Ashton to Montana via Scenic Byways

The route to our next destinations follow two scenic byways and mirrors the curves of the northeastern Idaho-Montana border.

Peaks to Craters Scenic Byway

Said to be the most diverse stretch of highway in Idaho, we join the Peaks to Craters Scenic Byway at Arco, ID (just above the Crater portion) and follow it all the way to through the Peaks portion in Challis, ID. Along the way we pass by Mount Borah; which is the tallest mountain in Idaho.

Joe T. Fallini Recreation Site

Along the path to Challis, our intended destination for the next four days, our goal is to stop at the Joe T. Fallini Recreation Site just north of Mackay for lunch and empty/fill our tanks.

However, we’re running later than planned and have already stopped for lunch. So, given it’s already late afternoon when we arrive, and the weather is starting to turn, we decide to see if there’s an open site in the campground. There is! And, it’s close to the water, cheap, quiet, and beautiful.

Lost River Range

The Lost River Range we’ve traveled along to get here contains 8 of the 10 highest mountain peaks in Idaho, seven of which are over 12,000 feet. The highest is Mt. Borah and was the site of an earthquake in 1983. The Borah Fault is still active and can be seen from a scenic turnout ~15 miles north of here.

This campground is so quiet and the scenery so nice, we decide to stay an extra night and explore the Recreation Site during the day.

The prominent peak in the picture above is Mount McCaleb; which is a distinctive landmark around Mackay. It was named for Captain Jesse McCaleb, who lost his life defending a supply wagon train against a Bannock Indian attack in 1878.

Land of the Yankee Fork State Park

Our next stop, Land of the Yankee Fork State Park in Challis, Idaho is also the final stop on this byway. We’d intended this to be a short lunch stop; but after encountering a very helpful volunteer who provides us with and incredible amount of information about the area, we end up spending extra time touring the museum…

…and walking around the park.

What a wonderful little town. There’s a lot to see here.

Salmon River Scenic Byway

From Challis we join the Salmon River Scenic Byway heading north to Elk Bend, ID and our campsite for the next two nights.

This 163 mile scenic route weaves along Salmon River with alternating steep rock walls and openings allowing for small meadows, farms or ranches. It’s Gorgeous!!! We are delighted by the scenery the entire length of the road, and even see a few Bald Eagles soaring overhead.

Elk Bend, ID

Originally established in the mid 1960’s for real estate development, this little community seems to have never reached it’s promised potential. It’s incredibly beautiful here; but there’s only a very small town and scattered ranches/farms surrounding the area.

RV Park

We choose the Elk Bend RV Park for our base camp due to it’s proximity to our main goal in the area, the Gold Bug Hot Springs Trail.

Gold Bug Hot Springs Trail

After a descent nights sleep we set for for a soak in the Gold Bug Hot Springs.

Trail

The trailhead is less than a mile down the main road; so we decide to walk. The main road is a little busier than we had anticipated; but we reach the turnoff without issue and head up the actual trail. It’s really steep at the beginning; but soon levels out for a while before heading up again. From camp this trail is over 6 miles and ~1,200 feet of elevation.

Hot Springs

Once we finally reach the beginning of the hot springs, we realize that the temperature of the water pools goes up the further we progress up the mountain. Many of the pools cascade one into the other creating little waterfalls in places, as well as small caves.

Our pool

There are multiple pools along the trail and once we reach the top, we find an empty pool, change into our water shoes, find a comfortable place to relax, and soak away our sore muscles while taking in the view.

After soaking away our sore muscles, we give up our pool to a group of 7 who just arrived. We then find some shade, and let our clothes dry out before heading back down the mountain.

View on the way down

The trail on the left of this picture gives some perspective on how steep this trail is at the top.

Just after the bend we have to navigate our way through what seems to be an old rock slide. Bringing the hiking poles was definitely a good idea.

The road home

As we head back down the main road toward camp, we get a great view of the Salmon River and see what looks to be a pretty cool barn, only to realize it’s completely collapsed behind the front wall.

Town of Elk Bend

On the way home, we decide to take a side street that’s gets us off the main road. It has the added benefit of taking us to the little town of Elk Bend, where we get to see the local Fire House, before heading across the street to the RV Park.

On the Road Again

This morning we rejoin the Salmon River Scenic Byway heading north toward Montana. We pass through several smalls town before the road begins to climb up and away from the river to skirt the mountain high above the river valley.

Next Stop… Valley of 10,000 Haystacks