Cold Creek
- 25.8 mi
- round trip
- 2,756 ft
- climb
- 8,941 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Cold 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.
Cold Creek is a hard hike in Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, within the Middle Fork Ranger District of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs from about 5,500 feet to nearly 9,000 feet, with a total elevation gain of 2,756 feet over a route of about 25.8 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows horses, but bikes are not permitted. That makes it a route for riders on foot or horseback rather than on wheels. The climb is long and steep, and the high point at 8,941 feet sits well above the starting point. For a full day on foot, plan on time to cover the distance and the elevation, and consider where to camp. Tin Cup Campground lies about 6 miles away. Nearby, East Fork Mayfield Creek offers canoeing about 1.5 miles off, and the Cottonwood Creek and Rat Creek hikes are each roughly 5 miles away. Tin Cup Campground is the closest place to camp.
Local outfitters
- The Sawmill Station24 mi away
- Camp Perkins44 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Bas van Oorschot, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Custer Interpretive Trail
~20 min drive
0.82-mile loop trail in Idaho with 33 ft of elevation gain.
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Cottonwood Creek
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Kerr Creek
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3.80-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 188 ft gain and 1,783 ft loss.
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Jack Creek Trail
~18 min drive
12.16-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,956 ft elevation gain and loss.
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East Mayfield - Yankee Fork
~10 min drive
East Mayfield - Yankee Fork is a 0.68-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 24 ft of gain.
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Rat Creek
~8 min drive
22.55-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,523 ft elevation gain.
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Estes Mtn Trail
~15 min drive
9.94-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,946 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Nf Trail 172
~19 min drive
24.84-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 6,168 ft elevation gain/loss.
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Jack Creek Spur 1
~17 min drive
1.56-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 532 ft elevation gain.
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East Mayfield - Yankee Fork
~8 min drive
28.19-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,500 ft elevation gain.
