Pretty Gulch
- 10.0 mi
- round trip
- 1,868 ft
- climb
- 6,433 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Is Pretty 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.
Pretty Gulch is a hard hike in Idaho's Salmon-Cobalt Ranger District of the Salmon-Challis National Forest, about 10 miles long and with an elevation gain of 1,868 feet. The trail is an out-and-back that starts at the Garden Creek Trailhead, and it climbs from a low point of about 3,300 feet to a high of about 6,430 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Jackson, Montana, show July highs around 77°F with lows near 42°F, while winter highs stay in the 20s. The trail is on natural surface and is open year-round. Bikes and horses are both allowed, so it works for riders and pack animals. Several other hikes sit about a mile away, including Birch Creek, Clear Creek and Bighorn Crags. For an overnight stay, Spring Creek Campground is about 7 miles off.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Pretty 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, 45.5 mi away at 6,480 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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