Cougar Rock
- 4.2 mi
- round trip
- 1,812 ft
- climb
- 7,514 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Cougar Rock open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Boise National Forest. It doesn't name Cougar Rock, so check the source for the area it covers.
UPDATED Sept. 19 - Crooked Fire Area, Road, and Trail Closure
Agency closure covering Boise National Forest · Order 0402-03-140 · USFS · Boise National Forest
Lava Fire Road Closure
Agency alert covering Boise National Forest · Order 0402-06-84 · USFS · Boise National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Boise National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Cougar Rock is a moderate hike in Idaho's Boise National Forest, within the Cascade Ranger District, about 4 miles from the Forest Service's land management. The trail is an out-and-back route of roughly 4 miles, with a one-way climb of about 1,800 feet from a low point of about 5,700 feet to a high of about 7,500 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Deadwood Lodge show July highs around 82°F with lows near 40°F, while temperatures at the summit run cooler than those figures. Winter is cold, with January highs near 35°F and lows around 8°F. The trail is natural-surface and allows both horses and bikes. Several other outings sit within a couple of miles, including the Curtis Creek and Wewukiye hikes, the Vulcan Hot Springs hike and Stolle Meadows Cabin, a cabin about 1.6 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Arrowhead RV Park17 mi away
- Black Bear RV Park28 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Cougar Rock
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
35° / 8°
Feb
36° / 12°
Mar
42° / 16°
Apr
49° / 22°
May
61° / 30°
Jun
70° / 35°
Jul
82° / 40°
Aug
81° / 38°
Sep
73° / 32°
Oct
57° / 26°
Nov
40° / 16°
Dec
31° / 9°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Deadwood Lodge, ID, 10.9 mi away at 5,948 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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: Stupid Dingo, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Wewukiye
~2 min drive
8.76-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 577 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: Stupid Dingo, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Vulcan Hot Springs
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1.59-mile out-and-back trail to Vulcan Hot Springs in Idaho, 131 ft elevation gain.
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CURTIS CREEK
~2 min drive
29.02-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,436 ft elevation gain/loss
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TYNDALL CREEK
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7.2-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,221 ft elevation gain and loss.
Photo: Stupid Dingo, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)WEST SIDE WARM LAKE
~3 min drive
14.34-mile out-and-back trail to West Side Warm Lake in Idaho
Photo: Stupid Dingo, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Nickel Creek
~16 min drive
1.50-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 192 ft of elevation gain.
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Needles Route Pack Trail
~13 min drive
29.86-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 6,873 ft gain/loss.
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BLUE POINT RIDGE
~8 min drive
5.36-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,268 ft elevation gain/loss
Photo: Stupid Dingo, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Dollar Creek Ridge
~14 min drive
11.20-mile out-and-back trail on Dollar Creek Ridge with 3,248 ft gain
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SOUTH BEAR CREEK
~6 min drive
2.42-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 411 ft elevation gain