Hughes Fork and Jackson Creek share a trailhead near Hughes Meadows in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. Each can be a stand-alone day hike for visitors to nearby Priest Lake, remaining low to enjoy the old growth forest’s lingering huckleberry patches in September or fall mushroom season as rains return in October. The area is home to numerous wildlife species, from lowly western toads to massive moose and relatively rare grizzly bears.

Those looking for a more challenging hike can opt for the backpack loop version, a route to rival the nearby and more popular Salmo Loop. With maintenance projects planned for late summer into early September by area nonprofit groups, the Hughes Fork and Jackson Creek Loop will likely be in the best condition it has been in for several years just in time for fall backpack trips. The trail passes through a recovering forest following the Hughes Fork Fire of 2017. The fire’s impacts are evident on large portions of the loop, but most of the giant cedars along the route survived the blaze.

The best way to hike the full loop is counter-clockwise, heading up Hughes Fork. The trail starts parallel to and providing peek-a-boo views of Hughes Meadows before gradually beginning to climb toward the Shedroof Divide. The trail enters the Salmo Priest Wilderness at the Washington/Idaho state line, and pops out onto the Shedroof Divide at a shared intersection with the Shedroof Cut-off Trail (an alternate starting location from the Washington side). Turn south on the Shedroof Divide, enjoying the ridgeline views in a portion of the trail that saw the most severe fire impacts but also contains some of the best fall colors. The trail passes beneath Thunder Mountain, a fun side-hike option to a former fire lookout via an unmaintained spur trail. At the shared intersection with Thunder Creek (secondary alternate starting point from the Washington side), turn east on Jackson Creek Trail to descend and complete the loop.

At 26 miles total, this is best for a 2-3 day backpack trip if completing the full loop. Day hikers can turn back at whatever distance is desired. Once back at the start, it’s worth the nearby side-trip to continue to the dead-end of NF 1662 to see the old Hughes Meadows Cabin.

USGS Maps: Upper Priest Lake, Continental Mountain, Salmo Mountain, and Helmer Mountain.

Getting There:

From Nordman, Idaho, continue on N Nordman Road. This turns into West Side Road, or NF 302. The road crosses back into Washington, passing Stagger Inn Campground at 12.9 miles north of Nordman. The road re-enters Idaho at 4.4 miles past Stagger Inn; continue straight on NF 1013. Continue 2.2 miles, then turn left on NF 1662. Continue 1.5 miles to an unmarked NF 1399 on the left. When the gate is open, this road leads to trailhead parking for Hughes Fork and Jackson Creek Trails. The gate is closed from late summer through spring to protect grizzly habitat, but there is a small parking area to the side for hikers, adding roughly 1 mile roundtrip to the hike.

Holly Weiler is a long-time contributor to Out There Venture.  

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Explorer Backpacks Free for Checkout

Spokane Conservation District is now offering Explorer Backpacks for checkout to local families with K-12 students. Each pack can be checked out for up to two weeks and includes educational materials on one of five different themes (trees, rocks and soil, water, pollinators, and snow).

This program can be paired with Spokane-area libraries’ Check Out Washington Pass, which includes a Discover Pass for free entry into Washington State Parks (and other state-managed lands). The library kits additionally include binoculars and field guides and the check-out period is seven days. Plan a family adventure!

NE Washington Forest Road Closures

The Sullivan/Newport Ranger District of the Colville National Forest will have some temporary closures for road improvement work this fall, impacting access to several popular hiking and backpacking destinations on the forest.

Both Highline Road and Sullivan Creek Road will be closed for several weeks, preventing vehicle access to trailheads for Sullivan Mountain and Crowell Ridge, Gypsy Meadows, Thunder Creek, Shedroof Cut-off, Salmo Mountain, and the Salmo Loop.

Hiker access to Crowell Ridge will need to start at the Red Bluff or Halliday Trail trailheads, and hiker access to the Shedroof Divide will only be available at Pass Creek Pass.

Parking Lot Work at Slavin

Improvement work for trailhead parking at Slavin Conservation Area southwest of Spokane began in September, with completion expected in early November.

Spokane County Parks will do their best to ensure the trails are still accessible during the majority of the work, but there may be times when access is temporarily closed to allow crews to complete crucial steps of the process. Be sure to check Spokane County Park’s website before a visit to Slavin this fall.

