Riding areas

Snowmobiling in Idaho — Where to Ride

From the forested trail systems around Coeur d'Alene and the Silver Valley to the deep alpine snow around McCall, North and Central Idaho offer some of the best sled terrain in the West.

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Coeur d'Alene & North Idaho

The mountains east and north of Coeur d'Alene hold one of the most accessible trail networks in the state. Idaho Parks and Recreation counts about 350 miles of riding around Coeur d'Alene, and the system connects east into the Wallace trails.

Fernan Saddle climbs from roughly 2,500 feet to more than 6,000 feet, so a single day can take you from lakeside timber to open ridgelines. The Fourth of July Pass system, about 12 miles east of town, offers 54 miles of trails. Near Hayden, the 43-mile Hayden Creek–Horse Heaven Loop is a favorite, and southeast of Athol the Bunco system adds four groomed trails totaling 60 miles.

Expect dense forest, groomed mountain roads and pockets of off-trail powder when conditions allow. The groomed routes suit newer riders, while experienced riders will find steeper climbs higher up. Grooming depends on snowfall, so check current trail reports before you go.

Wallace & the Silver Valley

Wallace bills itself as Idaho's Snowmobile City, USA, and an open-streets ordinance lets riders travel right through the historic mining-era downtown on their way to the trails.

The Silver Valley runs along I-90 from Kingston and Kellogg east through Wallace to Mullan, with easy trail access the whole way. According to Visit Idaho, the area has more than 1,000 miles of groomed trails in the Bitterroot Mountains, with warming huts along the main routes and more primitive facilities as you push deeper into the backcountry.

Routes climb from the valley floor to mountaintop views, with rivers, creeks and plenty of wildlife along the way. Kellogg, Wallace and Mullan each make an easy base, and Lookout Pass sits on the Montana line just east of Mullan. For riders who want to cover serious miles in a day, few places in the Northwest compare.

McCall & Central Idaho

McCall sits in Idaho's central mountains at the edge of the Payette National Forest, and it is known for deep snow and big alpine terrain. Visit McCall reports more than 500 miles of groomed trails in the area, and SnoWest Magazine has described it as one of the West's premier snowmobiling regions.

Groomed routes run north along the Warren Wagon Road toward Warren and over Secesh Summit, while the Goose Lake Road leads to Association Cabin and the Twin Lakes play area. Riders will find open meadows for beginners, treed bowls and steep chutes for experts, and a warming hut near the Hard Creek trailhead.

Some of this terrain carries serious avalanche risk, so check the avalanche forecast before heading into the backcountry, and use the Payette National Forest winter travel map to confirm which areas are open to snowmobiles.

Trail safety and conditions

Check the forecast

Read the avalanche forecast at avalanche.org before every ride. Idaho Parks and Recreation notes that avalanches most often start on slopes of 30 to 45 degrees.

Ride smart

Never ride alone, and send one rider onto a slope at a time. Know your limits, and turn around when conditions or visibility change.

Trails and grooming

Grooming depends on snowfall. Check trail grooming status with Idaho Parks and Recreation before you head out.