Idaho · Trail 7044

North Fork Lime Creek

North Fork Lime Creek Trail is a 10.6-mile trail in Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle and e-bikes.

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 end43.4466° N, 115.1299° W · Directions ↗
Other end43.5572° N, 115.1527° 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 is recorded as 3 segments.

The trail

Length10.6 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesOpen to at least one motorized use
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers7044
ForestSawtooth National Forest (unit 0414)
StatesIdaho
Detail publishedmanagement 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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near North Fork Lime Creek Trail10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.06 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.22 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.17 inches of precipitationApril: 1.20 inches of precipitationMay: 1.28 inches of precipitationJune: 0.80 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.47 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.24 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.52 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.05 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.26 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.72 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 19.1°F averageFebruary: 21.8°F averageMarch: 31.4°F averageApril: 41.5°F averageMay: 50.0°F averageJune: 57.4°F averageJuly: 66.0°F averageAugust: 64.9°F averageSeptember: 56.3°F averageOctober: 44.4°F averageNovember: 31.4°F averageDecember: 20.5°F average0 in1 in2 in3 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Hill City 1 W, 14 miles from the trail midpoint at 5,100 feet, station USC00104268 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 14 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round
MotorcycleAllowed 05/01 to 09/30 (month/day)
E-bikesAllowed 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

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.

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

  • Wildfire
    East Fork

    14 mi from the trail midpoint · 266 acres · 60% contained

  • Prescribed
    Paradise Rx

    20 mi from the trail midpoint · 400 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Mores South

    37 mi from the trail midpoint · 245 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx Paradigm Fuel Breaks

    45 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.

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Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the North Fork Lime Creek Trail?

The Forest Service records 10.6 miles under this name in Sawtooth National Forest, the sum of 3 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the North Fork Lime Creek Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle and e-bikes 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 North Fork Lime Creek Trail start?

The line begins at 43.4466° N, 115.1299° W and ends at 43.5572° N, 115.1527° W. 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 North Fork Lime Creek 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 North Fork Lime Creek Trail?

Hunter Creek Transfer Camp (1.6 mi), Willow Creek Campground (3.3 mi) and Bird Creek Campground (4.5 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 7 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the North Fork Lime Creek 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 North Fork Lime Creek Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the North Fork Lime Creek Trail?

Sawtooth National Forest, Forest Service unit 0414. The trail is in Idaho.

Source: Sawtooth National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the North Fork Lime Creek Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest East Fork at 14 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 3 segments named North Fork Lime Creek 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.