Idaho · Hiking

Moose Creek

Moose CreekPhoto: cjennr76, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
12.5 mi
round trip
1,245 ft
climb
7,040 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Moose 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.

Moose Creek is a hard hike in the Ashton/Island Park Ranger District of Idaho's Caribou-Targhee National Forest, about 12.5 miles long with a one-way elevation gain of 1,245 feet. The trail runs out and back, starting at a low point of about 5,783 feet and reaching a high of about 7,040 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Island Park weather station show July and August highs around 77°F with lows in the low 40s, and the station sits about 750 feet below the trail's high point, so temperatures up top run cooler. The trail is on natural surface and allows horses and bikes. It is not an accessible trail. Trail Canyon and Warm River Cabin both sit about 0.1 mile away. Camp Ridge is about 1.7 miles off, and Grandview Campground is about 3.8 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 Moose 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

      27° / 6°

    2. Feb

      30° / 7°

    3. Mar

      39° / 14°

    4. Apr

      47° / 23°

    5. May

      59° / 32°

    6. Jun

      67° / 38°

    7. Jul

      77° / 43°

    8. Aug

      77° / 40°

    9. Sep

      68° / 32°

    10. Oct

      51° / 24°

    11. Nov

      36° / 14°

    12. Dec

      25° / 6°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Island Park, ID, 15.9 mi away at 6,290 ft. The station sits about 800 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

Mesa Nature TrailPhoto: Bas van Oorschot, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mesa Nature Trail

~7 min drive

1.9-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 293 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Cave Falls Trailhead (9K2)

~22 min drive

This trailhead is located along the Cave Falls Road, just north of the southern park boundary. This trailhead provides access to the following trails: Bechler River Trail South Boundary Trail: Bechler Ranger Station–Grassy Lake Bechler River Trail A classic, strenuous…

Box CanyonPhoto: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Box Canyon

~27 min drive

5.57-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho's Box Canyon with 43 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Flat Canyon

~6 min drive

6.88-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 1,276 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

BIG BEND RIDGE TRAIL

~18 min drive

32.76-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 2,933 ft elevation gain and loss.

North Gate PathPhoto: Matt Lavin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

North Gate Path

~22 min drive

2.88-mile out-and-back trail in Idaho with 112 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Bechler Backcountry Office

~19 min drive

Stop by the backcountry office to purchase: fishing permits, entrance and interagency passes, overnight backcountry camping permits, float tube permits, and non-fee horseback day riding permits. Our experienced staff can also help you with trail, hiking, and horseback riding…

HIKE

RIPLEY BUTTE TRAIL

~17 min drive

7.52-mile out-and-back hike in Idaho with 546 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Railroad Right-Of-Way

~11 min drive

6-mile out-and-back trail on a former railroad corridor in Idaho.

HIKE

Boundary Creek Trail

~19 min drive

16.47-mile out-and-back creek-side trail in Wyoming's high country.