45 – Sawtell Peak Island Park

Sawtell Peak, located near Island Park, Idaho, rises to 9,884 feet and offers some of the most breathtaking views in the region. Accessible via a 12-mile gravel road (typically open from June through October), the summit provides sweeping vistas of the Island Park Caldera, Henrys Lake, and even distant views of Yellowstone and the Tetons on clear days. The route to the top passes through diverse landscapes, from sagebrush flats to alpine meadows, which are especially vibrant with wildflowers in mid to late summer.

At the summit, you’ll find a radar facility operated by the FAA, though the surrounding area remains open to the public. There’s also a trailhead about 1.7 miles below the summit for those interested in hiking. Whether driving or walking, visitors should be prepared for unpredictable mountain weather and rough road conditions, but the views from the top make the effort well worth it.

More Information

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawtell_Peak

Check In

Please read before attempting challenge site or checking in:

Use the form below to check in. Check in’s must include a photo of you or your bike, at the challenge site, with the 2025 bandanna. To check in, all participants must be registered IAMC Challenge Members. Be sure to leave a description about the ride, and share any road conditions as snow, water, or obstacles. Please provide any other information that might help future visitors navigate to this site safely. Replying or commenting on another persons Check In is encouraged, but take care not to create your own Check In on accident.

The stated ride difficulty is just an estimate. By rating the ride difficulty in your experience according to this scale you can help future riders stay safe. You, and you alone are responsible for the safety of your ride. While we do our best to accurately convey the challenge level for each site, it is up to you to make sure you have the skills needed to reach each destination. If you feel the trail exceeds your skill level please turn around immediately.

NOTE: We have been having some issues uploading images. We are working on this. If you are having trouble, try resizing your images to less than 1280×1280 pixels and keep files sizes down to a minimum. If the problem persists, please reach out on the Forums under “Website Tips and Questions.” This should just be a temporary issue as we get the tech figured out. Thank you.