The Sheep Creek Trail is a long, demanding backcountry route in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest above Irwin, Idaho, in the rugged Snake River Range east of Idaho Falls. Most often tackled as the Palisades Creek to Sheep Creek traverse, it runs roughly 17.9 miles point to point with about 4,511 feet of climbing, a genuinely hard day that takes strong hikers the better part of nine or ten hours. It's a serious, quiet, wild piece of country, and for backpackers willing to work for it, one of the more rewarding traverses in this corner of Idaho.

The route starts from the popular Palisades Creek trailhead and climbs steadily, essentially uphill the whole way until about the final four miles. The character shifts partway through: from Waterfall Canyon out along Sheep Creek the trail turns steep and relentless in both directions, with punishing ups and downs that make the mileage feel longer than it reads. There's one waterfall in Waterfall Canyon, a welcome landmark and the natural high point of the walk for many.

Water is the thing that catches people out, and it deserves plain statement. The trail is steep and waterless until Waterfall Canyon, and beyond the waterfall the drainages run dry for miles and miles, so carrying substantial water rather than counting on refills along the route is what keeps this hike safe. That single fact separates a great day from a genuinely miserable one, and it's the most common complaint from people who go in expecting a normal creek-bottom trail.

The payoff is solitude and wildlife. This is prime habitat, and hikers regularly see deer, moose and mountain goats on the high slopes, with the ridgelines opening into big views over the Snake River Range and the Palisades country. The trail is popular with backpackers, campers and anglers, and splitting it across two days turns a brutal push into a fine overnight. Palisades Creek itself, with its lower and upper lakes, is one of eastern Idaho's classic hikes and makes a natural companion outing from the same trailhead.

June through September is the practical season, with snow lingering high into early summer and returning early in fall. Come equipped for a real mountain day: far more water than feels necessary, sturdy boots for the steep and loose sections, sun protection for exposed slopes, layers for changeable weather, a map and the skills to use it, and a plan shared with someone back home, since cell coverage out here is unreliable at best. Take it seriously and Sheep Creek gives back solitude, goats on the skyline, and country most people never see.