Idaho, Montana · Trail 16.1

Divide North

Divide North Trail is a 6.8-mile trail in Bitterroot National Forest, Idaho and Montana. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it. It enters Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Bitterroot 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 end45.7172° N, 114.5031° W · Directions ↗
Other end45.7777° N, 114.5726° W · 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

Length6.8 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Minimum width18 inches
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers16.1
ForestBitterroot National Forest (unit 0103)
StatesIdaho, Montana
Detail publishedbasic characteristics

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.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Divide North Trail20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.08 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.87 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.85 inches of precipitationApril: 1.04 inches of precipitationMay: 1.60 inches of precipitationJune: 2.09 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.14 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.90 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.23 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.50 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.55 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.26 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 26.5°F averageFebruary: 29.5°F averageMarch: 37.1°F averageApril: 42.5°F averageMay: 51.5°F averageJune: 58.0°F averageJuly: 65.7°F averageAugust: 64.1°F averageSeptember: 56.4°F averageOctober: 44.8°F averageNovember: 33.2°F averageDecember: 25.7°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Darby, 26 miles from the trail midpoint at 3,880 feet, station USC00242221 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 15 inches a year. The station sits about 3,400 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

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

Nez Perce Pass Trailhead
No season published
under 0.1 mi

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.

Trails nearby

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 D4 Piquett Creek

    18 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,210 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx D2 Fern Creek 1.3C

    23 mi from the trail midpoint · 269 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx D3 Tepee 12 Johnson Wf Landings

    41 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    Scf Nz Pile Burn Rx

    47 mi from the trail midpoint · 605 acres

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

Explore

Guidebooks for Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and Idaho

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Divide North Trail?

The Forest Service records 6.8 miles under this name in Bitterroot National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Divide North Trail?

Bitterroot National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.

Source: Bitterroot National Forest official page

Where does the Divide North Trail start?

The line begins at 45.7172° N, 114.5031° W and ends at 45.7777° N, 114.5726° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Nez Perce Pass Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Divide North Trail in a wilderness area?

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

Source: Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Divide North Trail?

Fales Flat Campground (3.4 mi) is within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists it with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Divide North Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Divide North Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Divide North Trail?

Bitterroot National Forest, Forest Service unit 0103. The trail is in Idaho and Montana.

Source: Bitterroot National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Divide North Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx D4 Piquett Creek at 18 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Divide North in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0103. 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 November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.