Old Ranger
Ririe, Idaho
| Address: | Forest Rd 210, Ririe, ID 83443, USA |
| GPS: |
43°36'12.6"N 111°28'17.3"W Maps | Directions |
| State: | Idaho |
| Trails/Routes: | 0.6-5.5 mi |
Mountain Bike
On the South end of the Big Hole mountains just above the Snake River is a grueling yet diverse section of single-track on Forest Service Trail 287 called Old Ranger. Because of the southern exposure and relatively low elevation, the Old Ranger mountain bike trail is a great ride for early in the season or just as winter is setting in when many of the other trails are getting snow or are still covered in snow, ice, and mud.
Old Ranger is not easy. Much of it is pretty moderate with plenty of flowy sections but there's also a lot of pretty chunky spots and plenty of tough climbs where you'll be hiking quite a bit. Even if you're in amazing shape, there are two very steep climbs going West or one insanely steep climb going East that you'll be pushing or carrying that bike. You can start from the West and and make this a bigger longer finish to your Wolverine Creek trail, ending up at Burns Creek. The preferred direction is actually uphill overall, starting at Burns Creek and ending at Wolverine Creek (FS Trail 082) for a great finish down to the river.
Mapped Route/Trail Distances
| Trail 287 (Burns to Wolverine) | 5.5 miles |
| Wolverine Creek to the River | 0.6 miles |
| Return Trip | 4.2 miles |
More Information
Add ResourceNever modify trail features. Ride trails when they're dry enough that you won't leave ruts. Speak up when you see others on the trail and always yield to hikers, horses, and others coming uphill. Always ride on the established trail.
Read More
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Ririe, Idaho
- Head east on Smith St toward 1st E St (0.3 mi)
- Continue onto Archer Rd (1.6 mi)
- Turn right onto E 200 N/Heise Rd/Poplar Loop (0.9 mi)
- Slight right onto Heise Rd/Poplar Loop (0.2 mi)
- Continue straight onto N 4800 E/Heise Rd/Poplar LoopContinue to follow Heise Rd/Poplar Loop(2.9 mi)
- Slight left onto E 100 N/Heise Rd/Poplar Loop (187 ft)
- Slight left onto N 5050 E (0.4 mi)
- Turn right onto E Heise Rd (2.3 mi)
- Continue straight onto Kelly Canyon Rd (3.5 mi)
- Slight right onto Forest Rd 217 (3.7 mi)
- Continue onto Burns Creek Rd/E Heise Rd (5.0 mi)
- Continue straight onto Forest Rd 210Destination will be on the left(0.3 mi)
Road conditions permitting, the easiest way to get there is to
- drive up to Y-Junction
- Then take the South fork down to the river
- Drive past the Wolverine Creek turnout
- Pass the Burns Creek Ranch
- Then follow the road as it forks up into the canyon away from the river
- Watch on your left and you'll see a hill climb area (not your trail) and a cool waterwheel on your right
- Park there and the trail will go up through the canyon to your right (West)
Trails
Distance ?
5.5 milesElevation Gain ?
131 feetReal Ascent ?
1,501 feetReal Descent ?
1,370 feetAvg Grade (0°)
0%Grade (-26° to 24°)
-48% to 45%Distance ?
0.6 milesElevation Gain ?
-202 feetReal Ascent ?
90 feetReal Descent ?
292 feetAvg Grade (-3°)
-6%Grade (-20° to 13°)
-36% to 24%Distance ?
4.2 milesElevation Gain ?
71 feetReal Ascent ?
293 feetReal Descent ?
222 feetAvg Grade (0°)
0%Grade (-6° to 6°)
-10% to 10%Elevation differences are scaled for emphasis. While the numbers are accurate, the cut-away shown here is not to scale.