Can you hike the Sawtooth loop from Grandjean in 2026?

Not while it's closed. Forest Service order 0414-04-165 closes the Grandjean area, its trailheads and the first miles of the trails through December 31, 2026, and the Trail Creek Trail was washed out in July 2026. Until it reopens, you can reach Sawtooth Lake, the Baron Lakes and the Cramer Lakes from the Iron Creek Trailhead or Redfish Lake near Stanley.

How many days does the Sawtooth Wilderness loop take?

I did it in 3 days, 71.3 miles by my GPS, so over 20 miles a day, and I pushed through way faster than I probably should have. I recommend 4 or 5 days.

Do you need a permit for the Sawtooth Wilderness?

Only the free wilderness permit, which you fill out yourself at the trailhead and carry with you. In 2026 it's required for every visitor, day or overnight, with no quota and no reservation.

Where do you camp on the Sawtooth loop?

In your tent; there are no huts or designated campgrounds inside the wilderness. Almost every lake had one or a couple of campsites. Camp at least 100 feet from trails, lakes and streams. I slept at Baron Lake and above Ardeth Lake.

When is the best time to hike the Sawtooth loop?

I hiked July 17 to 19, 2020, with clear skies, amazing wildflowers and a few snow patches near the Cramer Divide, but it was in the high 80s from noon to 5 p.m. and the mosquitoes were the worst part. Snow lingers on the high passes into early summer, and wildfire smoke is possible in late summer.

The Sawtooth Wilderness Loop film: Sawtooth Wilderness, Idaho

Sawtooth Wilderness, Idaho · 3 days · 71 miles

Sawtooth Wilderness Loop Hiking Guide

3 days alone on a 70-mile loop from Grandjean, Idaho.

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Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
The Grandjean closure

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The route

My GPS recording of 3 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Sawtooth Wilderness Loop route: 3 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Grandjean, Ten Lake Basin and Baron Lake. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 3 days
Distance: 71 miles
Climbing: About 11,350 ft (3,460 m) up
Permit: Free, self-issued at the trailhead
Start and end: Grandjean Trailhead

What's inside

All three days. Stats, my times at each lake, pass and junction, my notes, the trail with Forest Service trail numbers, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings for each day and the whole loop, with waypoints for the trailhead, junctions, passes, lakes and my two camps, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
The 2026 closure. What the Grandjean closure order covers, what the floods damaged, and how to reach the same mountains from Iron Creek and Redfish Lake, checked in September 2026.
Permits and rules. The free self-issued wilderness permit, group sizes, the campfire bans, camping and dog rules, and food storage.
Other ways to do it. The loop in five or six days split at lakes, a first overnight at Sawtooth Lake, and a two to three day route from Iron Creek to Redfish Lake.
Food, gear and filming. What I ate and carried, the heat and the mosquitoes, and how I shot the film.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the loop.

About this trip

In July 2020 I hiked a 70-mile loop through Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness alone in three days, from the Grandjean Trailhead up to Sawtooth Lake, over the Baron and Cramer divides past dozens of lakes, and back down the South Fork of the Payette River. It's the trip from my film Hiking 70 miles Alone in Idaho. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for every day, a slower four to six day plan, the wilderness permit and rules, and what I ate and carried. Read this first: debris flows closed the Grandjean trailhead in July 2026 (Forest Service order 0414-04-165, through December 31, 2026), and the guide explains the closure and the ways in from the Stanley side.

Watch the film on YouTube (1M views).

Gear for this route

Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I did this loop in three hot July days with mosquitoes at every lake. Here's what I carried in 2020, what I'd take now, and what I filmed with.

What I carried in 2020

PackHyperlite backpackSimilar: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 2400 Hyperlite
TentNemo tentI left the rain fly off with those clear skies.Similar: NEMO Hornet Elite OSMO 1P Amazon
Sleepa sleeping bag and padWith no chance of rain I could have cowboy camped, just a sleeping bag on a tarp or a pad, but the mosquitoes would have attacked my face. With a mosquito head net I probably could have.
ShoesBrooks Cascadia 13 Amazon now the Cascadia 20I walked straight through the water crossings, and they dried in about 20 minutes in that heat.
Sun hoodiea sun hoodieAgainst the mosquitoes you just have to cover up; bug spray doesn't do that much.
StoveJetboil stoveFor a hot meal once a day.Similar: Jetboil MicroMo Amazon
Foodbackpacker meals, rice sides, Idaho potatoes, nut butter and granola, MiO
Safetybear sprayNever used.

What I'd take now

Sun hoodiePATH Projects Pyrenees T19 Hoodie PATH ProjectsCover up against mosquitoes and sun.
CapPATH Projects Muir Cap 2.0 PATH Projects
SunglassesGoodr OG Sunglasses Amazon
TentNEMO Hornet Elite OSMO 1P AmazonA tent that keeps bugs out.
QuiltHyperlite Mountain Gear 20° Quilt Hyperlite
Sleeping padTherm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT Amazon
Warm layerArc’teryx Cerium Hoody Arc’teryxNights above 8,000 ft.
Water filterKatadyn BeFree AC · 1L AmazonTreat or filter the lakes and streams.
StoveJetboil Stash AmazonIf you want hot food.
NavigationAllTrails+ AllTrails · 30% offImport my GPX files and download them offline. Offline maps need the paid plan.

Filming kit

More in How I filmed it. No drones in the wilderness: see Permits and rules.

CameraSony a6600
LensSony E 10-18mm f/4 OSSAbout 16-30 mm on full frame.
Tripoda tripodAll of my shots are locked down on it.

What I film with now

Since September 2026 I film with a smaller setup: the Pocket 4 and the Mic 3 on the trail, and the Mini 5 Pro in the air where drones are allowed.

CameraDJI Osmo Pocket 4 Amazon
MicDJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX AmazonIt pairs with the Pocket 4.
DroneDJI Mini 5 Pro Amazon

Everything I carry now: my gear page.

The Day 2, Baron Lake to the Ten Lake Basin page from the Sawtooth Wilderness Loop Hiking Guide

Free sample + packing list

Try Day 2 free, plus my packing list

Baron Lake to the Ten Lake Basin

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 44-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated September 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

Can you hike the Sawtooth loop from Grandjean in 2026?: Not while it's closed. Forest Service order 0414-04-165 closes the Grandjean area, its trailheads and the first miles of the trails through December 31, 2026, and the Trail Creek Trail was washed out in July 2026. Until it reopens, you can reach Sawtooth Lake, the Baron Lakes and the Cramer Lakes from the Iron Creek Trailhead or Redfish Lake near Stanley.
How many days does the Sawtooth Wilderness loop take?: I did it in 3 days, 71.3 miles by my GPS, so over 20 miles a day, and I pushed through way faster than I probably should have. I recommend 4 or 5 days.
Do you need a permit for the Sawtooth Wilderness?: Only the free wilderness permit, which you fill out yourself at the trailhead and carry with you. In 2026 it's required for every visitor, day or overnight, with no quota and no reservation.
Where do you camp on the Sawtooth loop?: In your tent; there are no huts or designated campgrounds inside the wilderness. Almost every lake had one or a couple of campsites. Camp at least 100 feet from trails, lakes and streams. I slept at Baron Lake and above Ardeth Lake.
When is the best time to hike the Sawtooth loop?: I hiked July 17 to 19, 2020, with clear skies, amazing wildflowers and a few snow patches near the Cramer Divide, but it was in the high 80s from noon to 5 p.m. and the mosquitoes were the worst part. Snow lingers on the high passes into early summer, and wildfire smoke is possible in late summer.