Big Johnson #622

The Big Johnson Trail #622 travels up the Big Johnson drainage through a diverse mixture of vegetation including Box Elder, Red Osier Dogwood, Serviceberry, Pinon Juniper, Oak brush and Willow. It travels through a canyon with impressive canyon walls and becomes very rocky. It then leaves the canyon, entering thick oak brush before it levels out in a small basin where the two branches of Big Johnson Creek meet. The trail continues to climb through thick oak brush at a moderate grade and can be sometimes difficult to find in places. As it climbs through aspen stands and dense undergrowth in the drainage bottom, the trail is usually submerged in water before entering a clearing where it passes a small stock pond. The trail ends at the intersection with the Little Johnson Trail #617 just above the meadow. The Big Johnson Trail provides access to some quality hunting areas in the Johnson Basin.

Geo-Ref Trail Map Geo-Reference Instructions

General Information

June

Open to Hiking and Horseback.

Getting There

Elevation

7,900

Directions

UPPER ACCESS:

The upper trailhead for the Big Johnson Trail is located 1.7 miles down from the Little Johnson Upper Trailhead off the Johnson Basin Road, FSR#425. Travel 27.2 miles south on the Divide Road from the Northern Forest Boundary to the Johnson Basin Road intersection. Turn right (southwest) onto the Johnson Basin Road (the Tongue Road) and travel 2.9 miles west to the Little Johnson Upper Trailhead. At this location the Johnson Basin Road forks. Take the left fork which is the Little Johnson Trail and travel 1.7 miles south to the Big Johnson Upper Trailhead. The Big Johnson Trail forks left (south) off the Little Johnson Trail at the location where the Little Johnson Trail makes a sweeping turn to the west, climbing out of the Big Johnson drainage toward the Little Johnson drainage.

LOWER ACCESS:

To access the Big Johnson Lower Trailhead from the Little Johnson Lower Trailhead, travel south on the Little Johnson Trail approximately 4.9 miles from the Little Johnson Upper Trailhead off the Johnson Basin Road. At the Little Johnson Lower Trailhead, the Little Johnson Trail reaches a T-intersection with W622.1. Turn left (south) on W622.1 and travel 1.1 miles south and east to the Big Johnson Lower Trailhead.