| Name: | Crooked River |
| Type: | Out and Back |
| Trailhead: | Crooked River Trailhead |
| Map: | AllTrails |
| Round Trip Length: | 7 miles |
| Time: | 3.5 Hours |
| Nearest City: | Idaho City, ID |
| Best Time of Year: | June-July |
| Elevation Gain: | 623 feet |
| Highest Point: | 5,070 feet |
“But clouds bellied out in the sultry heat, the sky cracked open with a crimson gash, spewed flame-and the ancient forest began to smoke. By morning there was a mass of booming, fiery tongues, a hissing, crashing, howling all around, half the sky black with smoke, and the bloodied sun just barely visible.” Yevgeny Zamyatin, in his book The Dragon, beautifully describes the destructive power when fire meets forest. In 2016 the Pioneer Fire ravaged the Boise National Forest near Idaho City. There is no better place to see the impact of the forest fire than the Crooked River Trail.
Hiking along Crooked River is a reminder to see the good that comes from bad situations. We’ve had the fortune to hike this trail before and after the fire. The blaze took away the lush green canopy, which shaded the river walk and only left behind charred stumps and dead grass, but that doesn’t make this hike less enjoyable. The fire transformed the colors of the landscape from blue and green to black and yellow. So yes, it’s different but still a work of art that Bob Ross would’ve loved to paint.
The Crooked River hike is a 7.1 mile out and back trail with uninterrupted views of the river and an abundance of wildflowers.
If you’re looking for a leisurely walkabout just outside of Boise, you’d be hardpressed to find a better walk in the woods than the Crooked River Trail.
Crooked River Trailhead
The trailhead for Crooked River is 19 miles northeast of Idaho City. After passing through Idaho City, continue north up Highway 21 along the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Route. After you pass the Whoop em up campground turn look for the Edna Creek campground sign just around the bend. Take a right at the campground and continue left down the left fork of gravel road. As you come down the hill, you’ll eventually see the Crooked River Trail signboard and a small gravel turnoff that fits about six cars.
Before your hike, make sure to drag your shoes through the brushes near the trailhead sign. Wiping your feet helps prevent invasive weeds from moving in and wiping out local vegetation.
Crooked River Hike
After wiping your shoes off as a respectful guest does before entering the house of the forest, you’ll cross the first of three bridges. While short in stature, you’ll notice these newly built bridges are beefy. This trail doubles as an equestrian trail.
As a side note, keep your dog on a leash if they have never encountered a horse. Horses can confuse doggos. I tell you this from experience. Our previous dog, Opie, was confronted with his meeting of a horse and just froze up. I’m talking Jurassic Park, “if we don’t move, it can’t see us” levels of stillness. Heck, I would probably react the same way if I saw a muscled up four-legged alien that was ten times my size trotting towards me. Needless to say, Opie handled the interaction as well as we could have hoped for, but you never really know how a dog will react when faced with an unfamiliar situation.
As the trail winds right around the hillside, you’ll drift through a peaceful meadow with plenty of wildflowers to ogle.
Continue along the trail to the second bridge. This bridge is the shortest crossing of the bunch and is just plain adorable. Once across the bridge, the trees will get denser, and you’ll enter the portion of the hike that varies in elevation. As you move up and down the hilly parts, you’ll always have a birds-eye view of the river.
At 1.3 miles, you’ll come to the final and biggest of the bridges. At the big bridge, you’ll cross to the other side of Crooked River and continue traveling that side for the remainder on your outward journey. The bridge is a popular turn around point for those new to hiking or those with worn out children. Make it past the bridge, and you’ll have some real solitude.
After crossing the bridge, continue following the river. At the 3.5 mile mark, you will come to the ending of the “official” trail. A beautiful sandy river beach awaits you. Hang a hammock and enjoy the noise of the soothing water. Near the end of the day, this spot becomes a suitable backpacking campsite, so don’t linger too long unless you intend to stay the night.
After enjoying some riverside relaxation, head back the way you came and trace your steps back to the trailhead.
Final Thoughts
I have two favorite Idaho hikes, Louie Lake and Crooked River. Crooked River Trail is suitable for people of all fitness levels who just want to get out of the city for a little while. You don’t have to make it the whole way to satisfy your nature craving, but if you do make it to the final portion of the trail, you will be rewarded with some well-earned seclusion and leisure.
Trail Tips
- Go on a weekday to avoid crowds
- Bring tick spray
- There is no shade, so start early
- Remember the sunscreen
Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.