Fish and Game cleared miles of local trails

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game successfully cleared 39 of 50 miles of trails on the 32,000-acre Snow Peak Wildlife Management Area.

The clearing took place this summer in partnership with Idaho Panhandle National Forests and Montana Conservation Corp. The work was made possible by a grant from the Recreational Trails Program through Idaho Parks and Recreation.

Crews cleared logs from 39 miles of trails and brushed 22 miles of the cleared trails. Horse packing crews from the U.S. Forest Service helped with getting gear and tools into areas of the WMA that hadn’t had trail work done in more than a decade.

As a result of the work:

• 67% of all trails on the WMA are currently cleared.

• It is now possible to hike or horseback ride several loops on the WMA including from Sawtooth Saddle down

• Buck Creek Trail No. 100 and up either Canyon Creek Trail No. 99 or Papoose Mountain Trail No. 101.

• Other trails cleared include Snow Peak Trail No. 55 to the Snow Peak Lookout, Surveyor’s Trail No. 40 to the Little North Fork of the Clearwater River and Surveyor’s Ridge Trail No. 141.

• Sportsmen and outdoor recreationists can now enjoy better access to the wild areas that make Snow Peak WMA so special. This time of year, fall colors are breathtaking and folks might even find a huckleberry to snack on.

Fish and Game manages six WMAs across the Panhandle and an additional 25 across the rest of the state. Fish and Game WMAs are managed for both wildlife habitat and sportsmen's access and opportunity. To learn more, visit the WMA webpage at idfg.idaho.gov/visit/wma on the Fish and Game website.

For questions, please contact the Panhandle Regional office at 208-769-1414.

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T.J. Ross is a regional communications manager with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.