more stats
1,811 ft
Distance
-183 ft
Descent
1 mile
High Point
-185 ft
Altitude change
5,914 ft
Altitude min
6,099 ft
Altitude start
5,915 ft
Altitude end
-10.2%
Grade
-28.9%
Grade max
-2.1%
Grade min
1,811 ft
Distance down

Upper Buzztail Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Winter Fat Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Challis Foothills
    Challis, Idaho
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Blue (1 vote)
  • Local Popularity
    75 in Mountain Biking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T2 Mountain Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Direction
    Both Directions
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Hard
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Season
    9
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 3
  • Year Opened
    2025
  • Land Owner
    Bureau of Land Management - Challis Field Office

Upper Buzztail is extension from Lower Grand when it's complete into the draw portion of Rattlesnake alley. Primary direction of travel will be downhill. Though it can be ridden in either direction.

Access Info

Access to Upper Buzztail is currently via Rattlesnake Alley. In the future multiple entry point will be available from the Blue Mountain trail and Lower Buzztail trail via Lower Grand or from the John Henry side via Lower Grand

Trail Supporters
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 1 rides
  • 16 miles average
6 Months
  • 10 rides
  • 9 miles avg distance
All
  • 14 rides
  • Last: Aug 4, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
update trails status or condition

Upper Buzztail Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jul 30, 2026 @ 4:06pm (Pacific/Midway)
Jul 30, 2026
 Not super dry necessarily, but some loose marbles on corners
Apr 3, 2026 @ 2:22pm (America/Boise)
Apr 3, 2026
 Riding alittle rough, deer used it as a super highway this winter; ruts should smooth out with riders though
more »
Status:
on Jul 30, 2026
Dry
Avg: 4.13 (1 votes)
Your vote: 0

view (44)
close
  • Basemap  Map 
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
3D
Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users activity logs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Ridden
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
  • < 2 days
  • < 1 week
  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
  • < 6 months
  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
  • most popular
  • popular
  • less popular
  • not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
cell carrier legend

Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Personal Heatmap
▶ Activity Types
all / none
▶ Options
2
Date range month
–
Winter Trails
Warning A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status

Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.

map legend
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
disable
Only show trails with no bike usage.
Enable
Suggested Layers
Based on selected activity type

    Save the current map location and zoom level as your default home location whenever this page is loaded.

    Save
        Directions to upper-buzztail trailhead (44.481340, -114.254590)

        Photos

        5 more »
        mtb
        70 |
        Oct 30, 2025 @ 10:57am
        Oct 30, 2025
        mtb
        61 |
        Oct 30, 2025 @ 10:57am
        Oct 30, 2025
        mtb
        63 |
        Oct 19, 2025 @ 12:43pm
        Oct 19, 2025
        mtb
        83 |
        Oct 19, 2025 @ 12:43pm
        Oct 19, 2025

        Videos

        no videos have been added for Upper Buzztail yet, add a video.

        Trail Products

        Reviews / Comments

        No reviews yet, be the first to write a review or ask a question.
        Use trail reports to comment on trail conditions.


        We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

        Create a FREE account to view trail comments and much more.

        Create a Free Account

        Nearby Trails

        Challis Foothills

        • By chatowndTF Pro & contributors
        • #869956 - 173 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Upper Buzztail

        ▼ Where is Upper Buzztail located?
        Upper Buzztail is located in Challis Foothills, Challis, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Challis Foothills trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 44.48134, -114.25459.
        ▼ How hard is Upper Buzztail?
        Upper Buzztail is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Hard. The average grade is 10.2%. The climb difficulty is rated Blue.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Upper Buzztail?
        The trail has 183 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 5,914 ft to 6,099 ft.
        ▼ Is Upper Buzztail a point to point trail?
        Upper Buzztail is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ How long is Upper Buzztail?
        Upper Buzztail is 1,811 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Upper Buzztail?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Upper Buzztail. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to ride Upper Buzztail?
        Upper Buzztail is best visited during: 9.
        ▼ How do I access Upper Buzztail? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Upper Buzztail are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How busy is Upper Buzztail?
        Upper Buzztail is a very popular trail. There have been 27 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 44 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

        Hit the Trail

        Open in App

        Get this trail on your phone instantly.
        open trail in app

        Download Trail

        Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
        save the trail

        Find Related Routes

        Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
        find routes for this trail

        You must enter a description before submitting.