Days01-04: Frank Church—Marsh Creek to Indian Creek (& back to Pistol)

Start: Frank Church-Selway Bitterroot Wilderness Trek (FSWT), 2025 (Marsh Creek Trailhead)
Thirty-five day 361-mile trip in July and August 2025. Cumulative mileage at each campsite marker; click on camp icon for daily GPS data.

Camp01 (at 5 mi): Big Hole
Day01 GPS data: 4.6 mi distance at 2.6 mph with average elevation change of 225 ft/mi (ascending 375 ft [36%] and descending 675 ft [64%]).

Camp02 (at 19 mi): Prospect Creek
Day02 GPS data: 14.7 mi distance at 2.0 mph with average elevation change of 275 ft/mi (ascending 1800 ft [43%] and descending 2375 ft [57%]).

Camp03 (at 32 mi): MFk Trail, spring
Day03 GPS data: 12.5 mi distance at 2.0 mph with average elevation change of 325 ft/mi (ascending 1750 ft [44%] and descending 2250 ft [56%]).

Camp04 (at 48 mi): Pistol Creek
Day04 GPS data: 16.1 mi distance at 2.1 mph with average elevation change of 200 ft/mi (ascending 1425ft [44%] and descending1825 ft [56%]).

Days01-04 GPS track
GPS data: 47.9 mi diatance at 2.1 mph pace with 250 ft per mi average elevation change (ascending 5350 ft [43%] and descending 7125 ft [57%]).

Days05-13: Frank Church—Pistol Creek to Big Creek Lodge

Camp05 (57 mi): near Twenty-Two Creek

Camp06 (at 59 mi): Summit Trail, saddle

Camp07 (at 80 mi): Pistol Rock, spring

Camp08 (at 93 mi): Meadow LO Road, saddle

Camp09 (at 108 mi): Mule Creek

Camp10 (at 122 mi): Catherine Lake

Camp11 (at 131 mi): Lick Lake

Stops12&13 (137 mi): Big Creek Lodge

Days05-13 GPS track
GPS data: 88.8 mi distance at 1.9 mph pace with 350 ft per mi average elevation change (ascending 16,275 ft [52%] and descending 15,100 ft [48%]).

Days14-18: Frank Church—Big Creek Lodge to Allison Ranch

Camp14 (at 150 mi): Estep & Ramey Ridge trail junction

Camp15 (at 162 mi): Chamberlain Trail, saddle

Camp16 (at 175 mi): Richardson Creek

Camp17 (at 191 mi): Campbells Ferry, bridge

Camp18 (at 202 mi): Allison Ranch

Days14-18 GPS track
GPS data: 65.3 mi distance at 2.0 mph pace with 325 ft per mi average elevation change (ascending 9075 ft [42%] and descending 12,575 ft [58%]).

Days19-24: Frank Church & Selway-Bitterroot—Allison Ranch to Paradise outfitter camp

Camp19 (at 211 mi): Salt Creek

Camp20 (at 224 mi): Poet Creek Campground

Camp21 (at 241 mi): Horse Heaven Cabin

Camp22 (at 252 mi): Observation Point Campground

Camp23 (at 269 mi): Indian Creek Campground

Stop24 (at 277 mi): Paradise, outfitter glamping

GPS data: 74.7 mi distance at 2.2 mph pace with 300 ft per mi average elevation change (ascending 11,950 ft [52%] and descending 11,175 ft [48%]).

Days25-29: Selway-Bitterroot—Paradise outfitter camp to Darby (Vrbo)

Camp25 (at 290 mi): White Cap Creek Trail, hunter camp

Camp26 (at 299 mile): Triple Creek

Camp27 (at 309 mi): Tin Cup Trail

Stops28&29 (at 321 mi): Darby, Vrbo
Day28 GPS data (14.1 mi to Vrbo, ride last 2 mi): 12.1 mi distance at 2.1 mph with average elevation change of 225 ft/mi (ascending 600 ft [21%] and descending 2250 ft [79%]).

