Harrington Fork Trail #006

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Spring · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

There may be dirt bike traffic, and there will probably be cattle in the summer, and fall. This trail has little shade until you get into the higher elevations, so avoid during the heat of the day in the summer time.

The trail begins at the Harrington Fork Picnic area, where there is a set of pit toilets in an interesting stone building. The trail moves gradually up the canyon, with very little shade. It goes through several different levels of vegetation, beginning with sage and grass, and moving up into scrub oak, aspens, and eventually pine forests.

The trail crosses a creek bed several times, which has water in the spring—and maybe through part of summer—but it usually dries by mid-summer. There are a few springs here and there that fill the creek bed with some water year round. There are also many interesting rock formations throughout the canyon. It is the typical dark rhyolite that you find everywhere around the Snake River basin.

This trail also allows dirt bikes, so you may encounter some dirt bike traffic, but I don't think it is very popular. It also is used as range land for cattle, so you'll likely encounter cattle in the summer time. Be respectful. Since it is range land, there is a gate you'll have to go through; make sure you leave the gate as you found it.

The trail connects with NF Road 140 at the top of the canyon. From there, you can go higher into the backcountry by taking the road going south.

Sagebrush, aspens, scrub oak, pine trees, songbirds, lizards, cattle, deer, elk