Heidelberg Hill

There is no reliable source of water on this hike. During wet season, you will cross a creek at the beginning and end of the hike, but it usually runs dry by mid-July.

From downtown Ketchum, it is an easy 2.7-mile drive with all but .2 miles being on paved roads. Click here for directions to the trailhead. There is plenty of parking, but spots can get scarce by mid-morning on summer weekends.

There are bathroom facilities at the trailhead.

May through mid-November

Keep the trailhead sign to your left and begin walking down the wide path, crossing a bridge within a few hundred feet. Turn right after the bridge and at .2 miles, come to the signed junction to Heidelberg Hill. Turn left.

The trail winds to the left and begins to climb gently. At .3 miles, come to another junction and turn right, continuing to climb and shortly after, come to another signed junction and veer left to continue ascending.

The trail rises through the woods and at about the half-mile mark, come into the open as the trail crests. The descending trail straight ahead takes you down to Ketchum’s Warm Springs neighborhood. Take a left to continue climbing.

The trail splits at about .55. Veer right. The climb intensifies and through the valley to your right are good views of homes in Warm Springs.

As you continue climbing, views open to the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain. There is another junction at .67 miles. Veer right and shortly afterwards come alongside an old barbed wire fence. Just after the .8-mile mark, come to a vista point looking towards Baldy and Ketchum.

After enjoying the views, go back down the hill, but at 1.3 miles, turn right at the signed junction that you passed on the way up.

Stay right at a small junction just a few steps further down the trail. The final few tenths of a mile winds through the woods and then levels out before crossing a bridge that takes you back to the parking lot.