USA Idaho Sawtooth: Iron Creek to Sawtoooth Lake Granite Cirque Climb
#arrivalguide Iron Creek Trailhead (7,200 ft) is 17 miles south of Stanley on Forest Road 205, graded gravel, fine for sedans in dry July. No fee for the trailhead itself, but the Sawtooth National Recreation Area charges $5/day or $30/year at the Iron Creek toilet kiosk (tap card). The hike to Sawtooth Lake is 5.5 miles one way, 1,700 ft gain, 3h30 up at a steady pace. The first 2 miles are forested along Iron Creek, then it opens to Alpine Way Meadows, crosses a log bridge, and switchbacks up the headwall into the cirque where Sawtooth Lake mirrors the jagged namesake peak. I camped at the outlet (permit $7/night reserved online before arrival, bear canister required—no tree hangs) and woke to ice on the tent at 7 am in late July. Day-hikers must be off by dark; lightning builds after 13:00 so start by 7. Water is plentiful but filter it—giardia is real. The trail is dusty, not rocky, until the final switchbacks where granite scree kicks in; trail runners okay but poles help the knees. Common error: people turn back at the first meadow thinking the lake is "just ahead"—it is another 1.5 miles and 800 ft. Stanley has gas and a $6 burger but no ATM that reliably takes foreign cards. Question: is Sawtooth Lake over-photographed and thus overrated, or does the granite cirque still deliver something different from Wind Rivers or Tetons?