United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest

Service NEZ PERCE AND BITTERROOT FORESTS

MAGRUDER

ROAD

CORRIDOR

Vista at Dry Saddle

A guide to the

historic Magruder Road
IDAHO

MONTANA

 Darby

Dixie

Elk City

468

Red River

Ranger Station

South Fork

Red River

FRANK CHURCH-RIVER OF NO RETURN

WILDERNESS

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a a a

a

468

222

 Fork

Westy

a

a

SELWAY-BITTERROOT

WILDERNESS

U U

a

U

To Hamilton

To Lost

Trail Pass

a

 14

93

95

473

To Shoup, ID

95

95

12

The Magruder 

Road Corridor

Idaho

Montana

a

a

To Grangeville 285

Introduction

 The 101-mile primitive Magruder

Corridor Road winds through a vast

undeveloped area, offering solitude

and pristine beauty as well as

expansive mountain views.

 The landscape is much the same

as when the Nez Perce Indians and

other early travelers crossed the

area.

 The road has changed little since

its construction by the Civilian

Conservation Corps (CCC) in the

1930s. It has also been known as

the Southern Nez Perce Trail, Elk

City to Darby Road, Montana Road

and the Parker Trail.

Wilderness

 The corridor was created in 1980

when the Central Idaho Wilderness

Act was passed, leaving a unique

road that enables a traveler to drive

between two wildernesses: the

 Page 1

1.2- million-acre Selway-Bitterroot

Wilderness to the north, and the

2.3-million-acre Frank ChurchRiver of No Return Wilderness to

the south. Together, they represent

the largest unroaded block of land

in the lower 48 states and are nearly

twice as large as the combined

states of Delaware and Rhode

Island.

 To help safeguard the natural-ness

of wilderness, practice “leave no

trace” techniques to ensure the

country you came to enjoy will

remain intact for future generations.

Another safeguard is the use of

certified weed-seed-free products.

As of January 1, 1996, all forage or

mulch used on national forest lands

in Idaho and Montana must be

noxious weed-seed-free.

 Remember the use of motorized

or mechanized equipment or

vehicles is not permitted in a

designated wilderness.
Area Access

 The Magruder Road, Forest Road

#468, is mostly unimproved. The

west end intersects Forest Road

#222, 0.3 mile south of the old Red

River Ranger Station (65 miles east

of Grangeville, Idaho). The east

end is 0.8 mile south of West Fork

Ranger Station (18 miles southwest

of Darby, Montana).

Road Conditions

 This primitive one-lane road is

rough, steep and winding, with few

turnouts for passing oncoming

vehicles. It is suitable for high

clearance vehicles, pickup trucks,

motorcycles and mountain bikes.

The Forest Service does not recommend towing trailers because there

are several hairpin turns along the

route. Motor homes with low

clearance should not travel the road.

 Snow begins to fall in early

October and persists into July;

however, snowstorms are possible

at any time. Four-wheel-drive is

recommended when the road is

snow covered or muddy.

 Remember you are traveling

through an extensive undeveloped

area with no services for 117 miles.

Be sure you start with a vehicle in

good operating condition, a full

tank of gas and a spare tire. At all

times be alert for other traffic,

washouts, fallen trees and other

debris on the road.

 The road is busiest during the

Idaho hunting season: mid-September through mid-November.

Travel Time

 Travel time varies, but it takes

eight to ten hours to travel from

Red River to Darby without rest

stops. The average speed will be

12-15 miles per hour. A two-day

trip is ideal with an overnight stay

at one of the dispersed or primitive

campsite locations.

 Take your time, absorb the

solitude and enjoy the remoteness

far from the hassles of crowded

highways.

Camping

 When camping at primitive

locations, please follow these

guidelines:

• Choose a site 200 feet from

trails and water.

• Use existing fire grates and

fire rings when building

campfires.

• When going to the bathroom,

do as a cat: dig a hole and

bury human waste. Maintain a

distance of 200 feet from water

and trails.

• Make sure your campfire is

dead out when you leave.

• Pack out all trash, both yours

and that of others.

• Leave no trace of your stay.

