Backpacking Areas

• Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger District

  The Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger District provides a multitude of opportunities for recreation year round.  We are in the process of updating this site to provide you with the most current information.  If you cannot find the information you need here, please call our offices at 208-879-4100 for assistance.

  To assist you in planning your trip, we have divided the district into several areas they are:

  • Basin-Vally Creek
  • Bayhorse-Paasasikwana Naokwaide (formerly Squaw Ck)
  • Cape Horn
  • Challis
  • East Fork
  • Pahsimeroi
  • Upper Salmon River Road

  If you click on "Find an Area" and then click on the plus arrow the the left of the "Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger District,"  you should see these areas and the trails and campgrounds within them.

• Basin - Valley Cr. Area

  This area encompasses trails and trailheads in the Basin Creek, Basin Butte, and Valley Creek area that are on the Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger District.  Joe's Gulch and Kelly creek area are also here.

• Basin Butte-Prospect Creek Trail #4038
• East Fork Valley Trail #4037.03
• Hay-Knapp Creek Trail #4032
• Kelly Creek Trail #4323
• Lower Basin Trail #4349
• Lt Basin Cutoff Trail #4042
• Sunday Creek Trail #4041
• Valley Creek Trail #4039
• Bayhorse - Paasasikwana Naokwaide Creek Area

  This area is a popular destination for a variety of recreation uses.  Paasasikwana Naokwaide was formerly called Squaw Creek.  A partnership with the State Park at the historic Bayhorse Townsite provides ATV trail riding. Camping and fishing at the campgrounds at Bayhorse and Little Bayhorse Lakes draws visitors during the summer months.

• Beef Pasture Trail #4201
• Beef Pasture-Bayhorse Trail #4201.1
• Cape Horn Area (MF6)

  This area generally encompasses trails, trailheads, campgrounds and other recreation opportunities in the Cape Horn Country that are outside the Wilderness boundary. Campgrounds in this area include Lola, Beaver, Banner, Bench and Thatcher, just off Highway 21, plus Vader Rest Stop. In the winter, the Cape Horn Guard Station may be rented.

• Asher Knapp Transfer Camp Trailhead
• Beaver Creek Campground
• Beaver Creek Transfer Camp Trailhead
• Cape Horn Lakes Trail #4348
• Iron-Lola Creek Trail #4024
• Knapp Creek Cutoff Trail #4034
• Swamp Creek Trail #4026
• Winnemucca Creek Trail #4035
• Challis Area

  The area around Challis provides many opportunities for day hikes and drives as well as camping and backpacking.  You can check out the Land of the Yankee Fork Interpretive center just south of the town of Challis and start your tour of the Custer Motorway.  You do not have to drive far from Challis to enjoy a variety of recreational activities!

• Buster Lake Trail #4152
• Corral Creek Spur Trail #4251.1
• Darling-Castle Creek Trail #4138
• Garden Creek Trail #154
• West Fork Lakes Trail #4234
• West Fork Morgan Creek Trail #4143
• East Fork Area

  The district has several miles of trails in the East Fork of the Salmon River country.  Access for these trails is generally from BLM lands.  Please respect private property when recreating in this area.

• Pahsimeroi Area

  The Pahsimeroi and Lemhi Mountains provide the setting for some amazing recreational opportunities.  There are two small campgrounds and numerous trails to enjoy.

• Merriam Lake Trail #197
• Pass Lake Trail #198
• Patterson-morse Creek Trail #072
• Upper Salmon River Road Access

  These trails are accessed from Highway 75, generally between the towns of Clayton and Sunbeam. 

• Yankee Fork Drainage

  The Yankee Fork of the Salmon has a rich history in it's many uses by settlers and prospectors.  Custer Townsite and the Yankee Fork Dredge are two major attractions.  You can stay at one of many campgrounds in the area or enjoy both motorized and non-motorized trails.

• Cabin-Pioneer Creek Trail #4113
• Lightning Creek Trail #156
• Pack Creek Trail #150
• West Fork Yankee Fork Trail #4155
• Westward Overlook - Lemhi Pass CDT Access
• Allison-Bear Valley Trail
• Bear Valley Lakes National Recreation Trail #179

  The Bear Valley Lakes Nrt trail is 8.8 miles long. It begins at Bear Valley Trailhead/Campground and ends at Bear Valley Lake. The trail is open for the following uses: Hiking, Horseback Riding, Motorcycle Trail Riding. 

