Lower City Creek Trail

Pocatello’s City Creek trail system is a go-to for residents, and makes outdoor access easy for visitors as well. These extensive trails twist throughout the hills and valleys near Old Town, offering routes of all lengths and difficulties. The hills are open prairie dotted with junipers, and the valleys are filled with foliage clustered along little creeks. Distant views include the city and all the surrounding mountains.

Lower City Creek is the most popular trail because it’s the first one encountered from the trailhead, and is used to connect with all the rest. Park in the small dirt lot, or walk/bike in from town, then you’ll start the trail and soon enter a leafy corridor. This trail starts out rather wide, but forks into narrower trails. You can choose to explore the others, or keep the path nearest the stream to stay on Lower City Creek Trail. It crosses the trickling stream several times on sturdy footbridges, and wanders among groves of maple and cottonwood trees.

You can make an easy loop by following the creek for about a mile, then returning on Bench Trail which traverses the hillside. That way you’ll have shade for the uphill, and you’ll enjoy views over the city on the way back. If you want to go farther and get a better workout, just continue past the junction with Bench Trail, onto Upper City Creek Trail. There you’ll find a steeper climb and even more trails at higher elevations.

All these trails are shared with mountain bikers, but Lower City Creek is for uphill riders only, so as a hiker you won’t have to worry about high-speed traffic. Above this initial creek corridor riders can go any direction, but there are many other trails for them to spread out on. If you descend on Bench Trail, you’ll see reroutes specifically for mountain bikers, and a straight path for hikers and runners.

The abundance of trails that all start from City Creek really hold something for everyone. Here you can take a short walk with your dog, or you can run for miles way up in the hills. One hike on these trails won’t be enough, but a quick loop with Lower City Creek makes the perfect introduction to Pocatello’s beloved trails.