Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest · Idaho · Trail 299

Crystal Lake

Crystal Lake Trail is a 5.1 miles trail in Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, Idaho. The forest has not published allowed uses for it. It enters Gospel-Hump Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end45.6558, -115.6518 · Directions ↗
Other end45.6366, -115.6845 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 3 segments.

The trail

Length5.1 miles
Typeland trail
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers299
ForestNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest (unit 0117)
StatesIdaho
Detail publishedcenterline only

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Wilderness

Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx Scotts Grove Piles Mcs

    37 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Wildfire
    Wolf Creek

    40 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,643 acres · 50% contained

  • Wildfire
    Cascade

    40 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,475 acres · 70% contained

  • Prescribed
    Ncf Fall Rx

    43 mi from the trail midpoint

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Limited data for this unit

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest publishes this trail as a centerline only, with no class, surface or allowed uses. What is here is the name, the length and the line. The forest office has the rest.

Checked nightly. Sections appear as soon as the forest publishes more.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Crystal Lake Trail?

5.1 miles, the sum of the 3 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Crystal Lake Trail?

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.

Source: Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest official page

Where does the Crystal Lake Trail start?

The line begins at 45.6558, -115.6518 and ends at 45.6366, -115.6845. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Crystal Lake Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Gospel-Hump Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Gospel-Hump Wilderness Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Crystal Lake Trail?

Wildhorse Campground (0 mi) and Orogrande Summit Campground (2.5 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

Who manages the Crystal Lake Trail?

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, Forest Service unit 0117. The trail is in Idaho.

Source: Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Crystal Lake Trail?

4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Rx Scotts Grove Piles Mcs at 37 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 3 segments named CRYSTAL LAKE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0117. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.