• Cabin Creek Trail #6127
• Cheney Trail #6119
• Devils Lake Trail
• Everson Creek Trail #6006
• Lost River Ranger District

  Lost River District

• Antelope Canyon Area

  This is the area in and around Antelope Canyon, and can be accessed by Road #137.

• Brockie Lake Trail
• Hurst Canyon Trail #67
• Right Fork Death Canyon Trail #4285
• Trail Creek-Cherry Creek Trail #4347
• Upper Iron Bog Trail #122
• Horsethief Trail #4270
• Jumpoff Canyon Trail
• Jumpoff Peak Trail
• Copper Basin Area

   road 138

• Bear Canyon-Broad Canyon Trail
• Bellas Canyon Trail #4060
• Broad Canyon Trail
• Golden Lake Cutoff Trail
• Green Lake Trail #4345
• Highline Trail #59
• Jarvis Trail #247
• Lake Creek Trail #64
• Lake Creek Trailhead & Campground
• Long Lake Cutoff Trail
• Muldoon Creek Trail
• Muldoon-Iron Bog Trail #4065
• Star Hope Campground
• Star Hope Mine Trail
• White Mountain Trail #4043
• Lemhi Range Area

  These are the areas located in the Lemhi Mountain Range south of Sawmill Canyon.

• Badger Creek Mine Trail #4204
• Badger Creek Trail
• Birch Basin Trail
• Black Canyon Trail
• Cedar Run Trail
• East Canyon Trail
• Foss Mountain Trail
• Middle Canyon Trail
• Mormon Gulch Mines Trail
• North Creek Claims Trail
• North Creek Trail
• South Creek Trail
• Uncle Ike Mines Trail #4238
• Uncle Ike Trail
• Bedy Canyon Trail
• Corral-Stewart Trail #4070
• East Fork Navarre Trail
• Grant Creek Trail
• Sawmill Canyon Trail #69
• West Fork Navarre Trail
• Mount Borah Area

  This area has the Mount Borah Climbing Trail and Developed trailhead, the Earthquake Interpretive Site and the Leatherman Pass Trail.

• Leatherman Pass Trail #4089
• Mt. Borah Trailhead and Camping Area
• North Fork of the Big Lost River Area

  This is the area surrounding the North Fork tributary of the Big Lost River.  This area can be accessed by the North Fork Road (#128), which is located off the Trail Creek Road (#128).

• Bartlett Creek Trail
• Bartlett-Burnt Trail
• Hunter Creek Trail
• Little Burnt Trail
• Squib Canyon Trail #52
• Squib Trailhead
• Toolbox-Herd Creek Trail #4051
• Pass Creek Area

  This is the area in and around Pass Creek, which can be accessed by Road #122.

• Bear Wet Creek Trail
• Big Creek - Massacre Trail
• Blacktail-Mud Lake Trail #4094
• Dry Creek Trail
• Long Lost Trail #4194
• Long Lost/Wet Creek Trail #245
• Lower Cedar Creek Trail #4382
• Massacre Creek Trail #90
• Mike's Trail
• Mud Lake Canyon Trail # 4192
• Pass Creek Narrows Camping Area & Picnic Site
• Rams Horn Canyon Trail
• Sands Canyon Trail
• Swauger Lake Trail #4091
• Van Dorn Canyon Trail #4210
• Sawmill Canyon Area

  This area can be accessed by Road #101.

• Bear Canyon-Sawmill Trail
• Jackson Creek Trail
• Mill Creek Trail
• Mill Creek Trailhead & Campground
• Red Rock Creek Trail #77
• Slide Creek Trail #4145
• Smithie Fork Trail #81
• Timber Creek Trail #137
• Warm Creek Trail
• Trail Creek Road Area

  This is the area in and around the Trail Creek Road, #208.

• Big Fall Creek Lake Trail #4385
• Kane Lake Trail #66
• Kane-Summit Creek Trail #53
• Little Kane Creek Trail #63
• Phi Kappa Trail #54
• Wildhorse Canyon Area

  This area includes the Wildhorse Developed campground and numerous trails in the vicinity of Wildhorse Guard Station.

• Boulder Lake Trail #4057
• Burnt Aspen Trail #4055
• Fall Creek Trail #4045
• Fall Creek Trailhead
• Left Fork Wildhorse Creek Trail #88
• Moose Lake Trail #4068
• Right Fork Wildhorse Creek Trail #84
• Wildcat Lookout Trail #56
• Middle Fork Ranger District

  The Middle Fork Ranger District office is located in Challis, Idaho. It is one of six districts that comprise the Salmon-Challis National Forest. It administers and oversees over one million acres of land, including over 900,000 acres of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness (FC-RONRW) area, one of the last intact wild places in the lower 48 states.

