Great Burn

The hike to Eagle Cliff on Stateline National Recreation Trail #738 has many scenic views along the route including alpine cirque basins and alpine lakes, Cliff and Diamond, and some small unnamed lakes. Wildlife encountered along the trail were mule deer, several dusky grouse and a family of Clark’s nutcrackers. 

An interesting historical monument is at the summit.  It is an iron post survey monument marking the Idaho/Montana State Boundary.  W7LIX informed me that the monument is MP177.1 placed there in 1904.   

A steep trail climb breaks onto an open grassland with scattered Rocky Mountain subalpine fir makes this summit a great operating position.  Located on the Idaho/Montana border it has panoramic views of the regrown forest after the great burn of 1910.  Early season wildflowers can be abundant including glacier lilies, buttercups and western pasqueflowers.  Illinois Peak is an old US Forest Service Lookout site with some scattered weathered lumber and concrete footings as the only remaining evidence. 

Elevation gain:  1500’