Trail Overview

Horsethief Canyon is roughly 20 miles out of Arco, Idaho, and if you follow Arco Pass, including all of the side spurs, this is a full-day trip round-trip track. You go deep into the Challis National Forest, up to an elevation of 7000 feet, and drop down the other side into this canyon. The possibilities for seeing elk and other wildlife are abundant. Until late May, you will encounter snow in the trees and on the north slopes. Mud is likely until late May as well.

Photos of Arco Pass to Horsethief Canyon

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Difficulty

Easy riding unless it's early spring or after a heavy rain. Snow may be present, and erosion happens in places with run-off.

History

The Shoshone Indians first called this area home, as did the Blackfoot Indians. Fur trappers working for the North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company led trappers and explorers here in the early 1800s. Hudson Bay Company's last expedition between 1830 and 1832 found the beaver population so eradicated by earlier trappers that they abandoned trapping in this area. The Lost River Valley from Arco to Mackay is rich in mining history, and there is a wonderful museum in Mackay.

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