Idaho · Trail 295

Plowboy Mountain

Plowboy Mountain Trail is a 6-mile trail in Idaho Panhandle National Forests. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Idaho Panhandle National Forests 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 end48.7476° N, 116.9064° W · Directions ↗
Other end48.7930° N, 116.9089° 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 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityEvaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers295
ForestIdaho Panhandle National Forests (unit 0104)
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 Plowboy Mountain Trail20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.16 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.70 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.91 inches of precipitationApril: 1.65 inches of precipitationMay: 2.19 inches of precipitationJune: 2.10 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.24 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.82 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.06 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.80 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.41 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.45 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 28.2°F averageFebruary: 31.1°F averageMarch: 38.8°F averageApril: 47.1°F averageMay: 56.4°F averageJune: 61.9°F averageJuly: 68.8°F averageAugust: 67.6°F averageSeptember: 58.1°F averageOctober: 45.7°F averageNovember: 35.7°F averageDecember: 28.4°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 Porthill 1 SW, 24 miles from the trail midpoint at 1,799 feet, station USC00107264 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 21 inches a year. The station sits about 2,300 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 06/01 to 09/30 (month/day)
Horse and pack stockAllowed 06/01 to 09/30 (month/day)
Mountain bikingAllowed 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

  • Prescribed
    Sl Rx - Limestone Timber Sale

    25 mi from the trail midpoint · 38 acres

  • Prescribed
    Np Rx - High Noon Stewardship

    28 mi from the trail midpoint · 345 acres

  • Prescribed
    Sl Rx - Lost Creek Stewardship

    28 mi from the trail midpoint · 24 acres

  • Prescribed
    3R Rx - Silver Gna

    31 mi from the trail midpoint · 100 acres

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 Plowboy Mountain Trail?

The Forest Service records 6 miles under this name in Idaho Panhandle National Forests, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Plowboy Mountain Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Plowboy Mountain Trail start?

The line begins at 48.7476° N, 116.9064° W and ends at 48.7930° N, 116.9089° 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 Plowboy Mountain 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 Plowboy Mountain Trail?

Navigation Campground (0.2 mi), Trapper Creek Campground (0.9 mi) and Plowboy Campground (1 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 5 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Plowboy Mountain 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 Plowboy Mountain Trail?

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

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Plowboy Mountain Trail accessible?

No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Plowboy Mountain Trail?

Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Forest Service unit 0104. The trail is in Idaho.

Source: Idaho Panhandle National Forests official page

Is there a fire near the Plowboy Mountain Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Sl Rx - Limestone Timber Sale at 25 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Plowboy Mountain in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0104. 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.