Drinking Water

 Water from springs, lakes, ponds

and streams should not be consumed without proper treatment

(boiling for more than five minutes

or using a water filter) as giardia

could be present. It is a good idea

to carry extra water.

 Page 2
Dixie

Elk City

South Fork

Red River

y

a

Mountain

Meadows

Granite

Springs

To Grangeville

FRANK

CHURCHRONR

WILDERNESS

14

222

468

 Red River

Ranger Station

Red River

Ranger District

 Elk City Ranger Station

 Visitors are encouraged to stop

at the Elk City Ranger Station on

the Red River Ranger District in

Elk City and ask questions about

maps, road conditions, weather and

any other concerns. After office

hours, visitors can obtain limited

information at an interpretive sign

at the old Red River Ranger

Station (now closed) that briefly

describes the Nez Perce Trail. It

is located just south of the ranger

station along with an RV dump

station. Magruder Road #468

begins on the left side of Road

#222. The first eight miles are a

steady climb. Oregon Butte

Lookout and Buffalo Hump are

visible to the west.

Mountain Meadows

The headwaters of Meadow

Creek lie directly north of the

road.

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Red River Ranger Station to Granite Springs

 Visitors will find the Mountain

Meadows campsite in this vicinity.

 At 14-Mile Tree, the trailhead

begins for Trails 501 and 580,

which lead into the Frank ChurchRiver of No Return Wilderness.

There is an information board,

registration box and toilet. Stock

facilities include a feeding rack

and hitching rails.

Granite Springs Campground

 Granite Springs Campground lies

on both sides of the road. It has

drinking water, pit toilets, picnic

tables, stock facilities and water

for stock.

gathering route that followed the

South Fork of the Clearwater River

to the rolling country and lush

meadows near Elk City and the

upper Red River drainage. The

trail went south of the extremely

difficult terrain of the SelwayBitterroot Wilderness, and also

avoided the more rugged portion of

 The Southern Nez Perce Trail

parallels a portion of the Magruder

Corridor Road. The Nez Perce

Indians found a practical hunting/

canyon.

the deep, narrow Salmon River
Elk Mountain Road #285

 The road continues to climb

from the Granite Springs Campground. Elk Mountain Road #285

branches to the northeast, a

driveable 4-miles to the Green

Mountain Lookout, with views of

the Red River drainage. From the

#285 junction, the Magruder Road

winds steeply down into Bargamin

Creek. Drive slowly and watch

for brakes heating up.

Poet Creek Campground

 Poet Creek Campground lies

north of the Magruder Road. It

has four camping units with tables,

fireplaces, parking spurs, and pit

toilets. There is no developed

water source. Because stock is

not permitted in the campground,

four mangers are located south of

the road.

 Here in the Magruder Corridor

and adjacent wildernesses, diverse

plant communities fill habitat needs

for a variety of mammals, birds,

reptiles and amphibians.

Elk Mountain Road to Burnt Knob Lookout

 Large mammals include black

bear, sheep, goats and four deer

family members -

whitetail and mule

deer, elk and moose.

Deer are the most

commonly seen

animals. There

are many smaller

mammals, such as

badger, wolverine,

pine marten, mink

and weasels, but

count yourself

lucky if you see

one. However, you’ll see ground

squirrels, golden-mantle squirrels,

red squirrels and two kinds of

chipmunks. You can differentiate

between chipmunks and goldenmantle squirrels, as the chipmunk’s

white stripes extend onto its head.

Be alert while traveling to increase

your chances of seeing wildlife.

Burnt Knob Lookout Road

 From Poet Creek Campground,

the road climbs steeply for eight

miles with a few sharp curves.

Burnt Knob #468-C branches off

to the north. This road is recommended for 4-wheel-drive only

and ends at Burnt Knob Lookout.

Three Prong Trail #539, which

starts in the saddle below the

lookout, accesses McArthur,

Stillman and Burnt Knob lakes.

 Page 4

FRANK CHURCHRIVER OF

 NO RETURN

WILDERNESS

a

U U

Green

Mtn.

