There are 57 peaks with an elevation over in the Sawtooth Range, all falling between on Thompson Peak, the highest point in the range. Another 77 peaks fall between. Climbs range in difficulty between the Observation Peak, a Class 1 hike, and King Spire, a rock route rated Class 5.10 on the Yosemite Decimal System.
Geology
The northern Sawtooth Range formed from the Eocene Sawtooth batholith, while south of Alturas Lake the mountains formed from the Cretaceousgranodiorite of the Idaho Batholith. The Sawtooth Range has a history of alpineglaciation, but while no surface glaciers exist today, perennial snow fields and rock glaciers remain, usually on north or east facing slopes. There have been 202 perennial snow fields mapped in the Sawtooth Range. The Sawtooth Range was last extensively glaciated in the Pleistocene, but glaciers probably existed during the Little Ice Age, which ended around 1850 AD. Evidence of past glaciation given remnants of the glaciers such as glacial lakes, moraines, horns, hanging valleys, cirques, and arêtes.
Seismology
In 2010, scientists from Idaho State University discovered the Sawtooth Fault near the base of the mountains, running for near Stanley and Redfish Lake. The most recent large quakes along it occurred around 4,000 and 7,000 years ago. It is estimated the fault could produce a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, potentially felt as far as Boise.
Waterways
The Sawtooth Range is home to hundreds of lakes created by vanished alpine glaciers, with nearly 400 lakes in the Sawtooth Wilderness. Five of the six largest lakes in the range are located outside the wilderness, while Sawtooth Lake is within the wilderness. Most of the east side of the Sawtooth Range is drained by the main stem of the Salmon River and the west side by the South Fork Payette River. Small portions of the northern and southern ends of the range are in the watersheds of the Middle Fork Salmon River and Boise River, respectively.
Recreation
There are 40 trails totaling nearly in the Sawtooth Wilderness that can be used for day hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding and accessed from 23 trailheads. Additional trails traverse the foothills of the mountains outside the designated wilderness. Camping is permitted anywhere in the wilderness. There are several developed campgrounds on the western side of range, outside the Sawtooth Wilderness, including at Redfish, Little Redfish, Alturas, Pettit, and Stanley lakes, as well as at Iron Creek. Restrictions on fires and animals apply in some areas.
