Mcdonald Gulch
- 6.8 mi
- round trip
- 2,156 ft
- climb
- 7,558 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Mcdonald Gulch open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Salmon-Challis National Forest.
Stoddard Bridge Construction Closure
Agency alert covering Salmon-Challis National Forest · Order 0413-07-17 · USFS · Salmon-Challis National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Salmon-Challis National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
McDonald Gulch is a hard hike in Idaho's Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District, part of the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs from about 5,400 feet to roughly 7,560 feet, with a total elevation gain of 2,156 feet over a route of about 6.8 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Jackson, Montana, show July highs around 77°F with lows near 42°F, and the station sits about 1,080 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. The trail is natural-surface and allows both horses and bikes. McDonald Flat Campground is just 0.2 miles away, and the Woodtick hike and Panther Creek paddling are each about a mile off. The Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District's river fishing is about 2.5 miles away.
- McDonald Flat CampgroundCamping0.2 mi
- WoodtickHiking1 mi
- Panther CreekCanoeing1.2 mi
- Salmon-Cobalt Ranger DistrictRiver fishing2.5 mi
- Thunder Mountain HistoricHiking5.8 mi
- Goodluck MeadowsHiking7.6 mi
- West Fork Iron CreekHiking7.7 mi
- Yellowjacket Guard StationCamping9.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
BEAGLE CREEKHiking · ~16 min drivePhoto: Bplewe, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Upper Yellowjacket Cr.Hiking · ~16 min drivePhoto: Bplewe, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Goodluck MeadowsHiking · ~13 min drive
- Opal CreekHiking · ~15 min drive
- Thunder Mountain HistoricHiking · ~10 min drive
- WoodtickHiking · ~2 min drive
- Silver CreekHiking · ~16 min drive
- North Moccasin Spur 1Hiking · ~17 min drive
- Fritzer GulchHiking · ~20 min drive
- White Horse Basin TrailHiking · ~14 min drive
Best time to visit Mcdonald Gulch
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
28° / 8°
6 wet
Feb
31° / 8°
6 wet
Mar
39° / 16°
8 wet
Apr
46° / 23°
9 wet
May
57° / 31°
10 wet
Jun
66° / 37°
9 wet
Jul
77° / 42°
6 wet
Aug
76° / 39°
5 wet
Sep
66° / 32°
4 wet
Oct
51° / 25°
5 wet
Nov
36° / 14°
7 wet
Dec
27° / 7°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Jackson, MT, 49 mi away at 6,480 ft. The station sits about 1,100 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.
