provide information about the history of the trail’s inspiration and designation, how to prepare for a trip on the ICT, what to expect on the trail, notes on resupply points, and what trail uses are allowed. The color maps on this web site are the best public domain big-picture maps available that show the complete ICT route. We recommend that trail users should compile their own set of USGS topographical maps, and carry a GPS on the trip.

“It’s our hope that every Idaho resident will make it a lifetime project to at least visit a portion of the Idaho State Centennial Trail, if not travel the whole thing,” said Steve Stuebner, author of Discover Idaho’s Centennial Trail and many outdoor books. “The Idaho Centennial Trail provides a unique glimpse of the state’s tremendous diversity and grandeur. It’s well worth the journey.”

Direction of travel: South to North makes sense

The Idaho Centennial Trail (ICT) follows existing trails and primitive backcountry roads throughout the state. Most people start at the southern trailhead near Murphy Hot Springs on the Idaho-Nevada border in early June, and travel north across the desert before it gets too hot. Then, they proceed toward the Sawtooth Mountains in mid-July, when most of the snow has melted from the high country. Then it’s a race against time to reach the Idaho-British Columbia border by late September or early October.

Backpacking near Hoodoo Pass - courtesy, Leo Hennessy

Wilderness galore

North of the Selway-Bitterroot, the trail hop-scotches along the Idaho-Montana border on the backbone of the Bitterroot Mountains for more than 85 miles on high ridges. Dozens of high mountain lakes along this portion of the route will beckon the hard-core angler.

Alternative routes bypass wilderness

Three alternative ICT routes were created in areas where the main ICT runs through wilderness areas. These alternative routes pass through multiple-use managed forests, where a wider variety of trail uses area allowed, both motorized and non-motorized. For example, an alternative route bypasses the Sawtooth Wilderness on the east side of the mountains. Another alternative route runs to the west of the Frank Church and Selway-Bitterroot wilderness areas. And a third alternative route runs to the west of the Kelly Creek backcountry area and rejoins the ICT at Hoodoo Pass. All of the alternative routes rejoin the main trail as you travel north.

Alpine lake along Stateline Trail area on Idaho / Montana border - courtesy, Leo Hennessy

Elevation gain/loss:

The trail features many climbs and descents – sometimes it can be nearly heartbreaking to see that how much elevation you’ll have to lose to cross a river or canyon, and then climb once again to a high ridge. The Centennial Trail begins at 6,000 feet near Murphy Hot Springs, descends to 2,500 feet at the Snake River near Glenns Ferry, and then yo-yos up and down through the mountains of Central Idaho between 3,000 and 9,000 feet. The trail’s low point (1,900 feet above sea level) is along the Selway River near the Moose Creek Guard Station, and then it climbs again to high points between 5,000 and 6,000 feet in the Cabinet and Selkirk Mountains as the trail approaches the northern boundary.

Three historic trails

 The ICT crosses three historic trails along its route: the Oregon Trail near the Snake River, the Lewis and Clark Trail (on the north ridge above the Lochsa River), and the alternative route crosses the Nez Perce Trail. Those people who travel the entire length of the trail will cross through 11 national forests and about 100 miles of Bureau of Land Management land in the high desert.

All of the high points and statistics in the world can never cover the true challenge of traveling the full length of the ICT. It’s a major challenge, to say the least, to camp out for more than 120 days, deal with a variety of biting bugs, snakes, blisters, extreme heat, rain and soggy clothes, and get up every day to make new progress on the trail.

By the end, however, it’s all worth it.