Bird Creek
- 4.3 mi
- round trip
- 5,011 ft
- climb
- 7,651 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Bird Creek open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Salmon-Challis National Forest.
Stoddard Bridge Construction Closure
Agency alert covering Salmon-Challis National Forest · Order 0413-07-17 · USFS · Salmon-Challis National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Salmon-Challis National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Bird Creek is an expert-level out-and-back hike in Idaho's Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The route starts at about 7,640 feet and climbs to 7,651 feet, a high point that makes this one of the higher hikes in the district. The climb is steep, with the steepest stretch around mile 1.5, where the grade reaches about 48%, and the total gain is roughly 5,011 feet over the course of the round trip. The hike is 4.3 miles long and is rated expert, so it is suited to those with experience on challenging trails. The trail surface is natural, and horses and bikes are both allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Jackson, Montana run from highs around 77°F in July to 76°F in August, with lows in the low 40s. That station sits about 1,170 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the hike run cooler. The trail is open year-round, and the trip is estimated to take about four hours. Comet Creek is about a mile away, and Daly Creek is roughly 2.4 miles off. Tower Rock Campground, about 4.1 miles away, and Salmon Idaho Bouldering, about 3.6 miles away, are also close by.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Bird Creek
Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
28° / 8°
6 wet
Feb
31° / 8°
6 wet
Mar
39° / 16°
8 wet
Apr
46° / 23°
9 wet
May
57° / 31°
10 wet
Jun
66° / 37°
9 wet
Jul
77° / 42°
6 wet
Aug
76° / 39°
5 wet
Sep
66° / 32°
4 wet
Oct
51° / 25°
5 wet
Nov
36° / 14°
7 wet
Dec
27° / 7°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Jackson, MT, 28.5 mi away at 6,480 ft. The station sits about 1,200 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: WaterArchives.org from Sacramento, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Wagonhammer
~9 min drive
10.38-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,375 ft elevation gain.
Photo: WaterArchives.org from Sacramento, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Burns Gulch
~9 min drive
2.56-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 747 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Wallace Creek
~5 min drive
4.24-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 335 ft gain and 1,083 ft loss.
HIKE
HORNET CREEK
~8 min drive
9.56-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,305 ft elevation gain.
Photo: roy.luck, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Boulder Basin
~25 min drive
18.65-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,938 ft elevation gain.
Photo: WaterArchives.org from Sacramento, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Interpretive Trail
~20 min drive
0.9-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 86 ft of elevation gain.
HIKE
Gannett Creek
~6 min drive
3.18-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 517 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Carl Gulch
~17 min drive
5.14-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,158 ft elevation loss.
HIKE
Comet Creek
~2 min drive
Comet Creek is a 9.42-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 748 feet of elevation gain.
Photo: WaterArchives.org from Sacramento, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Lemhi RIver Trail
~21 min drive
0.84-mile out-and-back hike on Lemhi River Trail in Idaho with 57 ft of elevation gain.
