Burns Gulch
Photo: WaterArchives.org from Sacramento, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 2.6 mi
- round trip
- 747 ft
- climb
- 4,401 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Burns Gulch 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.
Burns Gulch is an easy hike of about 2.6 miles on natural trail in the North Fork Ranger District of Idaho's Salmon-Challis National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is an out-and-back that gains about 747 feet from a low point of 3,653 feet to a high of 4,401 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Gibbonsville put July and August highs around 83°F with lows in the mid-40s, while winter highs stay near freezing. The trail is open to both horses and bikes. Wagonhammer lies about 0.8 miles away, and Napoleon Gulch is about 3 miles off. Tower Rock Campground is roughly 6.7 miles away, and the North Fork Salmon River offers canoeing about 10 miles from the trail.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Burns Gulch
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
29° / 11°
Feb
36° / 13°
Mar
47° / 21°
Apr
56° / 29°
May
65° / 36°
Jun
72° / 42°
Jul
83° / 46°
Aug
83° / 44°
Sep
73° / 38°
Oct
58° / 30°
Nov
40° / 20°
Dec
30° / 11°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gibbonsville #2, ID, 10.7 mi away at 4,480 ft. 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
~1 min drive
10.38-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,375 ft elevation gain.
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Napoleon Gulch
~5 min drive
1.14-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 339 ft elevation gain.
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Bird Creek
~9 min drive
4.25-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,539 ft of elevation loss.
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Gannett Creek
~13 min drive
3.18-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 517 ft elevation gain.
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Comet Creek
~8 min drive
Comet Creek is a 9.42-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 748 feet of elevation gain.
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Lower Moose
~9 min drive
2.65-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 59 ft of elevation gain.
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SHEEP CREEK
~13 min drive
12.78-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 5,206 ft elevation gain
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Brushy Gulch
~14 min drive
3.43-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 352 ft of elevation gain.
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Big Silverleads
~9 min drive
12.96-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 857 ft gain and 4,009 ft loss.
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BUTCHER KNIFE RIDGE
~16 min drive
1.1-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 236 ft elevation gain.
