Bear-Willow Connector - FS 7197

Bear–Willow Connector (FS 7197) is a short but demanding 2.5-mile trail in the Sawtooth National Forest, about an hour north of Ketchum, Idaho. It begins at a saddle beneath Ross Peak and heads south to meet Bear Creek Jeep Trail. The first half climbs a few hundred feet, while the back half drops roughly 700 feet through steeper terrain. The surface is very rocky, shifting between packed dirt, loose gravel, and frequent baseball-sized embedded stones. The trail stays narrow throughout and clings to the hillside, offering little margin for error. As it climbs, it sidehills across exposed slopes before cresting another saddle. The descent that follows is tighter still, with several switchbacks and sections where the tread funnels into a trench between rocks. The constant rockiness, exposure, and constricted line make this a fun, shorter trail.