Riverside Park Cg &Day Use Area
Campground
Campground · 1.5 mi from the trail
Idaho · Hiking · Near Jackson
Little Sheep
- 4.4 mi
- round trip
- 1,083 ft
- climb
- 6,844 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Little Sheep 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.
Little Sheep is a 4.4-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho's Caribou-Targhee National Forest, within the Palisades Ranger District. The trail rises from about 5,759 feet to about 6,844 feet, a climb of 1,083 feet, and is rated moderate. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. The route is natural-surfaced and allows both horses and bikes, so it works for riders and pack animals as well as hikers. The climb is spread across the full length of the trail, with the high point near the top of the route. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Swan Valley weather station, which sits about 1,400 feet lower, show July highs around 85°F with lows near 46°F, while winter highs stay in the 30s. Sheep Creek is about a mile away, and Riverside Park Campground & Day Use Area is about 1.5 miles off. Palisades Creek, a climbing area, and Calamity campground are both within about 2.5 miles.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after If it rains
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors
More in JacksonLocal outfitters
- Greys River Cove16 mi away
- The Virginian RV Park22 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Little Sheep
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
30° / 11°
10 wet
Feb
35° / 14°
9 wet
Mar
45° / 22°
10 wet
Apr
56° / 27°
12 wet
May
66° / 35°
13 wet
Jun
75° / 41°
10 wet
Jul
85° / 46°
8 wet
Aug
84° / 44°
8 wet
Sep
75° / 37°
8 wet
Oct
59° / 29°
8 wet
Nov
43° / 20°
9 wet
Dec
32° / 12°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Swan Valley, ID, 6.7 mi away at 5,397 ft. The station sits about 1,400 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: Anton Molodtsov, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Little Elk Creek
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