China Basin Road

The China Basin Road connects Queens River to the Atlanta valley. The bench above Queens River was named after Chinese miners who worked the tertiary gravel deposit high above the valley floor. The Pioneer hard rock mine located on the China Fork produced less than 50 ounces of gold between 1937 and 1942. The trail and road first shows up on the 1932 Sawtooth Forest map. The road is in much better shape on the Queens River side. In 2011 the Sawmill Creek side was badly rutted in places and seemed impassable to anything but an ATV or motorcycle. The road makes a nice mountain bike ride that can be ridden in either direction, though the climb up Sawmill Creek is a bit steeper. There are great wildflowers along the ridge to Peak 7,436, where riders enjoy a great view across the Atlanta valley. It is 8.7 miles from the Queens River Trailhead to Riverside Campground and 16 miles if you make a loop along the Middle Fork of the Boise River. Check out the Atlanta Overview for a more detailed overview of the recreation and camping opportunities in the Atlanta region.