Bruneau Field Office

Little Jacks Creek Trail  Hike

Trail Map | Elevation Profile 1 | Elevation Profile 2

This area features rock faces of red rhyolite and brown basalt that tower over narrow, meandering streams. Recreationists in this area will find excellent 1 to 5 mile-long hikes along peaceful, scenic Jacks Creek.

Directions: From Grand View, take Hwy 78 East 2.1 miles. Where Hwy 78 veers left/east, go straight/south onto Mud Flat Rd. Reset trip odometer immediately.

00.0 Mud Flat Rd. at Hwy 78.
07.5 Left/east onto Shoofly Cutoff Rd.
10.2 Right/south onto Halfway Gulch Rd. (unmarked)
17.8 Left/Southeast at 4-way intersection.
19.5 Road washes out slightly, go right/south 50 feet.
21.1 Right/southeast at triangular intersection.
21.5 Lower trailhead is 100 feet down-canyon by foot.
21.8 Upper trailhead parking.

Navigating the trail:

Lower trail: 0.6 miles, 60’ vertical.
• At odometer point 21.5, head on foot down canyon/east 100’ and pick up trail to the left/north.
• Trail runs north, parallel to creek and terminates at a road which runs north/south.
• Heading left/south takes you to the triangular intersection at odometer 21.1. Stay left/south at the triangular intersection and you will return to lower trailhead.

Hiking

Little Jacks Creek

Upper trail: 1 mile, 2.5 miles, or 7.2 miles, 100’-250’ vertical.
• From parking spot, head south contouring hill and descending slightly until you meet trail heading straight downhill parallel to rock wall.
• Hill flattens, at riparian vegetation go right/south and be mindful of poison ivy.
• Go through fence, then turn left/east for stream crossing.
• Traverse up eastern slope of canyon on obvious trail.
• As gulch opens to flat plain, take two-track that continues east though three-way intersection. This is one mile from trailhead.
• At T intersection, you can head right/south through Little Horse Basin Gap making a 4.68 mile counter-clockwise loop through Big Horse Basin Gap coming cross-country west once through the gap to return to start point –or—continue straight/east through T and cross-country 1.1 miles in search of intermittent livestock single track which terminates at the road heading through Big Horse Basin gap.
• A third hike is possible in the vicinity of Halfway Gulch. On the way in, it is at odometer 18.4 to the right/southwest by walking cross-country 1.75 miles from the road. On the way out, it is at odometer 24.9 on the left/southwest accessed by walking cross-country from the road. Once in the gulch, there are animal trails to follow for up to 2 miles into the canyon.

On Hwy 51 head south from Bruneau 25 miles to milepost 45 and continue 0.1 miles further south, head right/west on Wickahoney Road (unmarked).
From Grasmere head north on Hwy 51 11 miles to MP 44 and continue 0.9 miles north, head left/west onto Wickahoney Road (unmarked). Reset trip odometer immediately.

0.0 Wickahoney Road at Hwy 51.
4.8 Right/north onto two-track.
7.5 Left/west
8.0 Stop here if you do not have a high clearance vehicle.
8.2 Trailhead parking.

Navigating the trail: 0.5 miles, 460’ vertical from parking area to valley floor.

  • Hike west down drainage, crossing fence ladder on left/south.
  • At bottom of first pitch, head right/north following drainage.
  • When drainage closes in and you must pick, take the intermittent trail on the right/north wall that contours around until canyon bottom is directly visible.
  • If you can find it, follow intermittent trail down west-northwest to canyon floor.
  • Various trails run downstream/right/north with frequent stream crossings.