Trail Overview

This 2-mile track takes you deeper into Horsethief Canyon and out Spur #5. You are at about 6700 feet in the Challis National Forest, where the opportunities for wildlife viewing are abundant. This is an easy track unless you're here in the early springtime before the snow melts or here after heavy rain. The trails in this area are subject to erosion from runoff.

Photos of Arco Pass to Horsethief Spur #5

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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.

Technical Rating