Idaho · Trail 4243

Little Morgan-Cow Creek

Little Morgan-Cow Creek Trail is a 4.6 miles trail in Salmon-Challis National Forest, Idaho. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, atv, 4wd over 50 inches and e-bikes.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Salmon-Challis National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end44.6848, -113.9000 · Directions ↗
Other end44.7286, -113.9348 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 2 segments.

The trail

Length4.6 miles
Trail class2, moderately developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesOpen to at least one motorized use
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers4243
ForestSalmon-Challis National Forest (unit 0413)
StatesIdaho
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Little Morgan-Cow Creek Trail10°20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.32 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.26 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.66 inches of precipitationApril: 0.81 inches of precipitationMay: 1.22 inches of precipitationJune: 1.28 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.45 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.88 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.89 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.93 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.48 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.32 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 19.0°F averageFebruary: 26.0°F averageMarch: 34.8°F averageApril: 41.8°F averageMay: 50.8°F averageJune: 58.2°F averageJuly: 66.1°F averageAugust: 63.9°F averageSeptember: 55.5°F averageOctober: 42.7°F averageNovember: 30.0°F averageDecember: 20.5°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at May 2Sse, 10 miles from the trail midpoint at 5,050 feet, station USC00105685 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 9 inches a year. The station sits about 1,700 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round
MotorcycleAllowed year-round
ATVAllowed year-round
4WD over 50 inchesAllowed year-round
E-bikesAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Camping nearby

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Doublesprings

    27 mi from the trail midpoint · 1,779 acres · 70% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Little Morgan-Cow Creek Trail?

4.6 miles, the sum of the 2 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Salmon-Challis National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Little Morgan-Cow Creek Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, atv, 4wd over 50 inches and e-bikes. The trail is open to at least one motorized use.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Little Morgan-Cow Creek Trail start?

The line begins at 44.6848, -113.9000 and ends at 44.7286, -113.9348. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Little Morgan-Cow Creek Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Little Morgan-Cow Creek Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Source: Salmon-Challis National Forest official page

How developed is the Little Morgan-Cow Creek Trail?

Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Little Morgan-Cow Creek Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Little Morgan-Cow Creek Trail?

Salmon-Challis National Forest, Forest Service unit 0413. The trail is in Idaho.

Source: Salmon-Challis National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Little Morgan-Cow Creek Trail?

1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Doublesprings at 27 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 2 segments named LITTLE MORGAN-COW CREEK in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0413. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.