Idaho · Trail 4026

Swamp Creek

Swamp Creek Trail is a 4.5 miles trail in Salmon-Challis National Forest, Idaho. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle 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 end44.3567, -115.1440 · Directions ↗
Other end44.3066, -115.1630 · 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

Length4.5 miles
Trail class3, 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 numbers4026
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 Swamp Creek Trail10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 1.80 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.44 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.02 inches of precipitationApril: 1.69 inches of precipitationMay: 1.67 inches of precipitationJune: 1.48 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.62 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.55 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.01 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.60 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.00 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.32 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 11.3°F averageFebruary: 15.9°F averageMarch: 25.6°F averageApril: 34.0°F averageMay: 43.2°F averageJune: 50.0°F averageJuly: 57.1°F averageAugust: 55.5°F averageSeptember: 47.7°F averageOctober: 37.4°F averageNovember: 24.0°F averageDecember: 11.4°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 in2.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Stanley, 14 miles from the trail midpoint at 6,249 feet, station USC00108676 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 18 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round
MotorcycleAllowed 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

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Woodridge

    28 mi from the trail midpoint · 15 acres

  • Wildfire
    Crooked

    38 mi from the trail midpoint · 10,081 acres · 98% 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 Swamp Creek Trail?

4.5 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Salmon-Challis National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Swamp Creek Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle and e-bikes. The trail is open to at least one motorized use.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Swamp Creek Trail start?

The line begins at 44.3567, -115.1440 and ends at 44.3066, -115.1630. 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 Swamp 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 Swamp Creek Trail?

Thatcher Campground (0.8 mi), Cape Horn Winter Rental (1.7 mi) and Banner Creek Campground (2.8 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Swamp Creek Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as 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 Swamp 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 Swamp 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 Swamp Creek Trail?

2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Woodridge at 28 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named SWAMP 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.