Horse Creek Trail

Difficulty:  Intermediate    Trail Use:   Moderate

Length:     13.5 miles from Camp Cr Trailhead to jct with Little Granite Cr Trail, ~6 miles to jct with North Fork Horse Cr Trail, ~11 miles to jct with Highline at Horse Cr Saddle

Elevation:    6178 ft at Camp Cr Trailhead, 6300 ft at Horse Cr Trail start at corrals, 6680 ft at jct with North Fork Trail, 8565 ft at Horse Cr Saddle, 7890 ft at jct with Little Granite Cr Trail

Open to:  Hikers, Equestrian

Trail Highlights:

• This trail description will begin at the Horse Cr Trailhead, where the horse corrals are located.  The trail begins here by paralleling the creek through large Cottonwood trees.  For the next few miles the trail winds through pine forest with large rocky outcroppins.  The trail crosses the creek repeatedly through the first 3 miles or so, crossing roughly 15 times.  Bring water shoes if hiking and plan to just leave them on as the creek crossings are all fairly close together. 
• The trail eventually pops out in a large meadow where you’ll find the junction for the North Fork of Horse Cr Trail.  This trail will take you up and over into the Cache Cr drainage.  The Horse Cr Trail continues along the creek through more large Cottonwoods, with beautiful views of the surrounding peaks.
• The trail eventually crosses the creek again and begins to climb through some rocky outcrops, getting into thicker pine and spruce forest.  It eventually reaches another meadow where it takes a turn and begins to climb steeply through a series of wet areas, most of which have been turnpike by the trail crew in recent years. 
• The trail then gets into some higher alpine spots with large open meadows of grass and wildflowers.  It crosses the creek again and you’ll see a large outfitter camp down to your right. From here the trail climbs steeply up to the Horse Cr Saddle.  Here you’ll find a trail heading up towards the Gros Ventre Crest which will lead you to the Highline Trail.  Head straight to drop down into the Little Granite Cr drainage.  Watch for large elk herds in this area.

Options:

• From the Camp Cr Trailhead, once you climb up and over into the Horse Cr drainage, you can access the Little Horse Cr Trail from here as well, which will take off up the drainage to your right.
• About 4 miles up from the Horse Cr Trailhead, you’ll reach an unsigned junction for the North Fork of Horse Cr Trail, which takes you up to a saddle and drops down into the Cache Cr drainage, where you can also access the Highline Trail.
• At the Horse Cr Saddle, you can access the Highline Trail, which climbs steeply up towards the Gros Ventre Crest.

Important Information

• This trail is located within the Gros Ventre Wilderness.  See restrictions link below for more info.
• This trail is on the USGS quad map for Camp Davis, Bull Cr, and Turquoise Lake.
• Always check the posted information at the kiosks for maps, updated material on forest regulations and closures.

At a Glance