Lower Blue View
- 1.9 mi
- round trip
- 1,645 ft
- climb
- 6,630 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Jun, Aug–Oct
- best months
Lower Blue View is a moderate, out-and-back hike in the Challis Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management in Idaho, about 1.9 miles long with a total elevation gain of 1,645 feet. The route rises from a low point of about 5,920 feet to a high of about 6,630 feet, and the steepest stretch comes at about 0.46 miles, with a grade of around 24 percent. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. At a nearby weather station in Challis, typical July highs average about 87°F with lows near 52°F, and September cools to typical highs around 74°F. That station sits about 1,600 feet below the hike, so temperatures on the trail run cooler. Bikes and horses are both allowed on the natural-surface trail. The trip takes about 1.5 hours. Upper Blue View and Upper Grand, two mountain biking routes, sit about 0.1 mile away. Chukar and Joy Ride A are hikes about half a mile off.
Local outfitters
- The Sawmill Station19 mi away
- Camp Perkins48 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Jun, Aug–Oct
Best time to visit Lower Blue View
Best months: May–June and August–October. 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
29° / 11°
7 wet
Feb
37° / 17°
5 wet
Mar
49° / 25°
7 wet
Apr
57° / 31°
7 wet
May
67° / 40°
9 wet
Jun
75° / 46°
7 wet
Jul
87° / 52°
5 wet
Aug
85° / 50°
5 wet
Sep
74° / 42°
5 wet
Oct
59° / 32°
5 wet
Nov
40° / 21°
6 wet
Dec
29° / 11°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Challis Ap, ID, 3.6 mi away at 5,033 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.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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Chukar
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0.59-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 24 ft gain.
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Joy Ride A
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Rattlesnake Alley
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1.97-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 163 ft gain.
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HAPPY HALLOW/JULIETTE CREEK
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15.7-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 4,397 ft elevation gain and loss.
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Beef Pasture-Bayhorse
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8.26-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 959 ft elevation gain.
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Upper Buzztail
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0.69-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 38 ft gain.
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Elk Meadow Trail
~2 min drive
1.92-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,199 ft elevation gain.
