more stats
3.6 miles
Distance
521 ft
Climb
-1,544 ft
Descent
00:44:11
Avg time
-1,023 ft
Altitude change
5,573 ft
Altitude min
6,998 ft
Altitude max
6,596 ft
Altitude start
5,574 ft
Altitude end
-5.4%
Grade
-47.2%
Grade max
34.5%
Grade min
1 mile
Distance climb
2 miles
Distance down
843 ft
Distance flat
00:44:11
Avg time

Blackwell Lake Loop Details

  • Activities
    • Dirtbike/Moto
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    East Side
    McCall, Idaho
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Local Popularity
    55 in Mountain Biking heatmap [+]
    • 75 in E-Biking
    • 45 in Trail Running
    • 55 in Hiking
    • 5 in Dirtbiking
    • 5 in Horseback
  • Global Ranking
    #146216 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #96774 in E-Biking
    • #132115 in Trail Running
    • #136583 in Hiking
    • #5556 in Dirtbiking
    • #20369 in Horseback
  • State Ranking
    #1,340 in Mountain Biking · Idaho [+]
    • #463 in E-Biking
    • #990 in Trail Running
    • #1,143 in Hiking
    • #356 in Dirtbiking
    • #667 in Horseback
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Both Directions
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    June-October
  • Alpine Trail
    Yes
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • Land Owner
    Payette National Forest

Deceptively tough. There's nothing outrageous on this loop, but it all adds up to make a tough ride. From the trailhead climb the basalt-cobbled dirt road through the first closed gate and across Fall Creek. The road is rough but gets better around the 2nd gate and is smoother again near the 2nd small creek crossing. You'll start getting some beautiful views of the valley and lake as you enter the large Tamarack grove. Continue climbing until you see the cairns and the singletrack on your left. Climb the singletrack up to the junction with Crestline trail, turning right to arrive at the small dam of Blackwell Lake. Cross the outflow and climb the singletrack up to the crest of Crestline trail. Along the crest, ignore the trail heading off to the east and continue south. The trail now descends pretty steeply back to the parking area at the trailhead.

Tags
AlpineCreek crossingLakeViews

Local Trail Association

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 1 rides
  • 11 miles average
6 Months
  • 8 rides
  • 16 miles avg distance
All
  • 17 rides
  • Last: Nov 8, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Blackwell Lake Loop Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jul 29, 2025 @ 4:06pm
Jul 29, 2025
 Super dry moon dust
Nov 2, 2022 @ 6:00am
Nov 2, 2022
 Snow
Jun 23, 2022 @ 8:28am
Jun 23, 2022
 Some downed trees, negotiable if hiking. Feet will get wet at the creek near the start, we went counter clockwise to hit that at the end . ...
Aug 28, 2021 @ 12:29pm
Aug 28, 2021
 This trail is horribly maintained. Amazing views but damn.
Jun 14, 2021 @ 2:03pm
Jun 14, 2021
 Large tree down across trail, blocking trail x3 suggest doing it counter clockwise. must stop at LAKE.
more »
Status:
on Jul 29, 2025
Very Dry
Avg: 4.18 (5 votes)
Your vote: 0

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      Directions to blackwell-lake-loop trailhead (44.969780, -116.003890)
      View on Discover Map 3D Tour

      Photos

      16 more »
      mtb
      238 |
      Jul 18, 2020 @ 8:18pm
      Jul 18, 2020
      mtb
      240 |
      Jul 11, 2020 @ 12:23pm
      Jul 11, 2020
      mtb
      36 |
      Oct 13, 2024 @ 7:32am
      Oct 13, 2024
      mtb
      40 |
      Oct 13, 2024 @ 7:32am
      Oct 13, 2024
      Views 3Trail Sign 2Lake 1Boardwalk 1

      Videos

      no videos have been added for Blackwell Lake Loop yet, add a video.

      Routes with this trail

      more »
      IMTUF 100 Miler 2020 Archived
      100 miles • 19,376 ft • 5 • Race •
      This is the IMTUF 100 mile course for 2020. The race has a 36 hour cut off time, with a total of 22,000...
      4.4 ★★★★★
      5 Ratings
      5 ★ 40%
      4 ★ 60%
      3 ★
      2 ★
      1 ★

      3 Reviews & Comments

      MegaStoke
      Despite basically being a dirt road, descending this trail on a mountain bike is surprisingly fun.
      Turtle-Speed
      North End of the Loop Has A Few Muddy Sections. The Brush is very overgrown on the North End Heading To the lake it really needs some maintenance long sleeve recommendation.
      racerxx276
      Please note! Once you pass the small dam of Blackwell Lake you will come to a fork, crestline to the east (motorized trail) and the loop goes to the left down to trail head. This is NON-MOTORIZED!

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      Nearby Trails

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      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Blackwell Lake Loop located?
      Blackwell Lake Loop is located in East Side, McCall, Idaho, United States. It is part of the East Side trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 44.96978, -116.00389.
      ▼ How hard is Blackwell Lake Loop?
      Blackwell Lake Loop is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 5.4%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Blackwell Lake Loop?
      Blackwell Lake Loop has 521 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 1,544 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 5,573 ft to 6,998 ft.
      ▼ Is Blackwell Lake Loop a point to point trail?
      Blackwell Lake Loop is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Blackwell Lake Loop?
      Blackwell Lake Loop is 3.6 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Blackwell Lake Loop?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Blackwell Lake Loop. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Blackwell Lake Loop?
      Based on activity log data, the most popular months to ride Blackwell Lake Loop are:
      • June (6 activities)
      • July (3 activities)
      • August (3 activities)
      Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
      ▼ How do I access Blackwell Lake Loop? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Blackwell Lake Loop are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Blackwell Lake Loop?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 44 minutes to ride Blackwell Lake Loop. The trail is 3.6 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Blackwell Lake Loop?
      Blackwell Lake Loop is a moderately popular trail. There have been 124 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 127 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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