Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 43.90865°N / 115.1382°W
Additional Information County: Elmore
Activities Activities: Hiking, Mountaineering, Scrambling
Seasons Season: Summer, Fall
Additional Information Elevation: 9554 ft / 2912 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Location: Extreme southwestern portion of the Sawtooth Range, between the Queens and Little Queens Rivers, just north of Atlanta.  The north and south summits are very close in height with the south being slightly taller.

Nearby Peaks: Flat Top Mountain, Nahneke Mountain, Browns Peak, East Warrior, Blizzard Mountain, Greylock Mountain

Linkups: Nahneke, Flat Top, Browns, Peak 9521

Difficulty:  Moderate to Easy off trail ridge scrambling- Mostly Class 2-3

Usage: Hikers, Backpackers, Horses, Fishermen on approach trails

Terrain:  Rocky ridgelines with many small rock towers, scree gulleys, large talus piles. In this part of the range, generally speaking, the east slopes are the most steep while the west and south slopes provide the easiest access.  The east side of this peak drops off vertically.

Traffic:  Very light, this is an intermediate high point along a rugged ridgeline, although with the steep east precipice, this peak is more impressive than neighboring Flat Top and Browns Peak.

Summit Register:  Yes- a black PVC tube with yellow caps

History / Etymology:  Geographical- named after Scenic Lake, directly to the south of the peak.

Scenic Peak

Getting There

Nearest Paved Roads:  ID-21  (from Boise via Edna Creek this drive is about 2.5 hrs)

Nearest Dirt Roads / Conditions:  China Basin/ Queens River Road (decent- usually passable without 4WD), Middle Fork of Boise River (Good), Swanholm Peak Road (Good), North Fork Boise River Road (Good), Edna Creek Road (Good)

Approach Trails / Conditions:  Little Queens River trail is a good single track trail. Comparatively speaking it is slightly better than nearby Queens River Trail (less downfall and fewer stream crossings)

Scenic Peak

Routes

Main Route: South Ridge (Class 2-3)- from Scenic Lake scramble to the saddle south of the summit.  This route is straight forward.

Main Route Stats:  22.1miles / 6169 (round trip)

Average RT Time:  7-9 hours

Alt Route:  Northwest Ridge (Class 3)- Use the Little Queen trail to access the valley either north or south of the lake.  From the prominent saddle northwest of the summit (accessed from either the north or south), follow the ridge proper to the summit.  The scramble is over mostly large loose blocks (darker) and solid rock (lighter gray).

Other Routes:  Ridge Traverse of Browns, Flat Top, Scenic Peak 9554, and Nahneke (Class 3)- follow the Little Queens trail to Browns lake and gain the ridge and take it south.  The ridge is quite manageable and requires nothing more than endurance.  20.3 miles / 7679 feet (round trip)

Scenic Peak  and Everly
 

Red Tape

Jurisdiction:  Sawtooth National Forest

Permit:  Yes- self registration at trailhead

Other Users / Issues:  None- long approach drive keeps this area relatively traffic free

Maps:  USGS Quad- Nahneke Mt

Guide Book:  Tom Lopez,  Idaho: A Climbing Guide

Lake 8375 and 8259

When To Climb

Climbing Season:  June - Nov

Ideal Climbing Time:  July-Oct

Nearest Weather Station:  Atlanta, Smiley Creek

Weather Relative to Region:  The trailhead is lower in elevation than much of the region and it similar to the Grandjean trailhead.  Expect slightly warmer and drier conditions.

Ridge Pinnacles

Camping

Car Camping Sites:  Queens River CG, Riverside CG, Camp Gulch CG

Backpacking Sites:  Above Average- Scenic Lake, Browns Lake, Flat Top Lake 8850, Johnson Lake, Triangle Lake, The Hole- tons of other unnamed lakes!

Rakers

Flora & Fauna

Potential Wildlife:  Badger, Beaver, Black Bear, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Cougar, Coyote, Elk, Marmot, Marten, Moose, Mountain Goat, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Grouse

Confirmed Wildlife: Elk, Marmot, Pika, Grouse

Vegetation:  Ponderosa, Lodgepole, Engelman Spruce

Snowyside


Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.

Sawtooth RangeMountains & Rocks