Road trip guide: Conquering Castle Butte in ID

Castle Butte is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.032m (6,666ft) above the sea level, located in Idaho County, in the US state of Idaho.

Castle Butte

Set high in the Clearwater National Forest, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. It' usually impassable from October to June (weather permitting). Great trail for experienced wheelers. 4x4 vehicle with high clearance required. It is not recommended for large RVs, vehicles with low ground clearance or trailers. Cell phone coverage is not available. Access to the summit is via the Lolo Motorway, a primitive, single-lane road constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early 1930s.

Expect a trail pretty steep. Thunderstorm activity can quickly change unpaved roads to four-wheel-drive condition or make them impassable. At the summit there’s a lookout tower built in 1950. It offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, the Seven Devils Mountains, the Great Burn area and the deep canyons of the North Fork Clearwater River.
Pic: Dan Smith

 

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