Blackwell Lake via Fall Creek and Crestline Trails

Hiking the Blackwell Lake via Fall Creek and Crestline Trails makes for an unforgettable experience. This beautiful adventure into Idaho’s high country is versatile and popular amongst hikers and mountain bikers alike. Explore lush montane meadows and woodlands bisected by meandering creeks and adorned with crystalline lakes. While there are stands of tree shade, most of the route is exposed, so make sure you check the forecast and dress accordingly. Although the trail is open and accessible year-round, winter markings are sparse, and the snow-capped terrain is difficult to navigate, so off-season exploration is not recommended.

Setting out from the trailhead off Lick Creek Road, the Blackwell Lake via Fall Creek and Crestline Trails follows the Fall Creek Saddle Trail 108 into the wilderness. Navigating what seems like a never-ending set of switchbacks, this route will deliver you to an overlook of Pilgrim Cove and Payette Lake. Here you will confront an intersection, keep left, and you will be diverted onto the Crestline Trail 109. Beyond this point, the terrain is mostly unshaded, offering incredible views of Idaho’s mountainous landscape.

After some hiking along the Crestline Trail, you will reach Blackwell Lake. Enjoy the scene of the vegetation-ringed lake and bounding granite bluffs. When you are through reveling in the postcard-perfect panorama, retrace your steps back down to the trailhead.