Elk Creek

Elk Creek is an easy out-and-back hike in Idaho's Payette National Forest, within the New Meadows Ranger District. The trail is about 2.7 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 650 feet, and it rises from a low point of about 6,590 feet to a high of about 7,235 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced and open year-round. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Warren, Idaho, put July and August highs around 79°F with lows in the mid-30s. That station sits roughly 1,300 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. The trail is not accessible. Bikes are allowed, so it works for riders as well as hikers. Elk Lake is less than a mile away, and Denny Creek and Gay Lake are both within about 1.6 miles. Hard Butte Lookout is about 2.6 miles off.