Waterfall
Waterfall Trail is a 16.1-mile trail in Salmon-Challis National Forest, Idaho. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Salmon-Challis 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 | 45.1336° N, 114.5526° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 45.0940° N, 114.7323° 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 | 16.1 miles, all of it evaluated accessible |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | At least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 6045 |
| Forest | Salmon-Challis National Forest (unit 0413) |
| 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
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | 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.
Wilderness
- Frank Church-River of No Return WildernessFS · the whole line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
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
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
- PrescribedScf Nz Pile Burn Rx
32 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.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Waterfall Trail?
The Forest Service records 16.1 miles under this name in Salmon-Challis National Forest, the sum of 1 segment. All of it is evaluated as accessible.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Waterfall Trail?
Hiking and horse and pack stock are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Waterfall Trail start?
The line begins at 45.1336° N, 114.5526° W and ends at 45.0940° N, 114.7323° 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 Waterfall Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Waterfall Trail?
Bighorn Crags Campground (2.4 mi) and Yellowjacket Lake Campground (4.6 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 2 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Waterfall 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 Waterfall Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Waterfall Trail accessible?
The Forest Service has evaluated 16.1 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is native material.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Waterfall Trail?
Salmon-Challis National Forest, Forest Service unit 0413. The trail is in Idaho.
Is there a fire near the Waterfall Trail?
The interagency feed shows 1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Scf Nz Pile Burn Rx at 32 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named Waterfall in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0413. 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.