[Off Trail]

Hey, Does anyone here know much about the Frank Church Wilderness? I'm looking to plan a trip for this summer for a week in the backcountry...any help with knowledge of the area would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[Slim]

Depending on the time of the year, it can be overrun with Boy Scout troops. I did it in August and they were everywhere. One of the main reasons is because the max party size in the Frank Church is a whopping 20 people per group. Whereas in the Sawtooths, it's 12 people in the summer. It is a beautiful area with lots of lakes but I would do it after Labor Day when the kids are back in school. Just my 2 cents.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

I'm only been in the Frank once, but it was a great trip. I hit the Bighorn Crags in the northeast corner. It was a number of years ago, but crowding was not a problem for me. It was mid summer, definitely not prior to kids going back to school. There are a bunch of lakes there. I visited the northern grouping, didn't see the southerly lakes. Did a lollipop loop with a side trip from camp. Gorgeous terrain. It is a long drive on unpaved roads to get to the trailhead just FYI (60 miles I think?). Most of it was decent, but near the end the quality of the road deteriorated quite a bit.

[Off Trail]

Thanks for the info! Is there enough to do in the area for a week long trip?

[Off Trail]

This is good info...I would not have guessed...did you see many ticks when you were there?

[olderthanIusedtobe]

I wasn't aware of any ticks on my visit. Plenty of skeeters though! I did a 2 night, 3 day trip. Stayed at the same camp both nights. If you moved camp and checked out both the northern and southern lakes, that might be enough to keep you busy for a week long trip.

[RichP]

If you are interested in trail work, there are several trips with Idaho Trails Association this year into The Frank. Some are fly ins to remote areas including one with an extended stay. https://idahotrailsassociation.org/projects/

[Off Trail]

Thanks! this looks pretty awesome

[Luc]

+1 for the crags. When driving out to the TH, be careful of logging trucks bombing around corners.

[Brian Curtis]

The Frank Church is the largest FS wilderness in the lower 48 so there is plenty of fantastic country to explore there without fear of crowds. I've done 3 or 4 trips there. You really can't go wrong. Find some areas that look good on the map and plan a trip. You won't be disappointed.

[Sky Hiker]

Can be a bit more people during the fall when hunting season is going on.