Salmo-Priest Loop
Eastern WashingtonBest Jul–Sep
Washington's wildest corner: old-growth cedar groves, ridgeline traverses, and the state's only habitat for grizzly bears and woodland caribou.
About This Trail
The Salmo-Priest Loop is the real deal. This 19-mile circuit in the Selkirk Range takes you through some of the most impressive old-growth forest on the east side of the Cascades, along a high divide with views into Idaho and British Columbia, and through country that is home to grizzly bears, wolves, and (historically) woodland caribou. There is nowhere else like it in Washington.
The clockwise route drops steeply from the trailhead, losing 1,800 feet in three miles down to the South Salmo River and the historic Old Salmo Cabin. From there you climb to Snowy Top Pass and pick up the Shedroof Divide, which you traverse for seven miles of rolling ridgeline. Side trips to Snowy Top Mountain and the Little Snowy Top Lookout are worth every extra step. The final descent brings you back through towering western red cedar and hemlock groves that feel more like the Olympic Peninsula than Eastern Washington.
Plan two to three nights. Water is reliable early in the season but dries up along the Shedroof Divide section by August. Carry enough to get through that seven-mile stretch. The trailhead access road (Forest Road 2220) is long and winding from Metaline Falls. Huckleberries are thick in August if you time it right. Expect blowdowns, especially early in the season before volunteer trail crews get through.
Astronomy
Trail Conditions
Scorecard
Safety & Considerations
Today's Hazard
- Strong sun — sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses recommended
Persistent Hazards
- grizzly bear habitat - carry bear spray and use bear canisters
- limited water on Shedroof Divide in late summer
- blowdowns early season
- long remote access road
Getting There
Small dirt pullout at the trailhead at the end of Forest Road 2220. No fee. No facilities. The road in from Metaline Falls is about 20 miles of gravel and takes longer than you think.
Clockwise is the standard direction: drop to the South Salmo River first, climb to the divide, and traverse the Shedroof back. Counter-clockwise puts the steep descent on tired legs at the end. The loop crosses briefly into Idaho.
Start early on day one. The initial 1,800-foot descent goes fast, but the climb out of the river valley to Snowy Top Pass is sustained. Allow time for side trips to Snowy Top and Little Snowy Top Lookout on your ridge day.
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