Saltese Uplands Expansion

By early October, Saltese Uplands Conservation Area near Liberty Lake, Wash., will grow by 10 percent! Spokane County Parks is expected to close soon on a 54.6-acre addition to the popular hiking, mountain biking, and trail running destination.

Fall Trail Projects Need Volunteers

Trail work and public lands stewardship projects continue to seek volunteer help across the region. Fall brings cooler temperatures and plenty of work to be done to keep trails in good shape after high summer use and prepare them for the upcoming ski, fat biking, and snowshoe season.

• Join the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness for a trail maintenance project at Napoleon Gulch in early September, or for their end-of-hiking-season trek up to the summit of Scotchman Peak in early October. Advance registration required.
• Pend Oreille Pedalers will host Thursday evening trail work events throughout the fall. Check their website for meeting locations.
• WTA has continuing projects at Mount Spokane State Park and within several Spokane County conservation areas, and will be hosting a National Public Lands Day project at Fishtrap Recreation Area.
• Pacific Northwest Trail Association’s season continues through the beginning of October, with several drop-in or backpack volunteer opportunities in northeast Washington.

Holly Weiler is a long-time contributor to Out There Venture and writes The Trailhead column for each issue.

Find more trail recommendations in the Hike of the Month column.

The post Inland NW Trail & Outdoor News: Fall 2022 appeared first on Out There Venture.

When the trail enters the old growth forest, hikers will encounter five puncheon bridges that were replaced by Backcountry Horsemen of Washington, Pacific Northwest Trail Association, and Washington Trails Association crews in several work parties during summer 2016. Volunteers removed the old broken structures and rebuilt the puncheon using mostly hand tools. Now, the trail needs hikers and horseback riders to test them out.

Inspect the work, then continue up trail to the Salmo Priest Wilderness boundary at approximately the three-mile mark. From the wilderness sign the trail climbs nearly three miles more through impressive cedar stands and other large diameter trees. Don’t forget to look low, too, as there are many yew trees and other smaller shrubs along the route. At approximately the six-mile mark, hikers will reach the intersection with the Shedroof Divide Trail. For those who would prefer the loop as a short backpack rather than a long day hike, there is a small campsite located near this intersection (or at another small campsite 1.7 miles north). Turn left to continue north on the Shedroof Divide Trail #512.

The Shedroof Divide is one of two ridges running along the spine of the Salmo Priest Wilderness. Be sure to pause to filter water at one of the two campsites (or carry enough for the entire trip) as the Divide has few water sources available. The bear grass bloom will peak sometime during the month of July, with the showy white spikes sometimes making hillsides near the trail appear coated with a layer of snow. Watch for breaks in the trees, which afford hikers several views of Upper and Lower Priest Lake in the distance, with the Idaho Selkirks serving as an impressive backdrop.

At the 12.5-mile mark, turn left on the marked Shedroof Cutoff Trail #511. This trail exits the Wilderness Area after .8 miles then continues another mile along another old roadbed to reach the trailhead. A short road hike completes the loop, as the Shedroof Cutoff Trailhead is located approximately 1 mile up Forest Road 2220. Shave a mile off the route by parking a shuttle vehicle at the exit on the Shedroof Cut-off Trail.

It’s especially nice to make a weekend of this trip. There are several free dispersed primitive campsites along the access road, or head to Sullivan Lake for its developed campground with access to vault toilets and a nice swimming beach.

Distance:  15.2 miles round-trip

Getting there:  Take Highway 20 north along the Pend Oreille River, then continue north on Highway 31 to the Sullivan Lake Road (just before Ione). Continue past Sullivan Lake and the Ranger District Office to Sullivan Creek Road (Forest Road 22). Travel east to where the road splits, then bear left on Forest Road 2220 toward Salmo Mountain. Thunder Creek Trailhead is located on the right, across from Gypsy Meadows. //

Give back to our hiking trails:

Washington Trails Association has a backpack-style trail work weekend planned for portions of this trail July 8-11, where crews will use crosscut saws to clear any downed trees (no previous saw experience necessary!) This is preparation for the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington statewide work party on August 2-6, where the WTA crew will serve as a spike camp of the BCHW crew. Expect huge improvements for this entire trail system. To register, visit the WTA website and click on the “volunteer” link. //

Holly Weiler can often be found wandering Inland Northwest trails with a crosscut saw or other trail maintenance tools in tow on the Washington Trails Association trail maintenance projects she leads.

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