Poet 

Creek

Burnt

Knob

468 468C

285
Dry Saddle Trailhead to Horse Heaven Saddle

Dry Saddle Trailhead

 Dry Saddle Trailhead lies both

north and south of the road and has

pit toilets, a loading ramp and

graveled parking area. Elevation

at the trailhead is 7920 feet. It

provides access to many high

mountain lakes along Sheep Hill

Trail #575. It is a ten-mile hike to

Sheep Hill fire lookout tower.

Sabe Vista

 From Dry Saddle, the rough and

winding road drops down to Sabe

Saddle and then climbs back up

again to Sabe Vista, which offers

many scenic views. Elevation is

7490 feet at the vista. This portion

of the road is very narrow and

sometimes very steep. There are

few places to pass another vehicle.

 A large burn, which was part of

the Ladder Creek Fire complex, is

visible at Sabe Vista. In 1988,

three lightning strikes started three

different fires, which eventually

merged into one fire. Nearly

70,000 acres were burned in three

National Forests (Nez Perce,

Bitterroot and Payette). Fire is a

natural force which rejuvenates the

environment.

Horse Heaven Saddle

 Horse Heaven is named for its

lush grazing grasses. Elevation at

the saddle is 7070 feet.

 Horse Heaven Cabin was built in

1939 at a CCC Camp near Darby,

MT. It was then dissassembled

and transported more than 60

miles west where it once functioned as a firefighter's cabin.

 The cabin is south of the road on

the spur road marked for trail

#028. The one-room log cabin is

presently on the Forest Service

cabin rental program and will

accommodate four people. Reservations and information is available at the West Fork Ranger

Station.

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FRANK CHURCHRIVER OF 

NO RETURN

WILDERNESS

Dry

Saddle

Sabe 

Vista

Horse

Heaven

468

SELWAYBITTERROOT

WILDERNESS
Salmon Mountain Area

 The Old Salmon Mountain

Ranger Station site was established

in 1911. Nearby is the Salmon

Mountain base camp, a very

popular trailhead during hunting

season. It has stock facilities. A

one-mile trail leads to the Salmon

Mountain lookout tower which is

staffed by volunteers during fire

season. The elevation is 8944 feet.

Mountain goats are often seen on

the rocky crags and talus slopes of

Salmon Mountain.

 This area is one of the few places

in America where you can see the

subalpine larch. The larch is the

only deciduous coniferous tree,

meaning that its needles turn

yellow and drop off in the fall.

Subalpine Larch

 "Ribbon forests" are visible on

the slopes in this area. These are

elongated narrow forest strips

growing perpendicular to prevailing wind directions and alternating

with narrow bands of moist-wet

subalpine meadows called “snow

glades.”

 Also, you can find good examples of “ghost” trees on the

mountain. These whitebark pines

were killed by a combination of

mountain pine beetle and blister

rust attacks. They became

bleached from the summer sun,

giving them a ghost-white appearance.

 Near the peak of the mountain

are “banner” or “flag” trees and

stunted trees called “krummholz,”

which are often hundreds of years

old and only two feet high.

Observation Point

 Observation Point Campground

has nice camping spots and toilets.

 The elevation is 7620 feet and

visitors can view the southern

portion of the Bitterroot Mountain

Range, especially El Capitan. The

point also offers breathtaking vistas

of subalpine/alpine wilderness.

int

Salmon Mountain Area to Observation Point

 Page 6

Observation

Point a

FRANK CHURCHRIVER OF 

NO RETURN

WILDERNESS

SELWAYBITTERROOT

WILDERNESS

Salmon

Mtn. RS

Site

Salmon Mtn. 

Lookout

Trail

Salmon Mtn.

Base Camp
 Lloyd Magruder

 Gold was discovered near

Pierce, Idaho, in 1861 and near

Bannack, Montana, in 1862.

Many miners and traders used the

Southern Nez Perce Trail as the

most direct route from Elk City,

Idaho, to Bannack or Virginia City,

Montana.

