Hey, I am new to Summit Post and want to know if anyone has any suggestions on a good summit hike in Idaho. I am going to be taking my brother & sister in law, who have never hiked. Looking for something challenging and an over nighter! Thanks for you reply!

Borah Peak. Definitely the most popular hike in Idaho, but don't let its popularity fool you, it's not a REAL easy climb. It'll probably test your physical and mental limits. Especially if it's a first hike for a few of you.

Otherwise, if you want something more secluded I would recommend Diamond Peak in the Lemhi Range. Longer hike, but definitely a neat summit.

Congrats on gettin' out and welcome to SP. Have fun out there!

Observation Peak in the Sawtooths would be a good one for a first.

Great views from the summit and the route is easy to find.

It's a farily long climb in a day though, but you can camp along the way.

Register was still there last year (an old ammo box).

I agree that Observation is a pretty simple, straight-forward hike.

climbinmandan wrote:Borah Peak.

Isn't Borah a little stiff for people who have never hiked before?

MoapaPk wrote:

climbinmandan wrote:Borah Peak.

Isn't Borah a little stiff for people who have never hiked before?

shhhhhhh! Yeah... On second thought it probably is. I just see so many first time hikers on it that I've become used to the idea. But yeah, they rarely summit. Observation is a good suggestion. Hard to beat the view.

I have hiked several times, but we are going with some new hikers. Thanks for you input!

Ruffneck Peak might have what you're looking for.

Something challenging, overnight, but for a first timer..... hmmm.

Well, OK. It's your trip.
But perhaps you can narrow that down a bit? How challenging? Maybe give us miles and vertical? Class?

Hi,
I really like Thompson Peak, the highest peak in the Sawtooths. It can be done in a long day, but I think it's far more fun to camp at the lake at 9000 ft. (or the next one up a few hundred feet higher). All the guidebooks say class 3 but I thought it was no more than a 2+. It's less exposed than Chicken out ridge on Borah and if divided into two days is not even comparable to the mile+ vertical you do on borah. If you divide it into two days, you can also summit Mt. Carter on the same day as Thompson and from there you get probably the best views in the Sawtooths! Good Luck. That's where I want to be right now!

http://www.idahosummits.com/thompson/thompson.htm for a route description