Virginia Gulch
Virginia Gulch Trail is a 13.8-mile trail in Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1 to 3, minimally developed to developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, ATV and e-bikes.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Sawtooth 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 | 43.5386° N, 115.1566° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 43.6055° N, 115.1452° 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 is recorded as 7 segments.
The trail
| Length | 13.8 miles |
| Trail class | 1, minimally developed; 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 48-60 inches, 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Open to at least one motorized use |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 037001, 7037 |
| Forest | Sawtooth National Forest (unit 0414) |
| 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 |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
| Motorcycle | Allowed year-round |
| ATV | Allowed year-round |
| E-bikes | 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.
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
- WildfireEast Fork
12 mi from the trail midpoint · 266 acres · 60% contained
- PrescribedParadise Rx
17 mi from the trail midpoint · 400 acres
- PrescribedRx Mores South
33 mi from the trail midpoint · 245 acres
- PrescribedRx Paradigm Fuel Breaks
45 mi from the trail midpoint
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 Virginia Gulch Trail?
The Forest Service records 13.8 miles under this name in Sawtooth National Forest, the sum of 7 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Virginia Gulch Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking, motorcycle, ATV and e-bikes are allowed. The trail is open to at least one motorized use.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Virginia Gulch Trail start?
The line begins at 43.5386° N, 115.1566° W and ends at 43.6055° N, 115.1452° 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 Virginia Gulch Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Virginia Gulch Trail?
Willow Creek Campground (0.1 mi), Willow Creek Transfer Camp (1.5 mi) and Bird Creek Campground (1.8 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 7 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Virginia Gulch Trail?
Trail class 1 to 3, which the Forest Service describes as minimally developed to 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 Virginia Gulch Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 48-60 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Virginia Gulch Trail?
Sawtooth National Forest, Forest Service unit 0414. The trail is in Idaho.
Is there a fire near the Virginia Gulch Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest East Fork at 12 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 7 segments named Virginia Gulch in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0414. 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.