Elk Mountain Cutoff
Elk Mountain Cutoff Trail is a 5.4-mile snow trail in Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho. The Forest Service rates it trail class 4, highly developed. It is open to snowmobile, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Sawtooth 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 end | 44.2554° N, 115.0449° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 44.3073° N, 115.0550° 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
| Length | 5.4 miles |
| Trail class | 4, highly developed |
| Type | snow trail |
| Surface | snow |
| Typical grade | 8-10 percent |
| Typical tread width | over 120 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Open to at least one motorized use |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | SNO-701A |
| Forest | Sawtooth National Forest (unit 0414) |
| States | Idaho |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
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
Allowed uses
| Snowmobile | Allowed 12/01 to 04/30 (month/day) |
| Snowshoeing | Allowed year-round |
| Cross-country skiing | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
Elk Meadow 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
- PrescribedParadise Rx
40 mi from the trail midpoint · 400 acres
- WildfireEast Fork
43 mi from the trail midpoint · 266 acres · 60% contained
- PrescribedRx Mores South
46 mi from the trail midpoint · 245 acres
- PrescribedGreat Scott Rx
47 mi from the trail midpoint · 15 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for Idaho
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Elk Mountain Cutoff Trail?
The Forest Service records 5.4 miles under this name in Sawtooth National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Elk Mountain Cutoff Trail?
Snowmobile, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are allowed. The trail is open to at least one motorized use. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Elk Mountain Cutoff Trail start?
The line begins at 44.2554° N, 115.0449° W and ends at 44.3073° N, 115.0550° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Elk Meadow 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 Elk Mountain Cutoff Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Elk Mountain Cutoff Trail?
Sheep Trail Campground (0.1 mi), Lake View Campground (0.5 mi) and Stanley Lake Campground (0.6 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 6 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Elk Mountain Cutoff Trail?
Trail class 4, which the Forest Service describes as highly 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 Elk Mountain Cutoff Trail?
The typical grade is 8-10 percent. The typical tread is over 120 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Elk Mountain Cutoff Trail?
Sawtooth National Forest, Forest Service unit 0414. The trail is in Idaho.
Is there a fire near the Elk Mountain Cutoff Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Paradise Rx at 40 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named Elk Mountain Cutoff in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0414. 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.