  A land of steep mountains, deep canyons, and wild rivers, the Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness is the second largest Wilderness in the lower 48 states at 2.4 million acres. The FC-RONRW provides outstanding opportunities for primitive recreation experiences and is home to the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, a world-renown whitewater river.

  The District oversees the management of the Middle Fork, 104 miles of free-flowing whitewater, where every bend reveals a new dramatic vista and a challenge to boaters’ skills. Visit our Floating the Middle Fork of the Salmon River page.

  Trails of the Middle Fork District - click here to access the Trail Condition Report, Trail Maintenance Accomplishment Reports, and other trail work documents.

   

  We are in the process of updating this site to provide you with the most current information. If you cannot find the information you need here, please call our offices at 208-879-4100 for assistance.

• Boundary, Sulphur, Pistol, Indian Creek Area (MF4)

  This area encompasses trails, trailheads, camping and other recreation opportunities on the District that are generally reached from or near the Dagger-Boundary Road #568, the Artillery Dome Road #550, or other roads/routes along the western wilderness boundary.

  There are two campgrounds, Boundary Creek and Dagger Falls, in this area. Boundary Creek is a popular campground for boaters beginning their float trips on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. The Transfer Camp is a trailhead for the Middle Fork Trail and a long-term parking area for boaters.

• Bear Valley Marsh Creek Trail #4010
• Big Baldy Lookout Trail #4218
• Big Baldy Ridge Trail #4227
• Blue Bunch Mountain Trail #4214
• Camptender Trail #002
• Forty-Five Creek Trail #4230
• Forty-Four Creek Trail #4216
• Garden Way Trail #4226
• Honeymoon Trail #082
• Indian Creek Trail #4225
• Little Pistol Creek Trail #4229
• Middle Fork Transfer Camp & Trailhead
• Morehead Mountain Trail #4232
• Mountain Meadows Trail #4028
• Mule Hill Trail #4219
• North Fork Elk Creek Trail #029
• North Fork Sulphur Creek Trail #083
• Pistol Creek Trail #4228
• Porter Creek Trail #4047
• Silver Moon Trail #085
• Sulphur Creek Cutoff Trail #4215
• Sulphur Creek Trail #030/083/233
• Summit Trail #008/088
• West Fork Elk Creek Trail #006
• Loon Creek Area (MF2)

  This area encompasses trails, trailheads, camping and other recreation sites surrounding the Beaver-Loon Road #172, the Loon Creek Road #007 and the Indian Springs Road #004. This area is roughly bordered by the Middle Fork of the Salmon River to the north, Loon Creek and Warm Springs Creek to the east, the Wilderness boundary to the south, and the Seafoam country on the west.

  Access roads are single-track dirt roads with high-elevation passes that are closed by snow during the winter. The Indian Springs Road #004 is steep, narrow, rough, and does not receive annual maintenance. There is a backcountry dirt airstrip (Upper Loon) near the end of the Loon Creek Road and near Tin Cup Campground and the Phillips Creek Trailhead.

• Beaver-Trail Creek Trail #4033
• Bernard Creek Trail #4023
• Blue Lake Trail #4011
• Castle Fork Trail #4003
• Cold Creek Trail #4116
• Cold Springs Creek Trail #4107
• Cottonwood Creek Trail #4117
• Cougar Creek Trail #4002
• Deer Creek Trail #4111
• Duffield Creek Trail #4012
• East Mayfield-Yankee Fork Trail #4114
• Fish Lake Trail #4087
• Horse Ladder Trail #4112
• Jack Creek Trail #4108
• Knapp-Loon Creek Trail #4036
• Little Loon Trail #4004
• Loon Creek Point Trail #4105
• Loon Creek Trail #4101
• Middle Fork East Trail #4001.1
• Phillips Creek Transfer Camp Trailhead
• Rat Creek Trail #4115
• Trapper Creek Trail #4119
• Marble, Sheep and Brush Creek Area (MF5)

  This area generally encompasses trails, trailheads, camping and other recreation opportunities that are west/northwest of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. It is roughly bordered by the river on the south and east, Marble Creek to the west, and the Payette National Forest to the north.

