Corral Creek

There is a pond near the beginning of the hike and there is a fantastic watering hole at the 2.2-mile mark. Most of the hike is in full sun, so it is advised to carry some water.

From downtown Ketchum, it is an easy 2.6-mile drive with all on paved roads. Click here for directions to the trailhead. There are about 30 parking spots on either side of the street, but spots can still get scarce by mid-morning during the summer.

There are no bathroom facilities at the trailhead.

May through November

Go straight for a few steps and come to the Hemingway Memorial.

Wind to your right and around the memorial. Go downhill and come to a T-junction with a wide path. Turn left.

Follow the main path with Trail Creek flowing on your right. At .18 miles, the path splits. Veer left again. A few steps later, bird dogs may find a few ducks to chase in a pond to the right. At .35 miles, Sun Valley Company’s Trail Creek Cabin property will appear before you. It is an extremely popular venue for weddings in the spring through fall, so to avoid crashing the party, it is advised to follow this alternative route on weekend afternoon hikes. It will add only a tenth of a mile but nearly 170 feet climb to the hike.

Turn right onto the paved road, cross a bridge, and come to a T-junction. Turn left.

Continue on the path that skirts the backside of Trail Creek Cabin and after a small hill, come to the proper start of the hike at .65 miles. The Aspen Loop trail will veer off to the right through the woods, but continue straight.

Just before the .8 mile mark, you will enter a large sun-soaked meadow. As you enter the meadow, notice the path to your left. This is where the Corral Creek loop will end and you will re-connect with the trail to head back to the trailhead.

You will come to a series of junctions over the next .6 miles. Always take the most clearly defined path.

• At .83 miles, stay to the right;
• At the signed junction with Aspen Loop, stay left;
• At 1 mile, stay right;
• At 1.25 miles, stay right and pass through a small grove of aspen trees;
• At the signed multi-junction with Trail Creek Trailhead, etc, stay straight.

The trail rises slightly as you pass a hillside and at 1.7 miles, you will enter a stand of tall, fire-damaged trees. Quickly arrive at a junction. The path straight ahead continues into the forest for a number of miles to Corral Creek Road, but is mainly used by mountain bikers. Instead of following that, turn left and be careful with your footing as you scurry down a rocky hill.

As you descend the short hill, you will hear Trail Creek flowing from down the slope to your right. As you complete the wide left turn, Bald Mountain will dominate the horizon before you. The trail continues along the right edge of the top level of the meadow and eventually the beautiful Trail Creek comes into view. Just after the 2-mile mark, there is a four-way junction. If you have a dog, we suggest taking a right turn and heading down the hill towards the creek. At the bottom of the hill, take a hard left turn to continue along the path. At 2.2 miles, there is an excellent watering hole for dogs.

Climb the short hill at 2.3 miles to re-connect to the original trail. Come to a junction at 2.7 miles and stay right.

The loop ends at a junction at 2.82 miles, marking the start of Section 3. Re-trace your steps back to the trailhead.