 In 1863 Lloyd Magruder and

companions were returning along

this route from Virginia City after

making a handsome profit of gold

dust from selling supplies to

miners. Four other travelers joined

the Magruder group. A few days

later, the travelers attacked,

murdered and robbed Magruder

and his companions in the dark of

the night. The murderers burned

and buried the evidence of their

crime and fled to San Francisco

with their stolen booty. Hill

Beachy, Magruder’s friend,

pursued the murderers and brought

them back to stand trial in

Lewiston, Idaho. The trial resulted

in the first legal hanging in the

Idaho Territory.

 Lloyd Magruder had been a

successful California merchant.

He was a well respected man and

had many friends. Prior to his illfated trip, he had agreed to represent the Idaho Territory in Congress.

 As a result of this event, many

places bear the name “Magruder,”

among them the road on which

you are traveling.

Magruder Crossing Bridge

 The only place in the upper

Selway drainage you can drive

across the Selway River is at

Magruder crossing. This steel

pony-truss bridge was built by

CCC’s in 1935.

 The campground has picnic

tables, a toilet, stock facilities and

water for stock.

Page 7

Magruder Crossing

aMagruder

Crossing

FRANK CHURCHRIVER OF

NO RETURN

WILDERNESS

SELWAYBITTERROOT

WILDERNESS

Salmon

Mtn. 

Area

Massacre

Site

468

6223
Paradise Road #6223

 Travellers on this narrow onelane road will enjoy a pleasant 12-

mile drive along the Wild and

Scenic Selway River. The river

flows through a deep, beautiful

canyon with some stands of

western red cedar along its banks.

There is a pack bridge for the trail

to Spot Mountain Lookout. Three

campgrounds are available along

the road: Raven Creek, Indian

Creek and Paradise. The road ends

at Paradise Campground.

Indian Creek Hatchery

 The Indian Creek hatching

channel was constructed in 1964

so that spring chinook salmon eggs

could be planted in the Selway

River drainage. Fish had been

unable to reach the Selway

since the construction of the

Lewiston Dam in 1929.

 A total of approximately two

million eggs were planted each

year from 1965 to 1981 and again

in 1985. In the spring the emerging fry were trapped and distributed in the upper Selway by

vehicle, stock and aircraft. This

supplemented the naturally spawning chinook salmon in the Selway

River. Chinook salmon are found

throughout the Selway River,

however, they are usually seen

during peak spawning activity in

late August and early September.

Paradise

 The elevation at Paradise is 3067

feet. A launch site for river rafting

is located near the end of Paradise

Road. Permits are required from

May 15 to July 31 to float the 47-

mile section of the Selway River

from Paradise to Selway Falls.

Information can be obtained from

the West Fork Ranger Station.

 Paradise Campground is 1/4

mile up White Cap Creek road.

The campground has eleven sites,

with toilets, picnic tables, stock

facilities and meat racks. This is a

very heavily used trailhead during

hunting season.

 A Forest Service administrative

site is adjacent to the Paradise

Campground with a cabin, barn

and corrals.

Page 8

Paradise Road to Paradise

a

6223

468

FRANK CHURCHRIVER OF

NO RETURN

WILDERNESS

SELWAYBITTERROOT

WILDERNESS Paradise

a

aIndian 

Creek

Raven

Creek
Magruder Guard Station

 The Magruder Guard Station is

located 1/2 mile from Road #468.

The elevation is 4100 feet. Potable

water is available here, but no other

services are available at this remote

station. A “host” may be here

during summer months to offer

information to visitors.

 After the widespread forest fires

of 1910 and 1919, the Forest

Service built many low-standard

roads into the area. The road along

Deep Creek was first surveyed in

1919-1920 and the road was

constructed to the newly established tent camp known as Deep

Creek Ranger Station. The name

was later changed to Magruder.

 The CCC improved the original

road in 1936 and finished constructing a one-lane road from the

station to Elk City.

Magruder Guard Station to Hells Half Acre

Page 9

 The office/residence and

ranger's house were built by Ole

Tangen, a Forest Service employee. The CCC constructed the

barn, corral and woodshed.

 The station is eligible for

nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The structures are excellent examples of

rustic log construction and interior

craftsmanship.