• Bear Creek Point Trail #6058
• Bernard Trail #6061
• Brush Cr.-Sheep Cr. Cross Trail #4037
• Brush Creek Trail #6060
• Canyon Creek Trail #4223
• Little Bear Creek Trail #6199
• Marble Creek Trail #4222
• Middle Fork River Trail #6044
• Norton Lake Trail #4220
• Paradise Creek Cutoff Trail #6063
• Sheep Creek Trail #6057
• White Creek Trail #4221
• Middle Fork Trail #4001
• Seafoam, Marsh Cr., Langer & Soldier Area (MF3)

  This area encompasses trails, trailheads, camping and other recreation sites that are generally accessed from the Seafoam area on the Middle Fork Ranger District. The Seafoam “bubble” is non-wilderness and contains the Josephus Campground and trailhead for the Soldier Lakes area. Be aware of the Wilderness boundaries.

• Big Soldier Trail #4015
• Cutthroat Trail #4019
• East Fork Thomas Creek Trail #4009
• Fall Creek Trail #4020
• Hard Scrabble Trail #4006
• Lake Creek Trail #4207
• Langer Lake Trail #4014
• Little Soldier Lookout Trail #4048
• Marsh Creek Trail #4237
• Muskeg Creek Trail #4018
• Pottervine Trail #4208
• Rapid River Trail #4007
• Roughneck Trail #4022
• Sheep Creek Trail #4030
• Sheep Mtn Ridge Trail #4005
• Soldier Basin Trail #4013
• Soldier Creek Trail #4017
• Soldier Ridge Trail #4016
• South Fork Fall Creek Trail #4021
• West Fork Thomas Creek Trail #4008
• Sleeping Deer Area (MF1)

  This area encompasses trails, trailheads, and other recreation options originating mainly around the Sleeping Deer Road #086, a “cherry-stem” road west of Twin Peaks Saddle that is surrounded by the Frank Church--River of No Return Wilderness. This area is roughly bordered on the east by Camas Creek and Meyers Cove, by Loon Creek and Warm Springs to the west, the wilderness boundary to the south, and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River to the north. This area has seen a lot of fire activity over the years.

  The Sleeping Deer Road is a single-track, high-elevation dirt road that opens late and closes early due to snow.

• Bridge Creek Ridge Trail #4123
• Cabin Creek Trail #4102
• Cache Creek Trail #4100
• Camas Meadow Trail #4235
• Camas-Eddy Creek Trail #4134
• Cove Creek Trail #4098
• Cow Creek Trail #4099
• Flume-South Fork Camas Trail #4127
• Fly Creek Trail #4124
• Grouse Creek Trail #4085
• Hot Creek Ridge Trail #4248
• Kerr Creek Trail #4120
• Liberty Creek Ridge Trail #4126
• Macarte Ridge Trail #4097
• Mahoney Creek Trail #4121
• Martin Mountain Trail #4103
• Melville Ridge Trail #4130
• Pole Creek Trail #4129
• Rock Lake Trail #4213
• Sleeping Deer Lookout Trail #4212
• South Fork Camas Trail #4125
• Twin Peaks Transfer Camp
• Warm Springs Creek Trail #4104
• West Fork Camas Creek Trail #4128
• White Goat Creek Trail #4141
• White Goat Ridge Trail #4211
• Woodtick Creek Trail #4132
• Woodtick Cutoff Trail #4133
• Woodtick Ridge Trail #4131
• North Fork Ranger District

  North Fork Ranger District

• Big Deer Creek Trail #029
• Henderson Ridge Trail - #6141
• Clear Creek Trail
• Lewis & Clark Nht Trail
• Owl Creek Trail - #6152
• Stoddard Lake Trail - #6140
• Stoddard Trail - #6169
• Stoddard Trailhead
• Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District

  Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District

  This Ranger District is expansive and takes in the Salmon river mountains and most of the forest that one can see from the town of Salmon. From boating at Williams Lake to hiking into the Frank Church - River of No Return Wilderness, there is a wide variety of activities to choose from when recreating in "Salmon's Backyard". 

• Beagle Creek Trail #6037
• Big Hat Creek Trail #6093
• Bighorn Crags Campground
• Upper Yellowjacket Cr. Trail
• Bird Creek Trail #072
• Castle-Alder Creek Trail #221
• Chipps Creek Trail #075
• Comet Creek Trail #071
• Everett Decora Trailhead
• Thunder Mountain Historic Trail