Hells Canyon Loop

This ride offers a great workout with a fun 4 mile downhill and some great views. Close to the city of Hayden Lake with a great backcountry feel.

The trail gets used a lot by motorcycles so it gets rutted up a little in the looser sections of the trail.

Generally open from late May to early December depending upon snowpack.

This ride is a fun quick ride that is not far from the local city of Hayden Lake. It provides a great workout and quickly gets you into the initial backcountry of the Panhandle National Forest. It provides some scenics views about 3 - 4 miles into the ride.

The Ride starts at the lower trailhead of Trail 234 in the designated Parking Lot. Start the climb by heading east on Forest Road 437 until you reach Hudlow Saddle. At Hudlow Saddle take a right onto Forest Road 406. Once at the Forest Road 406 /1511 junction look north (to the right) and you'll find the Upper 234 Trailhead.

Now it's time to start your adventure on the Hells Canyon Trail (Trail #243). This is a brand new trail built by the Forest Service. You'll have some fun with it's frequent up's and down's. There are a few short burst climbs as you make you way down the sidehill of the canyon. The Trail offers some great views of the Hells Canyon Valley and you'll get a few good views of the western mountain ranges. Keep on the lookout for motorcycles as this is a popular trail for motorcycle users.

You'll wind up and over ridges and in and out of small drainages along with creek crossings and some fun switchbacks near the bottom. The final fun challenge is navigating a large creek crossing through Hayden Creek at the lower trailhead. You'll either make it across high and dry, or drop your feet for a good foot washing.

Have a good ride and enjoy!