Skip to main content
CanIBikeHere

USFS National Forest System Trails · Idaho · Updated June 2026

Salmon-Challis National Forest Mountain Bike Trails

CBike Access Grade C — 26% of rideable miles open to bikes. How we grade

Salmon-Challis National Forest earns a Bike Access Grade of C: 26% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Mixed — bikes are open on a meaningful share of rideable trails, but many are e-bike-only or discouraged.

Salmon-Challis National Forest carries 3,479 mi of mapped National Forest System trail, of which 298 mi across 39 segments is designated for mountain bikes, typically open Year-round. Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 317 segments (1,108 mi).

Reviewed by CanIBikeHere Editorial Team · Updated
Where to stay near Salmon-Challis National Forest →

What the USFS data shows for Salmon-Challis National Forest

Of the 3,479 mi of mapped trail in Salmon-Challis National Forest, 9% — 298 mi across 39 bike-designated segments — is open to mountain bikes in USFS travel-management data.

Tread is overwhelmingly native dirt: USFS lists native material on 835 of 856 surfaced segments (98%).

On the USFS difficulty rating, advanced is the most common designation here — 637 of 854 rated segments (75%) — across all uses, not bikes alone.

USFS records a year-round bike season for this forest, though 2 different season windows still appear on individual segments at higher elevation.

The longest single named bike segment in the data is Continental Divide Nst at 80.37 mi on native dirt, rated advanced by USFS and open Year-round.

Class 1 e-bikes are designated on 317 segments (1,108 mi), and 7 segments carry an ADA-accessibility flag in the same dataset.

C
Bike Access Grade
26% of rideable miles bike-open
266
Ridable trails
with their own page
298 mi
Bike-designated
39 segments
3,479 mi
Total NFS trail
857 segments
1,108 mi
Class 1 e-bike
317 segments

Trail surface

  • Native Material835
  • Snow16
  • Imported Compacted Material4
  • Asphalt1

USFS trail class (1 = primitive · 5 = developed)

  • Class 2430
  • Class 3368
  • Class 140
  • Class 417
  • Class 52

9% of this forest's mapped trail is bike-designated. Note: USFS records trail grade (steepness), not technical MTB difficulty — we surface grade where present but do not infer a black/blue/green rating from it.

Largest bike-designated trails

TrailMilesSurfaceTrail classBike season
Continental Divide Nst80.37Native Material—Year-round
Divide Nrt31.74Native Material—Year-round
Hay-Knapp Creek29.8Native Material—Year-round
Darling-Castle Creek20.92Native Material——
East Mayfield - Yankee Fork20.81Native Material——
Snow Bank18.69Native Material——
Iron-Lola Creek17.79Native Material—Year-round
Toolbox-Herd Creek16.44Native Material——
Patterson-Morse Creek16.15Native Material——
Camas-Eddy Creek15.33Native Material——
Big Hat Creek14.07Native Material——
Peach-Cinnabar14.04Native Material——
South Fork Big Creek-Iron Cr.12.3Native Material——
Big Timber Creek11.42Native Material—Year-round
Blacktail/Mud Lake11.09Native Material——
East Fork Valley10.93Native Material——
Furnace Creek10.78Native Material——
Cabin-Pioneer Creek10.59Native Material——
Westfork Yankee Fork10.22Native Material——
Hayden Creek9.94Native Material—Year-round
Sheep Creek9.82Native Material——
Beaver-Trail Creek9.74Native Material—Jul–Sep
Lightning Creek9.71Native Material—Year-round
Corral Creek-Hat Creek9.23Native Material——
North Fork Big Creek9.21Native Material——

Every trail in Salmon-Challis National Forest

All 266 ridable trails in this forest — every trail where USFS data designates mountain-bike or Class 1 e-bike use, grouped by grade-based steepness. Grade reflects slope, not technical difficulty. Each trail links to its full data profile.

Easy grade (68)

Gentle grade band (shallow average slope).

Intermediate grade (19)

Moderate grade band.

Advanced grade (176)

Steep grade band.

Expert grade (2)

Steepest grade band.

Grade not recorded (1)

No grade band recorded in the USFS data.

CSV

Salmon-Challis National Forest bike-legal trail list (CSV)

Download all 266 bike- and Class 1 e-bike-designated trails in Salmon-Challis National Forest — name, miles, surface, grade, season, and e-bike class per trail, straight from USFS data.

E-bikes in Salmon-Challis National Forest

Class 1 on 317 segments · Class 2 on 317 · Class 3 on 317. See full e-bike rules for Salmon-Challis National Forest →

Where it is

Approximate center of Salmon-Challis National Forest. USFS trail geometry isn't mapped here — use the ranger district for trailheads.

Frequently asked questions

What is the bike access grade for Salmon-Challis National Forest?
Salmon-Challis National Forest earns a Bike Access Grade of C: 26% of its rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes, with Class-1 e-bike access on part of the network. Mixed — bikes are open on a meaningful share of rideable trails, but many are e-bike-only or discouraged.
How many miles of mountain bike trail are in Salmon-Challis National Forest?
Salmon-Challis National Forest has about 298 mi of bike-designated trail across 39 segments, out of 3,479 mi of total National Forest System trail.
What is the riding season in Salmon-Challis National Forest?
Most bike-designated trails in Salmon-Challis National Forest carry a Year-round season in USFS data; higher-elevation trails clear later.
Are e-bikes allowed in Salmon-Challis National Forest?
Only where designated. Class 1 e-bikes are recorded on 317 segments. See the e-bike rules page for the class-by-class breakdown.

More Idaho national forests

Caribou-Targhee National Forest

2,696 mi bike trail

Boise National Forest

1,553 mi bike trail

Sawtooth National Forest

782 mi bike trail

Payette National Forest

169 mi bike trail

Idaho Panhandle National Forests

105 mi bike trail

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest

0 mi bike trail

All Idaho mountain biking

Where to stay near Salmon-Challis National Forest

Cabins, lodges, and campgrounds near Salmon-Challis National Forest in Idaho — compare places to stay for a mountain-bike trip.

Top-rated places to stay near Salmon-Challis National Forest

Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.

Riding Salmon-Challis National Forest?

Trail-access updates and Idaho trip ideas by email.

Where to stay near Salmon-Challis National Forest →