GPS data: 44.5 mi distance at 1.8 mph pace with 300 ft per mi average elevation change (ascending 7225 ft [55%] and descending 6025 ft [45%]).

Days30-35: Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness—2 out-&-back trips to lake basins

Day30 & Day32 return: Lolo Peak Trailhead
Shuttle from Darby,Vrbo to trailhead.
Day32a (return) GPS data: 5.1 mi distance at 2.3 mph with average elevation change of 575 ft/mi (ascending 500 ft [17%] and descending 2450 ft [83%]).

Camps30&31 (at 333 & 327 mi): Carlton Lake

Days30-32a GPS track
GPS data: 17.3 mi distance at 1.9 mph pace with 525 ft per mi average elevation change (ascending 4500 ft [50%] and descending 4475 ft [50%]).

Day32b & Day35 Finish (at 361 mi): Holloway Lake Trailhead

Camp32 (at 341 mi): Holloway Lk Tr, spring
Day32b GPS data: 2.7 mi distance at 1.3 mph with average elevation change of 675 ft/mi (ascending 1700 ft [93%] and descending 125 ft [7%]).

Camps33&34 (at 350 & 356 mi): Peterson Lake

Days32b-35 GPS track
GPS data: 22.9 mi distance at 1.5 mph pace with 600 ft per mi average elevation change (ascending 6900 ft [50%] and descending 6875 ft [50%]).

1994 Bitter-Nez Complex (4000 ac)

2000 Diamond Complex (271,000 ac)

2000 Flossie Complex (91,000 ac)

2000 Salmon Challis Wildeness (54,000 ac)

2000 Yellowpine Complex (9,000 ac)

2000 Wilderness Complex--Lonely (17,000 ac)

2000 Wilderness Complex--Thirty (5000 ac)

2003 Richardson (2000 ac)

2005 Burnt Strip Mountain (13,000 ac)

2005 Cedar Barefoot (2000 ac)

2005 West Fork & Joe (24,000 ac)

2007 Cascade Complex (317,000 ac)

2007 Krassel Complex (26,000)

2007 Magruder Mnt 1 (25,000 ac)

2007 Rattlesnake (103,000 ac)

2012 Indain Ridge (3000 ac)

2012 Porcupine Complex (49,000 ac)

2013 Thunder City (13,000 ac)

2013 Gold Pan Complex (43,000 ac)

2014 Raven Creek (4000 ac)

2015 Campbells (9000 ac)

2018 Prospect (7000 ac)

2022 Indian Ridge (11,000 ac)

2022 Twist Creek (3000 ac)

2024 Magruder Ridge (4000 ac)

Wilderness areas

Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness
OBJECTID_1 | 147
Website | https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=194
Wilderness | Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness
State | ID
Comment | Has adjacent polygons
Date of Last Update | 2/26/2019
WID | 194
Abbreviated Name | Frank_Church_River_of_No_Return
Image |
Description | Few places in America, and nowhere outside of Alaska, provide a Wilderness experience to match the sheer magnitude of the Frank Church-River of No Return, the largest contiguous unit of the National Wilderness...
Agency | FS
joinerID | 194FS
Designated | 1980
ORIG_FID | 41752

Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness
OBJECTID_1 | 750
Website | https://wilderness.net/visit-wilderness/?ID=540
Wilderness | Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness
State | ID/MT
Comment | <Null>
Date of Last Update | 12/27/2021
WID | 540
Abbreviated Name | Selway_Bitterroot
Image | https://wilderness.net/images/NWPS/SelwayBitterroot.jpg
Description | The Bitterroot Mountains form a rugged, glacier-carved border between Idaho and Montana. On both sides of this border is the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, the third largest Wilderness in the Lower 48....
Agency | FS
joinerID | 540FS
Designated | 1964
ORIG_FID | 44590