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

Garden Way

11.6 mi
round trip
8,087 ft
climb
8,433 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Garden Way is a hard hike in Idaho's Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, on the Middle Fork Ranger District of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The trail is about 11.6 miles long, and the one-way climb is 3,802 feet, with the total round-trip gain reaching about 8,087 feet. The route starts at roughly 8,400 feet and climbs to about 8,433 feet, then descends back to the same starting point. The trail is on natural surface, and horses are allowed. Bikes are not. The steepest stretch comes at about 4.8 miles in, where the grade reaches 40 percent. Big Baldy Lo lies just 0.8 miles away, and Little Pistol Creek and Big Baldy Ridge are both within about 4 miles. Paddlers can find Pistol Creek about 7.7 miles off.