West Warrior Trail

Dogs Off-leash

Very remote. Drops you into Black Warrior Trail, which crosses the creek 50+ times. Plan on soaking your shoes once you exit via Black Warrior Trail.

The West Warrior Trail is an absolutely spectacular trail in one of the wildest settings one can hike in Idaho. If technical hiking on rugged exposed terrain on a ridge is your cup of tea, this trail will blow your mind.

To access the west side of this trail, you'll have to climb up Horse Heaven Trail from either direction to the high point on that trail. Starting from this saddle, climb up to Swanholm Peak. This isn't too bad, although there are a few sections that'll hint at what's to come.

From Swanholm Peak, you'll hike a low-traffic trail along the ridge to your west. It's smooth at times, and more technical at others. As you proceed along the ridge, you'll pass several lakes to your right, which make for an epic lunch spot or campsite. Eventually, you'll hit an intersection with the Lodgepole Trail. This point marks the start of the descent.

The descent to Black Warrior Creek starts gentle, but quickly develops quite the downward slope. The trail heads straight down a steep ridge with lots of loose scree. Don't think your hike is over once you're down off the mountains though. You've still got the Black Warrior Trail left, which has dozens of creek crossings that WILL soak your feet. You'll want to take the Eagle Creek Trail to escape to the road, despite having a steep climb, it's far less work than continuing to the Black Warrior Trailhead.