// track pieces: 576, // elevation pieces: 576

Be mindful that portions of your route will be through burned areas. Beware of falling trees and limbs, rolling rocks and flash floods. Watch the weather and stay out if the forecast is for stormy weather or high winds. Trees come down all the time in a burned forest, winds or not, and despite the best efforts of the FS Trail Crew, and area volunteers, some trees may be down along your intended route.

Accessing the trails in the Deer Creek drainage takes some effort. Deer Creek Road starts out pretty nice, but depending on when it was last graded, and the time of the year, it can get pretty rough. As you get deeper in, the road narrows, and there some blind corners that you need to approach slowly. It takes a while to get in and out, but if it isn't the high-summer season, or hunting season, the area can be relatively quiet, and somewhat less traveled.

During the 2013 Beaver Creek fire, over 70 percent of the Deer Creek drainage burned. This was followed by torrential storms and flooding in the spring of 2014. The resulting damage to the natural and man-made components of the drainage was stunning. The area was ravaged and required a multi-year, significant rebuilding effort by the Forest Service and the local community.   From 2015 to 2018, the Ketchum Ranger District rehabilitated the floodplain, restored wildlife habitat, rebuilt 20 dispersed campsites, installed trailhead facilities at two locations, and relocated 3,500 feet of forest road. They planted over 20,000 native plants and are treating the area for noxious weeds. They also rebuilt 28 miles of single-track trails in Deer Creek. These rebuilt trails form important connections to the vast system of trails found to the north of the drainage.

In total, Deer Creek restoration costs neared $1.6 million. Funding for this massive effort was largely mobilized by the 5B Restoration Coalition, a grassroots community alliance of diverse interests that strives to bring the Wood River community together to restore and enhance our lands and natural assets.  Blaine County’s Land, Water and Wildlife Program, a tax-payer levy program, contributed $496,000 to the Deer Creek restoration efforts. This significant contribution provided leverage for additional funding including $188,000 from the National Forest Foundation, who is also the facilitator of the 5B Restoration Group. For more information about the 5BRC visit this web site: 5B Restoration Coalition

At the intersection of Hwy. 75 and Deer Creek Road, take the paved Deer Creek Road west. (This intersection is about 2 miles north of Hailey, and about 9 miles south of Ketchum). Travel safely and slowly through the neighborhood to cross the bridge over the Big Wood River. The road surface changes to gravel approx. 3 miles west of the highway.

From the highway it is about 10.5 miles out Deer Creek Road to its end at the FS Deer Creek Trailhead. The parking at the end of Deer Creek Road becomes most crowded during hunting season. At the trailhead are an interpretive/map kiosk and a vault toilet.