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

Cave Creek

14.4 mi
round trip
2,950 ft
climb
6,814 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Aug
best months

Is Cave Creek open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 5 alerts for Payette National Forest.

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

Cave Creek is a hard hike in Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, on the Krassel Ranger District of the Payette National Forest. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs from about 4,030 feet to 6,814 feet, a total gain of 2,950 feet over roughly 14.4 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is natural-surfaced and open year-round. Horses are allowed, but bikes are not. The trail's high point sits well above the nearby Warren weather station, so temperatures on the summit run cooler than the station's typical averages. July and August are the warmest months there, with highs around 79°F and lows in the mid-30s. The most comfortable stretch for a trip is summer. Typical averages from the Warren station, about 35 miles away, show July and August highs near 79°F with lows in the mid-30s. The station sits roughly 900 feet below the trail's high point, so expect cooler temperatures up top. Cold Mountain Ridge is about 1.3 miles away, and Cabin Creek Airfield campground is about 3.7 miles off. Canyon Creek and Spring Creek are both about 4.1 miles away.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit Cave Creek

    Best months: June–August. 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.

    1. Jan

      35° / 7°

    2. Feb

      41° / 7°

    3. Mar

      46° / 17°

    4. Apr

      50° / 20°

    5. May

      59° / 27°

    6. Jun

      68° / 34°

    7. Jul

      79° / 37°

    8. Aug

      79° / 35°

    9. Sep

      69° / 30°

    10. Oct

      56° / 23°

    11. Nov

      41° / 16°

    12. Dec

      34° / 9°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Warren, ID, 34.8 mi away at 5,907 ft. The station sits about 900 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.