Deep Creek Bridge

 The Deep Creek bridge is a

beautiful example of arched native

cut-stone construction. It was built

by Lithuanian stone masons who

were assisted by CCC enrollees in

the 1930’s.

Deep Creek Campground

 The campground has three sites

with picnic tables, toilets and stock

facilities.

CCC Camp

 This was a spike camp used by

the CCC enrollees during construction of the road. The stone water

fountain, an incinerator and several

rock foundations, remnants of the

camp, are still visible along both

sides of Deep Creek.

Hells Half Acre Road #224

 The road to Hells Half Acre

Lookout is 11 miles long and

extremely steep, narrow and rocky.

The lookout is staffed during fire

season. The West Fork and Red

River Districts can contact the

tower by radio for permission to

visit.

a

Magruder

Guard

Station

Deep

 Creek

UHells

Half Acre

CCC

 Camp

SELWAYBITTERROOT

WILDERNESS

FRANK CHURCHRIVER OF 

NO RETURN

WILDERNESS

468

224
Paved Road

 Before the 1980 Central Idaho

Wilderness Act was passed, some

of the area was prepared for timber

sales. This 14-mile section of the

road was paved in the 1970’s in

anticipation of those sales. If you

are hiking in the area, you may

notice trees marked for cutting.

Timber harvest is not allowed in

designated wilderness areas.

Nez Perce Pass

 The elevation at Nez Perce Pass

is 6598 feet. An information

board at the pass interprets the

history of the area and provides

visitors with general information

about this spectacular area. There

is a large parking area, toilet and

stock facilities.

 A helicopter landing site is

located at the pass. Please do not

park on the landing zone.

Fales Flat Campground

 This campground is named for

Wesley Fales, a trapper, woodsman

and early Forest Service employee,

who located a homestead on the

flat around 1914. He built a cabin

there which burned about 1940.

Since he did not complete the

patent process on his homestead,

the entry was cancelled in June,

1929. Fales Flat was also the site

of a CCC camp in 1933.

 Numerous scarred ponderosa

pine trees are visible throughout

the campground and hillsides to

the north. The sweet cambium

beneath the trees' bark was an

important food for the Salish and

Nez Perce people who passed

through this area.

Little West Fork Campground

 The elevation is 4580 feet. Segments of the original CCC road are

often visible about 25 feet north of

the present day road. Remnants of

the historic bridges are visible at

Watchtower Creek and Little West

Fork Creek. In the winter, this is a

parking lot for snowmobilers.

West Fork Ranger Station

 Visitors are encouraged to stop

and ask questions about maps,

road conditions, weather and any

other concerns.

ion

Page 10

Nez Perce Pass to West Fork Ranger Station

IDAHO

MONTANA

Darby

y

West

 Fork

a

Nez Perce

Pass

Fales 

Flat

To Hamilton

To

 Lost

Trail

 Pass

aLittle 

West 

Fork

93

To Shoup, ID

473
For More Information

Arrowleaf Balsamrootooo R1-03-59

Nez Perce National Forest

Route 2, Box 475

Grangeville, ID 83530

(208) 983-1950 *TTY (208) 983-2280

Red River Ranger District

Elk City Ranger Station

HC01, Box 416

Elk City, ID 83525

(208) 842-2245

Bitterroot National Forest

1801 North 1st Street

Hamilton, MT 59840

(406) 363-7100 *TTY (406) 363-7116

West Fork Ranger District

6735 West Fork Road

Darby, MT 59829

(406) 821-3269

The U. S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA)

prohibits discrimination in

all its programs and

activities on the basis of

race, color, national origin,

gender, religion, age,

disability, political beliefs,

sexual orientation and

marital or family status.

(Not all prohibited bases

apply to all programs.)

Persons with disabilities

who require alternative

means for communication

of program information

(Braille, large print,

audiotape, etc.) should

contact USDA’s TARGET

Center at 202-720-2600

(voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of

discrimination, write

USDA, Director, Office of

Civil Rights, Room 326-W,

Whitten Building, 14th and

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250-

9410, or call 202-720-5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is

an equal opportunity

provider and employer.

Website: www.fs.fed.us/r1/nezperce

*Telephone for Hearing Impaired