Warm Springs Trail #147, ID

The Warm Springs Trail is one of the premier trails in the Lowman Ranger District.


The trail is noteworthy as part of the larger loop opportunity for motorcyclists and a one-way trail from Bull Trout to Bonneville for mountain bikers.From the trailhead near Bull Trout Lake Campground, the trail follows undulating terrain through lodgepole pine forests for over 2 miles.

It then descends steeply into Deadman Canyon and crosses Deadman Creek multiple times in the next several miles; this section of the trail is the most difficult to negotiate.

At the bottom of Deadman Canyon, the trail follows Warm Springs Creek through a fairly wide drainage and crosses the creek on a large bridge about halfway down the canyon. This section of trail has both short climbs and descents.

There is a significant climb of just over 2 miles as you leave the canyon bottom which turns into a narrow rocky gorge.

As the trail climbs, it provides nice views of the creek in the gorge below. The trail then intersects with the Link Trail.

Turn left for the final downhill stretch to the trailhead at the Warm Spring Airstrip.

A popular motorcycle loop combines this trail with the Kirkham Ridge and Link Trails. All trails in this loop require advanced motorcycle riding skills.

The preferred mountain bike route is from the northern trailhead to the southern trailhead. Mountain bikers should be prepared for a strenuous ride when attempting this trail.

Although it appears to be mostly downhill, there are plenty of uphill sections that require significant effort.

Additionally, most of the riding is on single track which requires advanced bike handling skills. Hikers will find that the first few miles of trail from either trailhead provide nice out-and-back hiking opportunities.

A 2+ mile hike from the south trailhead provides spectacular views of a narrow gorge at the end of Warm Springs Creek.

2023-07-14 HAZ_Hikebot