Granite Peak - FS 145

Riding the Granite Peak Trail is a highlight of visiting the Little Pend Oreille Trail System. This 2.7-mile-long single track takes you up to a rocky outcropping at the summit of Granite Peak, at 5,243 elevation, overlooking the Pend Oreille River. You’ll gain over 1,000 feet in elevation as you climb up Granite Peak, with frequent switchbacks and rock obstacles. The beginning of the trail is mild as you enter a dark, dense forest of lodgepole pines, with several mild switchbacks. The first mile is easier because, although you keep climbing, it’s not as rocky. After the initial climb over the first mile, there’s a good viewpoint on a rocky platform that makes a good place for a rest. Then the trail continues meandering through the forest with tight turns over several rocky obstacles, requiring a few drop-offs and short ledges. There is a lot of debris from previously cut logs up here, and sometimes the trail has been officially rerouted around larger downfall, so you have to pay attention to the route. It starts switchbacking up to the summit, and the last half mile of trail is the most technical. There are several bigger rock obstacles that are chunky, embedded rock surfaces with ruts and big loose rocks. You also have to ride over an off-camber rock slab at one point. It becomes a little unclear near the top where the official trail is, as there are several split lines to get to the summit, but what looks like the main route takes you up along the granite rock slab, in somewhat of a crack next to the rock slab. If you pick a good line, it’s still approachable for intermediate riders. The view at the top is incredible. You can park your bike on the huge granite platform and enjoy the view overlooking the Pend Oreille River.