Herd Lake Trail
Photo: BLMIdaho, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)- 2.4 mi
- round trip
- 154 ft
- climb
- 7,352 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Herd Lake Trail is an easy, out-and-back hike of about 2.4 miles in Idaho's Jim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness, on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management's Challis Field Office. The trail rises about 150 feet from a low point of 7,198 feet to a high of 7,352 feet, and its natural surface makes it a straightforward walk for anyone heading into the wilderness. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Chilly Barton Flat show July highs around 82°F with lows near 47°F, and the station sits roughly 1,100 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. Winter is cold and snowy, with January highs around 31°F and lows near 7°F. Herd Lake Campsite Trail lies about 0.7 miles away, and Herd Lake Campground is about a mile off. Upper Lake Creek Trail is about 2 miles away, and paddlers can reach Herd Creek, about 4.8 miles from the trail.
Local outfitters
- The Sawmill Station19 mi away
- Camp Perkins35 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Herd Lake Trail
Best months: May–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
31° / 7°
4 wet · 4 snow
Feb
34° / 11°
4 wet · 3 snow
Mar
44° / 21°
5 wet · 2 snow
Apr
53° / 28°
7 wet · 1 snow
May
63° / 35°
9 wet
Jun
72° / 41°
7 wet
Jul
82° / 47°
6 wet
Aug
80° / 45°
5 wet
Sep
72° / 37°
5 wet
Oct
57° / 28°
5 wet · 1 snow
Nov
41° / 18°
5 wet · 2 snow
Dec
30° / 9°
5 wet · 4 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Chilly Barton Flat, ID, 18.5 mi away at 6,260 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: BLMIdaho, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Herd Lake Campsite Trail
~1 min drive
2.17-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 357 ft elevation gain.
Photo: U.S. Forest Service employees, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)JIMMY SMITH CREEK
~22 min drive
4.72-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,465 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Upper Lake Creek Trail
~4 min drive
146.97-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,175 ft elevation gain.
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Borah Peak
~29 min drive
Standard route to Borah Peak (12,662 ft) from Borah Peak.
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LAKE BASIN CUTOFF
~7 min drive
1.44-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 611 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Joe Jump Basin
~17 min drive
4.82-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,991 ft elevation gain.
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Toolbox-Herd Creek
~6 min drive
23.23-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,470 ft gain.
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GARDEN CREEK BLM CONNECTOR
~26 min drive
1.56-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 408 ft elevation gain.
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BARTLETT CREEK
~20 min drive
1.66-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 780 ft gain and 8,059 ft max elevation.
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West Fork Herd Creek
~6 min drive
14.60-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 3,162 ft elevation gain.
