Idaho · Hiking

Lau Creek

Lau CreekPhoto: sirrobot, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
11.2 mi
round trip
2,385 ft
climb
8,306 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Lau Creek open right now?

No closures listed

The Forest Service lists no closures for Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Lau Creek is a hard hike in Idaho's Caribou-Targhee National Forest, within the Soda Springs Ranger District. The trail is an out-and-back of about 11 miles, with a total elevation gain of about 2,400 feet, from a low point of roughly 6,300 feet to a high of about 8,300 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. The route is natural-surface and allows both horses and bikes. The Deer Creek parking area is the trailhead. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Bondurant, Wyoming, show July and August highs around 80°F with lows near 40°F, and the station sits about 1,600 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures up top run cooler. Pine Bar campground is just 0.1 mile away, and Tincup Mountain is about half a mile off. Bear-Jacknife and Bear-Hubler-Jacknife Creek are each about 1.5 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Lau Creek

    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.

    1. Jan

      24° / 2°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      29° / 3°

      10 wet

    3. Mar

      39° / 13°

      11 wet

    4. Apr

      50° / 26°

      10 wet

    5. May

      62° / 33°

      11 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 38°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      80° / 41°

      8 wet

    8. Aug

      80° / 40°

      8 wet

    9. Sep

      71° / 33°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      56° / 25°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      39° / 16°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      24° / 3°

      12 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bondurant, WY, 44 mi away at 6,693 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.