The Great R'Idaho Trail #3
Southern Loop - Route DescriptionStage 5: Smiley Creek Lodge to Challis
Distance in Miles
Miles of Trail
Minimum Elevation in Ft
Maximum Elevation in Ft
Interactive Maps To See Detailed Route. (Full Screen) Download GRIT3-SLoop Tracks
Legend
- Navy Blue: Designated motorcycle trails or notably tougher ATV trails
- Green: Designated ATV trails or just too easy motorcycle trails
- Red: Advanced Difficulty Trails
- Magenta: Roads. Dirt Road most often, but occasionally paved.
- Light Blue: Easier Bypass Detours or optional side-trips. Only the first section of a detour is color coded when the route splits.
- Black: Special Test Detours. Only the first section of a detour is color coded when the route splits.
Germania Trail
Right out of Smiley Creek Lodge you have the option to head north a little bit for a quick out and back on Red Fish trail. From there head up the popular Fourth of July lakes trail head. Wave to the hikers, then enjoy the views and the fun Washington Lakes trail. It will end at Germania Creek where you will turn back west and take the Forest road back to the flowing single track Grand Prize trail. To maximize trail miles and earn a special test, at the end of Grand Prize trail, you can turn north at the Bowery Guard station and ride Bowery trail up to ride the latter half of Germania Both options rejoin and drop into the E Fork road to the Little Boulder Creek trail head. The rugged trail up Little Boulder Creek, the wilderness lakes, the 10 inch wide bridge, the flowing trails after Frog Lake, and the ending at the fascinating Livingston Mill Ghost Town make this a classic.
White Clouds Mts from Frog Lake
Then we jam up some jeep roads on our way up to 10,400 ft and gaze in awe at the view of Chinese Wall. On the way down, we meet the tense, but wide, rock built French creek trail, followed by a flowing ATV and single track down to Old Saw Mill for Gas and food. Time to take a rest and gas up before we decide between three options to the finish. The easy bypass route goes up Squaw creek road and ends with 3 miles of easy Squaw Creek trail before rejoining the main route for those that are too tuckered out to do the full meal deal.
The Special Test option has another choice to make where you can either take Peach Creek Rd for the fast way to Razors Edge Trail or you can head up Burnt Creek trail for the full value gnarly option. Burnt creek starts with great flow but builds in difficulty culminating in a very tough move. Soloist should be very careful here as you will have no one to help get your bike through it and there are consequences if things go bad. Once you are on Razor’s Edge you will find out why it is named this and care should be taken in some of the potentially dangerous side hill areas with high levels of exposure. But it provides awesome top-of-the-world views along the Razor’s Edge trail up to Custer peak Lookout and is perfect for the still frisky A riders.
The main route takes the middle ground up Thompson Creek Road for a shot at the short, but advanced trail past Custer Peak. From here, you have the small, but advanced Special Test option to spur up to near the top of Custer Peak and view Razor’s Edge for yourself with a more reasonable effort. Then descend down 5 Mile trail to Yankee fork road on our way to the upper portion of Squaw Creek trail. There is one last choice for bonus trail miles where you can head up Eleven Mile Creek. However, make sure to be attentive and take the McKay Creek connector over to rejoin the main route on Squaw Creek. The starting climb up McKay Creek trail can be very loose and challenging.
Squaw Creek and Aspen Creek trails will leave a huge smile on your face as you finish up your epic ride via the combination of Buster Creek trails and then Gold Creek Road to the final Lombard Trail into Challis for the end of one tough loop. Wow…What a ride!
