Johnson Creek - FS 7181

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.