Boundary Trail 4E50

Dogs Leashed

Features Commonly Backpacked · Lake · Views

The trailhead can be hard to find among the dispersed camp sites at the end of the road into Elk Valley. The trail climbs along Blue Creek to Flatiron Lake, where there are camp sites, about 1.5 miles along. It gets less use past the lake (and is no longer considered stock passable) as it travels high in the drainage of Dillon Creek. It can be a little hard to find as it climbs up to a ridge and along to a seasonal pond about 3 miles in. The junction with unmaintained Buck Camp Ridge Trail is beside this pond.

There are excellent views along the ridge toward Sawtooth Mountain. At a saddle south of the mountain, the trail starts a very determined drop via short switchbacks to Elk Hole, which is about 5 miles in. After crossing the creek below Elk Hole, it climbs again past more little ponds.

It keeps on climbing until it reaches the ridge top for a long, generally dry stretch. The area is fire ravaged and there are many trees down along the way. The trail makes occasional very steep transitions. Eventually it drops lower along the west side of the ridge and starts north with a spur to some more high ponds. The generally dry stretch continues until ending at South Kelsey Trail near Harrington Lake.