Trip Overview
- Duration: 7 days / 6 nights
- Activity: Backpacking (navigation experience required)
- Total distance: ~55 miles
- Difficulty: Strenuous / Expert
- Permit: No overnight permit required
- Best months: August–early September (river fords lower, trails drier)
- Nearest town: Lowell, ID (west entry) or Darby, MT (east entry)
About the Selway-Bitterroot
At 1.3 million acres spanning the Idaho-Montana border, the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is the second-largest wilderness area in the contiguous United States. Unlike the Boundary Waters or the Wind Rivers, it has almost no established backcountry camping infrastructure — no bear boxes, few signed junctions, and many trail segments that haven't been maintained in decades. This is genuine expedition-style wilderness travel.
The Selway River drains the heart of the wilderness. It's one of only eight original Wild and Scenic Rivers designated in 1968, and runs 100 miles from its headwaters in the Bitterroot Range to its confluence with the Lochsa River near Lowell. The upper Selway corridor — above Moose Creek Ranger Station — is the focus of this itinerary.
Route: Selway Falls to Moose Creek (West to East)
This point-to-point route begins at Selway Falls (accessible by gravel road from Lowell) and follows the Selway River upstream to Moose Creek Ranger Station, then climbs to the high country before exiting via the Nez Perce Trail east to Montana.
Day 1 — Selway Falls Trailhead to Renshaw Creek Camp (8 miles)
Selway Falls (one of the largest undammed waterfalls in the lower 48 — a 30-foot cascade across the full river width) is 0.5 miles from the trailhead. The trail follows the north bank of the Selway through mixed conifer and Ponderosa pine. Old-growth western red cedar with 6-foot trunk diameters appear at mile 4. Camp at Renshaw Creek, one of the maintained sites along the lower corridor.
Days 2–3 — Selway River Corridor (16 miles)
The next two days follow the river upstream. Trail quality varies — some segments are well-maintained by USFS, others require scrambling over blowdowns and ford crossings. The Selway is Class IV–V whitewater at this section and impassable for swimming. Use the bridges and log crossings marked on the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness map (available from the Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation). Camp at established sites at Bear Creek and Moose Creek.
Day 4 — Moose Creek Ranger Station Rest Day
Moose Creek Ranger Station is a historic USFS outpost staffed in summer, accessible only by trail or float plane. The airstrip is active July–October — you may see small bush planes landing supplies. Resupply is possible by float plane if pre-arranged with a Missoula, MT charter service (roughly $600 round-trip). Rest day, fish the Selway (cutthroat trout, catch-and-release only for bull trout).
r/backpacking▲ 892 upvotes"Moose Creek feels like another century. The ranger station, the float planes, the cedar forest — it's the most remote I've felt anywhere in the lower 48."
Days 5–6 — Climb to High Country (14 miles)
From Moose Creek, the Nez Perce National Historic Trail climbs steeply east into the Bitterroot Range through dramatic elevation change — from 2,800 feet at the river to 8,500 feet at the divide in approximately 10 miles. Above treeline, views extend across the Selway drainage to the west and the Bitterroot Valley in Montana to the east. Camp at one of several unnamed lakes in the cirques near the crest.
Day 7 — Bitterroot Crest to Montana Exit (17 miles)
Descend the east slope through Bitterroot National Forest to the West Fork Trailhead near Darby, Montana. The descent is long and steep — poles recommended. The small town of Darby (30 miles north) has a motel and restaurant.
Navigation Requirements
Carry a detailed USGS topo map of the Selway-Bitterroot (1:100,000 scale minimum), a compass, and a GPS with downloaded tracks. Many trail junctions are unsigned. The Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation (sbfcwilderness.org) sells detailed wilderness maps. Download offline maps on Gaia GPS before entering — no cell service anywhere in this wilderness.
Gear Notes
- Bear canister (recommended — no bear boxes, grizzly bear range)
- Water filter and backup chemical treatment
- Trekking poles (river crossings, steep terrain)
- Emergency satellite communicator (no cell service)
- Detailed paper topo maps
- Gaiters (wet trail conditions, early-season snow)
