Horse Heaven
Horse Heaven Trail is an 11-mile trail in Payette National Forest, Idaho. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1, minimally developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Payette National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 45.3524° N, 115.5209° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 45.2887° N, 115.3951° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 11 miles |
| Trail class | 1, minimally developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 018 |
| Forest | Payette National Forest (unit 0412) |
| States | Idaho |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Frank Church-River of No Return WildernessFS · the whole line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedRx Doc Denny - Srrd
40 mi from the trail midpoint · 20 acres
- PrescribedMeadow Marsh 2026 Rx
42 mi from the trail midpoint · 70 acres
- PrescribedBoulder Cop Ton Rx 2026
42 mi from the trail midpoint · 10 acres
- PrescribedGoose Rx
45 mi from the trail midpoint · 529 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for Idaho
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Horse Heaven Trail?
The Forest Service records 11 miles under this name in Payette National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Horse Heaven Trail?
Hiking and horse and pack stock are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Horse Heaven Trail start?
The line begins at 45.3524° N, 115.5209° W and ends at 45.2887° N, 115.3951° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Horse Heaven Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Horse Heaven Trail?
Mackay Bar Campground (2.1 mi) is within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists it with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Horse Heaven Trail?
Trail class 1, which the Forest Service describes as minimally developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Horse Heaven Trail?
The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Horse Heaven Trail?
Payette National Forest, Forest Service unit 0412. The trail is in Idaho.
Is there a fire near the Horse Heaven Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Rx Doc Denny - Srrd at 40 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named Horse Heaven in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0412. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.