Browns Canyon
- 3.4 mi
- round trip
- 997 ft
- climb
- 7,127 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Browns Canyon open right now?
No closures listed
The Forest Service lists no closures for Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
As of · Source: USFS · Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Browns Canyon is a 3.4-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho's Caribou-Targhee National Forest, within the Soda Springs Ranger District. The trail rises about 300 feet from a starting point near 7,120 feet to a high point of 7,127 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 1.6 miles in. The route is rated moderate, and the trail surface is natural. Bikes and horses are both allowed, so the canyon works for riders and pack animals as well as hikers. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 80°F with lows near 43°F and only about six wet days, while winter highs stay in the upper 20s. The trail is open year-round. Stump Creek lies just 0.3 miles away, and Lander Trail-Terrace Canyon is about 1.5 miles off. Paddlers can head to Lanes Creek, about 2.2 miles away, and Pine Bar campground sits roughly 5.3 miles from the canyon.
- Stump CreekHiking0.3 mi
- Lander Trail-Terrace CanyonHiking1.5 mi
- Lanes CreekCanoeing2.2 mi
- Bacon CreekHiking4.2 mi
- North Fork Stump CreekHiking4.5 mi
- Pine BarCamping5.3 mi
- Gravel CreekCamping6.9 mi
- Mill CanyonCamping8.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Bear-JacknifeHiking · ~11 min drivePhoto: sirrobot, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Bear-Hubler-Jacknife CreekHiking · ~11 min drivePhoto: sirrobot, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- CARIBOU LOOP CONNECTOR TRAILHiking · ~8 min drive
- BOULDER-TIMOTHY CREEKHiking · ~8 min drive
- Lau CreekHiking · ~9 min drivePhoto: sirrobot, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Stump-Nf Stump ConnectorHiking · ~8 min drive
- DAVES CREEKHiking · ~9 min drive
- Stump CreekHiking · Next door
- Nf Stump-Sf TincupHiking · ~9 min drive
- GRAVEL CREEKHiking · ~10 min drive
Best time to visit Browns Canyon
Best months: May–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° / 6°
13 wet
Feb
33° / 7°
11 wet
Mar
42° / 16°
11 wet
Apr
49° / 23°
11 wet
May
61° / 32°
12 wet
Jun
70° / 37°
9 wet
Jul
80° / 43°
6 wet
Aug
79° / 41°
7 wet
Sep
70° / 34°
8 wet
Oct
56° / 26°
9 wet
Nov
40° / 16°
11 wet
Dec
28° / 7°
13 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bedford 3 Se, WY, 17.6 mi away at 6,355 ft. The station sits about 800 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.
