Idaho · Hiking · Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness

Big Deer Creek

10.8 mi
round trip
1,902 ft
climb
8,046 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Big Deer Creek open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists an alert for Salmon-Challis National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Salmon-Challis National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Big Deer Creek is a hard hike in Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, on the North Fork Ranger District of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs from about 6,100 feet to about 8,000 feet, with a total elevation gain of 1,902 feet over a round trip of about 10.8 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced and open year-round. The route is not accessible, and horses are allowed. Plan for a long, steep day. The climb is spread across the full length of the hike, and the high point sits near 8,000 feet. Several other hikes lie within a few miles. Lick Creek and Dead Horse are each about 3 miles away, and Indian Creek and Mirror Lake are both about 3.8 miles off.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Mirror LakePhoto: Mario Hains, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Harbor LakePhoto: Mario Hains, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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BEAGLE CREEKPhoto: Bplewe, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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WaterfallPhoto: Mario Hains, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Upper Yellowjacket Cr.Photo: Bplewe, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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