Idaho trails · Soldier Basin
Soldier Basin
A 13.7-mile out-and-back in Idaho, with 3,377 ft of climbing. Reaches Soldier Lakes and other lake/waterfall destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the first third — 72% of the ascent, between mile 0.0 and mile 4.6. It gives back about 2,920 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Soldier Lakes (lake)
- Dagger Falls (waterfall)
- Josephus Lake (lake)
- Helldiver Lake (lake)
Heads up
Getting there
Soldier Basin access — parking nearby. 44.55011, -115.14237 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:25 a.m., the sun rises at 7:54 a.m. and sets at 6:58 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:27 p.m. (MDT) — 11 h 04 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 27.3-mile round trip works out to roughly 13 h 30 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Nearby trails
- Middle Fork — 8.1 mi
- South Fork Payette River — 27.5 mi