Five Mile Creek

Trail Overview

The Five Mile Creek single-track parallels the Five Mile Creek, starting on the Custer Motorway and going south for five miles until the intersection with Peach-Cinnabar. This is a heavily trafficked dirt bike trail near Stanley, Idaho, as it is the start of the main route that will take you to Custer's Lookout, a fire tower sitting at 9,753 elevation, which is a bucket list ride when near Stanley. From the north trailhead, Five Mile Creek immediately goes up a hillside into pine trees and starts side-hilling through the mountains on an exposed narrow trail. The trail's beginning is fast, flowy, and smooth dirt, but the significant exposure really elevates the difficulty, and it gets more difficult as you ride south. There are also small rocks and roots in the trail, plus rock outcroppings, all of which make the trail more technical. The trail keeps side-hilling, high up on a hillside, and across the bottom of scree fields. The narrowness and exposure shouldn't be overlooked. If one were not used to the narrow exposed trails in Idaho, this could be a bit of a shock. It constantly climbs up from north to south, gaining 2,200 feet elevation. At times, it gets farther away from the edge of the mountain with less exposure, but then there are rugged hill climbs that add to the challenge. Several switchbacks and very steep climbs are full of rocks, ruts, and roots. The average rider would struggle on this hill climb with a stock tire. A gummy tire with a soft mousse will help on these climbs. Watch out for significant dips into sudden washed-out ravines. There are spots in the trail that are big washed-out troughs running horizontally across the trail, with a 3 to 4-foot drop down into the washout. They are rideable, but they could end badly if they are ignored. After the intersection with Ramey Creek, the trail has some more rutted and rooted side-hilling. This trail ends on Peach-Cinnabar, but there is another segment of Fivemile Creek if you take Peach-Cinnabar east for about a mile, then go south. This trail is open 7/1 - 9/30 for motorized use.

Photos of Five Mile Creek

Want to see more?

Login

Difficulty

This is an advanced single track due to constant exposure when the narrow trail side-hills across the mountains. There are constant obstacles such as rocks and roots, switchbacks, and challenging loose hillclimbs. This trail should be approached with caution.

Technical Rating