Idaho · Trail 519.0

North Star Ridge

North Star Ridge Trail is a 4.5-mile trail in Bitterroot National Forest, Idaho. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1, minimally 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 end45.9480° N, 114.8114° W · Directions ↗
Other end45.9799° N, 114.7823° 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

Length4.5 miles
Trail class1, minimally developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers519.0
ForestBitterroot National Forest (unit 0103)
StatesIdaho
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 North Star Ridge 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, 31 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.

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.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Rx D2 Fern Creek 1.3C

    29 mi from the trail midpoint · 269 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx D4 Piquett Creek

    30 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,210 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

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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 North Star Ridge Trail?

The Forest Service records 4.5 miles under this name in Bitterroot National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the North Star Ridge 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 North Star Ridge Trail start?

The line begins at 45.9480° N, 114.8114° W and ends at 45.9799° N, 114.7823° 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 Star Ridge 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 North Star Ridge Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. The camping section covers dispersed camping, which most National Forest land allows.

Source: Bitterroot National Forest official page

How developed is the North Star Ridge Trail?

Trail class 1, which the Forest Service describes as minimally 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 Star Ridge 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 Star Ridge Trail?

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

Source: Bitterroot National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the North Star Ridge Trail?

The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx D2 Fern Creek 1.3C at 29 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named North Star Ridge 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.