Kraig Adams 835K159K75.3K29KWork with me
Sawtooth Wilderness: a still from my film

Sawtooth Wilderness, Idaho · July 2020 · Solo

Sawtooth Wilderness

114.7 KM · 3 DAYS · 3,460 M

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

Watch the film 32:46 · 1M views

At a glance

Where
Sawtooth Wilderness, Idaho
Distance
114.7 km (71.3 miles)
Days
3 for me. I recommend 4 or 5
Climbing
About 11,350 ft (3,460 m) up and the same down
Start and end
Grandjean Trailhead
Highest point
Cramer Divide, 9,490 ft (2,894 m) by my GPS, Day 2
When I went
July 17 to 19, 2020, solo
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.
Day 1Day 2Day 3Highest 9,490 ft (2,894 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 9,490 ft (2,894 m), lowest 5,180 ft (1,578 m).

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The film

Photos

  • Sawtooth Lake and Mount Regan on Day 1.
    Sawtooth Lake and Mount Regan on Day 1.
  • The Cramer Lakes on Day 2.
    The Cramer Lakes on Day 2.
  • Lake Ingeborg early on Day 3.
    Lake Ingeborg early on Day 3.
Upper Baron Lake on the morning of Day 2.
Upper Baron Lake on the morning of Day 2.

The guide · 44-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

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

  • All three days
  • My GPX files
  • The 2026 closure
  • Permits and rules
  • Other ways to do it

Paying in the Facebook/Instagram app? Tap ⋯ and Open in browser to use Apple Pay or Google Pay.

$19

Instant download: PDF + GPX files.
Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund.

Look inside the guide

Free sample

Try Day 2 free

The whole Day 2, Baron Lake to the Ten Lake Basin page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

Gear on this trip

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.

What I carried in 2020

  • PackHyperlite backpackSimilar now: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 2400
  • TentNemo tentSimilar now: NEMO Hornet Elite OSMO 1P
  • 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 13I 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 stoveSimilar now: Jetboil MicroMo
  • Foodbackpacker meals, rice sides, Idaho potatoes, nut butter and granola, MiO
  • Safetybear sprayNever used.

Filming kit

  • 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'd take now

My current kit

Everything I use, in Tools

The Americas and New Zealand bundle

This guide is in The Americas and New Zealand Hiking Guide Pack: 36 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.

Short answers

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.

I make my guides with AI, from my own films and GPS recordings. How.