Harriman Trail
Highlights & Remarkable Spots
Sawtooth National Recreation Area / ~ Start
The Sawtooth National Recreation Area consists of 756,000 acres of wilderness. There are over “700 miles of trails, 40 peaks rising over 10,000 feet and 300-plus high-elevation alpine lakes that add to the spectacular scenery and vistas.” The route also follows Big Wood River, a 137-mile flow that joins Little Wood River to form Malad River. [Forest Service]
Easley Hot Springs / ~ mile 7.2
In 1880 John V. Easley dug out the springs and built a loghouse to provide travelers and miners a place to stay and clean up. When the mines diminished, so did the hot springs. The water in the pool and showers are free from chemicals and mineral-rich as they are from the natural springs themselves.
Galena / ~ mile 19
Galena was founded as a mining town in 1879. During its heyday with 800 or so residents, Galena was the largest community in the Wood River Valley boasting several hotels, stables, a meat market & the Daisy Saloon. By the 1890s the residents all moved on as the veins of ore were not as profitable as hoped and Galena was left virtually a ghost town.
In the 1960s the Galena area went through a succession of ownership transfers until it was purchased by the Gelsky’s who constructed Galena Lodge in its present location, using remnants of the old townsite for much of the interior construction. In 1976 a seven-member ownership team purchased the lodge. A cross-country trail system was developed which utilized the old mining and logging roads around Galena. The lodge and ski resort went through several transfers of ownership with ambitious proposals to further develop the cross-country trail system and resort. All of the plans were abandoned until a community effort in 1994 – Help Save Galena Campaign – raised over $500,000 for the community to purchase. The lodge was donated to the Blaine County Recreation District (BCRD) and today relies on community donations and trail fees to maintain operations. [Galena Lodge]
Galena Summit / ~ mile 26
The summit is at 8,701 feet above sea level which is the highest highway summit in the Northwest. Galena Summit divides the drainages of Big Wood River (to the south) and Salmon River (to the north). A mile west of the summit is Galena Overlook which encompasses sweeping views of the Sawtooth mountain range.[Wikipedia]
Credits & Acknowledgements
Route and media by Aaron Falkenberg. Research, writing and media by Kira Corbett and Kevin English of Dirty Freehub.
When We Like to Ride This
Fall is ideal, but it is good late spring (after the snow melts out) through fall. The trail drains and dries quickly.
Terrain & Riding
The trail climbs gradually and consistently going northward starting out on expansive grasslands before meandering through more forested terrain and then back onto the hillsides. The road climb to the summit is quite good, and the more adventurous can take the Old Toll Road up to the top for a truly car free experience.
The majority of the trail is pretty easy going, never any washboard, but the climb up to the summit is a good 6 miles at 5%. The final 1/2 mile off-road to the summit is much looser and steeper. Some may opt to hike the short distance to the top.
The Start
Sawtooth National Recreation Area (North Fork) Visitor Center. Water & flush toilets.
Food & Water
- ~ Miles 19 and 34: Galena Lodge (opens mid June)
Route Notes
We recommend a red blinky light with rear looking radar detector (i.e. Garmin Varia) for the paved sector.
Route Options
Alternate Route: There is the option to make this ride 100% gravel by taking The Old Toll Road 1.25 miles past Galena (~ mile 20.2) to the summit, but its quality can vary on any given day with the number of fallen trees. Trail crews seem to be visiting it more often so it’s worth looking at.
Have you ridden this route? Got a question? Join the discussion!