Hike Elkhorn Peak Loop Caribou-Targhee National Forest, ID

Aug 28, 2022 — Elkhorn Peak is a high-prominence mountain in the Bannock Range of southern Idaho. The summit requires a bit of bushwhacking from whichever direction you choose to approach, so I figured I'd make a loop of it since there isn't a single best option. This also allowed me to get a couple of minor peaks along the ridge, and more importantly, quench my insatiable loop-creation thirst for the day. I had no trouble navigating to the trailhead, but sedans probably can't make the last mile past the Malad Summit Campground.

I headed west on a designated ATV road/trail, almost immediately reaching a junction. I kept right and continued along the ATV road. About a half mile of forest walking and I reached another junction. This would be the spot that completed my loop later. Left was the Kents Canyon Trail. I stayed right, taking the Indian Mill Trail, still clearly primarily used by ATVs. It switchbacked up the slope for a while and gave me some quick views over toward Elkhorn Peak before reaching the ridgeline above.

I left the road and headed south into the forest on a semblance of a social trail. I was able to avoid most bushwhacking, but not always. For the first half I recommend sticking to the trees when possible since the more open areas have sagebrush and other somewhat annoying plants. Higher up the brush died down and exposed more grassy sections that were more friendly to walk on. The route became more pretty as I progressed, keeping me from complaining about the lack of trail. Clearly I've gotten spoiled the last few days. There were a couple of steeper sections, and overall I had no issues navigating along the ridge. Before long I could see the final ascent to the summit of Elkhorn Peak, a mostly clear ridge walk with a narrow limestone spine guiding part of the way. The summit had a peculiar limestone cliff that stretched along the east face of the peak, a gorgeous feature overlooking the hilly landscape below. There was also a ridiculously tall cairn marking the summit.

Rather than backtrack, I decided to continue south along the ridge, committing to a loop. Shortly after leaving the summit, I encountered the potential for getting cliffed-out by some limestone bands on the south side of Elkhorn Peak, so I dropped below them as soon as I saw a viable steep grassy slope. Somehow the crest continued to be brush-free until around 8600', where sagebrush decided to suddently appear, though for only a short time. It soon gave way to some forest walking. Peak 8520 lay ahead, a forested and nearly view-less summit. The ascent to this peak was a bit steep, but animal trails kept the going straightforward and there was only a little bit of dryfall to hop over.

I headed down the east slope from Peak 8520, a thicker section of forest with a bunch of deadfall to hop over. It still wasn't bad, so I was really happy I decided to go for the loop. I reached a trail junction at the base of the peak, the same trail whose junction I passed earlier in the day, Kents Canyon. I'd be heading north along the Kents Canyon Trail shortly, but first I took a quick detour to hike to Peak 8339 across the saddle. There was some light Class 2 at the top, and the peak gave a nice view back toward Elkhorn Peak. I backtracked to the trail and headed north. The Kents Canyon Trail is a traditional singletrack, so I enjoyed the forest walk without feeling like an ATV could run me over.