Trail Overview

Johnson Creek (FS 7181) climbs 8.4 miles through the Sawtooth National Forest, about an hour north of Ketchum, Idaho. The trail begins near the junction of Steep Creek and Johnson Creek Jeep Trail, then works north and northeast toward Alturas Lake–Mattingly. It gains roughly 2,000 feet at a steady grade. The trail starts as soft dirt with scattered loose and embedded rocks. Early on, the route threads through medium-density forest with only occasional obstacles. As it sidehills along the valley, the terrain grows rockier, and the trail narrows. The track enters burn-area meadows before making a final push to a saddle up a narrow trail cut across the slope. Higher elevations bring multiple switchbacks, tighter singletrack, and some extreme areas of exposure.

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Difficulty

This trail is pretty tame until you reach higher elevations, where it becomes extremely narrow with high exposure.

Technical Rating

Nicole Lavash

Sep 10, 2026

2020 Ktm 300xc

Obstructed

Downed TreeImpassable Water Crossing

Rode from north to south. Great trail that starts in a burn scar section. One off camber big rock and soft dirt can prove tricky going either way. Expect more damage to this section unless fixed. Fun section of single track and exposure before dropping down into a wider single-track with medium/small rocks. The creek crossing at the very end has a large tree down that would require a chainsaw to remove. A go around was found but not ideal or easy. Still required log hopping.