Bear Pete Creek Trail
Bear Pete Creek Trail is identified as a 3.4-mile there-and-back trail with 341 feet of elevation. However, the trail continued much further, and we had some time, so we went 5.28 miles with 528 feet of elevation (the miles and elevation match was unintentional). The trail begins at the tail end of a camping area near Burgdorf Hot Springs. You‘ll hike through a meadow, across a creek, and into the forest. If you watch for it, you’ll notice the vegetation gets more dense as you hike along the trail. According to AllTrails, the hike ends where the small creek crosses the trail around the 1.7-mile mark. Further than this point, you will encounter more water on the trail, wildflowers, wildlife, and thicker foliage. I found this area more interesting, but I can’t speak to what you will find. This hike is pretty easy and isn’t even that long, but I highly recommend reserving some time at the hot springs after the hike. More on that later.
The Approach
From McCall, take W Lake St and turn onto Waren Wagon Rd. Follow this road for 28 miles. You reach a point where the paved road ends. Turn left onto Brigdorf Rd/French Creek Rd. Follow this road for 4 miles. On your left, you’ll see a clearing with some campsites; turn into this area (45.306423, -115.931235). Follow the main road through the campsites to the end. You see a small parking area and a sign pointing out the trail that leads into the trees.
Challenges
The trail is narrow in most locations, has some tripping hazards, and there can be water on the trails beyond the AllTrails endpoint.
Equipment
Sunscreen
Hat (optional)
Bug Spray
Good hiking shoes/boots
The Trail
Bear Pete Trail and Bear Pete Moutain were named after Peter “Bear Pete” Brockenau. He earned his nickname due to his never-ending repertoire of bear stories. Nestled in the Payette National Forest, the trail begins at the end of the main road through an unnamed campsite. The trailhead begins where the main road through the campsite ends. There is a small parking area for maybe two cars and a small loop around a tree to turn around (approximately 45.305180, -115.933146). A small sign identifies the trailhead.
The trail begins flat as you walk among the tall, skinny pines. The trees start to thin quickly as you enter a clearing. Follow the trail to Lake Creek. The trail may link you with the wooden bridge that traverses the creek, but you might have to walk off-trail briefly to cross the bridge. The bridge is a great spot to hang out and enjoy the view and the weather, but since you just started the hike, you might want to wait for the return trip to stop and enjoy the moment.
Across the bridge, the trail narrows, and the tall grass obscures it from view. The depression of the trail is still pretty easy to follow, but keep your footing in mind. The narrow trail's lack of visibility and steep sidewalls can make it hazardous and easy to roll an ankle. You'll reenter the pine forest on the other side of the meadow. The trail widens momentarily as you enter the forest, but soon, you are back on a narrow path. Soon, you’ll start to gain some elevation.
The first half of this trail has somewhat new growth. A fire must have burned through this area 5-10 years ago. As you get deeper into the woods, the trees show more signs of age as the forest grows thicker and thicker. You will continue to climb slowly, and along the way, you’ll hear the sound of the rushing creek but won’t quite be able to see it. As you draw near the end point of the AllTrails portion of the hike, you can see a small creek running alongside the trail. Not much further than that, you reach the endpoint, where this small creek crosses the trail. This is a great stopping point if you don’t feel like continuing. There is shade, a gentle trickle of water, and wildflowers being visited by various winged bugs. We were thrilled to see several bumble bees gathering pollen.
Bonus Trail
Farther along the trail, the forest gets noticeably thicker and more dense. The vegetation and trees are much older here and stood out to us in stark contrast to what we had just hiked through. The trail was often shared with the flowing water of a creek, making the trail muddy and difficult to traverse. We tread carefully to prevent damage to the trail and avoided going off-trail whenever possible. We were ready to turn around and head back about 3/4 of a mile further in and another 80 feet in elevation. The return trip was a little slower as we stopped often to look at the wildflowers and bumblebees. We even saw a few butterflies that had us pause to take pictures.
Summary
Overall, this was a great hike. The trail was in good shape, but there were some tripping hazards. The elevation gain for the distance was minimal. The wildflowers, wildlife, and views were fantastic. The old-growth forest was the most interesting part of this hike. It felt like we had entered another time and place, like Narnia or something. I recommend hiking the extra distance to experience it. The return trip was mostly downhill, which I love. Take advantage of the extra ease and speed to stop and smell the flowers, so to speak. Let the beauty invigorate, the serenity permeate, and the wonder inspire you.
