Salmo Basin Trail #506

Dogs Leashed

Features River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Access:
To get to the Salmo Basin Trail trailhead, take (Washington State Highway) WA 20 north, continue on WA 31 to just before Ione, and turn right onto Sullivan Lake Road for 12.8 miles. Just pass the north end of Sullivan Lake, turn right onto Sullivan Creek Rd./Forest Service Road FSR 22. After 6 miles, continue straight on Sullivan Creek Rd as it becomes FSR 2220. Another 13 miles on Sullivan Creek Rd./FSR 2220 brings one to the trailhead, where the road ends.

Dogs:
If your dog is restrained, it is allowed off leash.

Contacts
Land Managers:
USFS - Colville National Forest Office
USFS - Idaho Panhandle National Forest Office

Salmo Basin Trail starts off at a large, obvious trail sign at the trailhead. It immediately enters the forest and starts descending down to the South Salmo River. The forest is home to various conifers, lush undergrowth, and beautiful summer wildflowers. It's a relatively steep descent as the trail traverses the very steep, forested hillside. With the hillside steepness, there are frequent views through the tree tops, of the forested far side of the South Salmo River valley. As the trail descends, the wildflowers disappear - not enough sunlight...? After three miles of descending, the South Salmo River is reached.

No bridge across the South Salmo River. By mid July, it's a "below the knee" ford. Here, there is a good trail camp on the north side of the river. After fording the river, the trail heads east, following the South Salmo River upstream. Still in the heavily forested river valley, the trail climbs gradually. A couple small trail camps are passed. About a mile after the river ford, a significant creek - Crutch Creek, is crossed. Another mile later, a side trail on the right/south is reached. This side trail goes down to the South Salmo River and crosses it, to get to the site of an old trapper's cabin.

Leaving the side trail behind, the trail veers left/north. Still following the South Salmo upstream, the trees thin, and tall, lush, leafy plants join the vegetation mix. At about the 6.5 mile mark, a couple of trail camps are passed. Just after passing the second trail camp, the trail turns right/east, and crosses the South Salmo River. Leaving the river behind, the trail now follows a significant tributary creek upstream., with good water sources into late July at least.

By about the 8 mile mark, the creek has disappeared. Continuing to climb gently, the summer wildflowers re-appear, views of the mountains emerge, and at about the 8.5 mile mark, switchbacks begin. After a handful of switchbacks, the trail heads directly to Snowy Top Pass where it ends at the Shedroof Divide Trail. Here, Selkirk Mountains are seen far into the distance, on both sides of the pass.

At the lower elevations (the first 5+ miles), the trail runs through lush, mixed conifer forest with thick undergrowth. Cedars and hemlocks abound. As the trail climbs, the trees thin in places, and high, leafy vegetation takes over. Summer wildflowers are everywhere except at the lowest elevations.