Selway Bitterroot Wilderness

SOTA Summit 7560 could easily be termed “Magruder Ridge High Point”. It is located on Magruder Ridge approximately 1.0 mile south of Magruder Mountain that it dominates by a mere 138’. Magruder Mountain and Ridge are named for the massacre of Lloyd Magruder and his party of four others in 1863 near this area. See sign photo. The summit is mostly forested but has views of other highpoints in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness and Salmon Mountain Lookout in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.

Pasture Ridge is one of several SOTA summits near the Magruder Corridor.  This corridor-road divides some of the most wild-country in Idaho, the Selway Bitterroot and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness areas. The trail access to the summit begins at the Historic Magruder Ranger Station.  The Ranger Station dates back into the 1920s and the Ranger’s Residence is now a US Forest Service Rental Cabin.

This un-named summit on the Idaho/Montana Border has similar views as Skookum Butte Lookout to the east 1.5 miles.  The route also has good views looking down on Granite Lake.  Distance views are peaks in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness.  It combines a vehicle drive, mountain bike road, a hiking trail and off-trail hike.  Moose can be spotted grazing in the willow bottoms or lake shore in this area.   

Haystack Mountain is one of several SOTA summits near the Magruder Corridor.  This road divides some of the most wild-country in Idaho, the Selway Bitterroot and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness areas.   A trail system FS#26, and a non-system hunter trail is near the summit however it is much shorter to just bushwhack from the road through mostly open forest.  Only a short obstacle of downed trees slows the otherwise easy hike. 

The trail to Spot Mountain is a typical multi-switchback route rising from the steep Selway River Canyon walls to long undulating ridges.  These ridges were used historically by American Indians as routes to bison hunting areas in the eastern plains from the lowlands of the Salmon and Snake river drainages that supported huge runs of salmon and steelhead. 

Indian ‘peel trees’ are still evident today on many large old Ponderosa Pine that dominate much of the area. 

Having hiked 2.5 miles to a saddle you might as well activate both close summits to the north and south, W7I/IC-139 & 167.  These summits require a bit of somewhat steep scramble through open subalpine vegetation and open ground after the trail hike.  Views from each summit are similar and overlook undeveloped wild forest area and the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness. 

Having hiked 2.5 miles to a saddle you might as well activate both close summits to the north and south, W7I/IC-139 & 167.  These summits require a bit of somewhat steep scramble through open subalpine vegetation and open ground after the trail hike.  Views from each summit are similar and overlook undeveloped wild forest area and the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness.

Bad Luck Mountain is an old US Forest Service Lookout site that had a structure from 1939 till about 1980.  Only a few concrete blocks remain today.  The summit is mostly forested now with 25-40 year-old Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine.  Open grassland falls steeply from the summit to the south.

This is a delightful mile scenic hike to an active US Forest Service Lookout. The staff was very friendly and knew about ham radio. Views are spectacular unless you are there in the middle of an active fire season when smoke obscures the mountains. Getting there is over the better-maintained portion of the Magruder Corridor Road approximately 14 miles west of the Magruder Crossing.

It’s an experience traveling the Magruder Corridor road, part of a 100-mile narrow road. According to the US Forest Service brochure, the road constructed by the CCCs in 1930s has changed little over the decades. It shows, and the narrow rocky in places road is used heavily by snowmobiles in winter and 4-wheelers in summer. There are no services available along this route or the adjoining roads for 130 miles. The portion of the Magruder Corridor road approaching Burnt Knob from the east is narrow, but it is very scenic and at high elevation.