Huckleberry Creek

Accessing the Huckleberry Trail across the irrigated fields of Decker Flat can be a foot-drenching experience, so it is useful to have a pair of sandals to cover the first half mile. As the name suggests, the forest floor is covered with small huckleberry bushes (Actually Grouse Whortleberry), so a summer berry-picking hike could be productive. Otherwise, it is a pleasant walk through dense woods to the junction with the Alpine Way Trail.

Huckleberry Creek can also be used as an alternate route into the Decker Creek Basin. This access depends on your vehicle and mode of recreation since access to the upper Hell Roaring Trailhead requires a high-clearance four-wheel drive car.  By comparison, it is a 3.5-mile, 922-foot ascent the top of Huckleberry Creek from the upper Hell Roaring Trailhead and a 5.7-mile, 1,297-foot ascent from the lower trailhead. Mountain bikes can be ridden to the wilderness boundary to “shorten” the long walk up Hell Roaring Creek. Without four-wheel drive vehicles and mountain bikes, the Huckleberry route makes more sense if your goal is to explore the Upper Decker Creek Basin or to summit Decker Peak.

The “trailhead” for Huckleberry Creek is nothing more than a 90-degree corner on a property fence line. Note that this trailhead and trail are rarely used and infrequently maintained. Finding the trail itself will take a little sleuthing and requires crossing some irrigated meadows. Follow a two-track road along the north side of the fence until it fades or flood irrigation forces you into the field. Continue walking west, crossing two irrigation ditches and then Huckleberry Creek itself. The trail can be found against the base of the hillside after walking through large boulders on the west side of Huckleberry Creek.

Additional Adventures

The Huckleberry Trail links into both the southern Alpine Way Trail and drops down to Hell Roaring Lake.

Wilderness Regulations

Most of the trail lies within the Sawtooth Wilderness. Please observe the following  regulations:
• Mountain bikes are not allowed past the wilderness boundary.
• Self administered wilderness permits are required and available at the trailhead.
• Dogs must be on a leash between July 1 and Labor Day.
• Camp 100-feet from trails, lakes and streams.
• Pack out all garbage.
• Human waste should be buried and well disguised in a cat hole 6-8 inches deep.  Pack out all toilet paper.
• Campfires allowed ONLY in a backcountry pan or fire blanket.
• Campfires are NOT allowed at some lakes and in some drainages in the Sawtooths. Please review the campfire restrictions at individual trailheads.
• Permits required for all stock use in the wilderness. No grazing allowed in the Salmon River watershed (This includes the Alpine Lake drainage).
• No equine stock at Edith Lake. ALL stock prohibited in the Goat Creek and Alpine Creek (Alturas Lake) drainages.

Reference: All content excerpted from Exploring the Sawtooths - A Comprehensive Guide by Idaho River Publications.