Willow/Crane Loop Drive

This drive takes you through a little-appreciated high desert area: an area bounded by the Payette River on the south, West Mountain on the east, and the Weiser River on the north and west. There is no name for this region, which is dominated by the drainages of two creeks: Willow and Crane. To drive the area, you definitely need the BLM's Weiser 100K map, plus the Payette National Forest map. You might also want the BLM's Boise 100K map, which covers the very southernmost portions of the drive.

MILES CUM

-- 0.0 Start drive at intersection of ID-16 and ID-52, on the south side of Emmett; head north on ID-52 through Emmett

1.6 1.5 Cross Payette River; soon after, climb terraces on north side

1.8 3.3 Junction (W1) of ID-52, which heads right (east) to Horseshoe Bend, and Van Dussen Road, which heads north to the desert; Little Butte is prominent at 0130

2.1 5.4 The fragile hills here, in ancient lake sediments, have long been overgrazed

0.6 6.0 Views of the right side of Squaw Butte show tilted rock strata

1.2 7.2 Quarry to left reveals Lake Idaho sediments

0.5 7.7 Pavement ends at 3 way junction (W2); take middle road north; right road climbs to Squaw Butte

SQUAW BUTTE SIDE TRIP. Take the road to the right, a decent gravel road which is extremely steep at times. After 1.0 miles on the road to right, turn left and enter part of a catastrophic 1986 burn. After 3.5 miles, near a garage, note that this rocky bench is at the same elevation as the uplands at 0900. After another 0.7 miles you start up Corral Creek Canyon, with unburned range to the right, burned range to the left; compare the cover (how much soil is exposed to wind, rain, hail). After another 1.1 miles, an area of especially good vegetation to the left; another 0.9 miles brings you to a grazing exclosure to the left; another 0.4 miles brings you to a T intersection. To reach the top of the Butte, turn right and then left after .2 miles. To reach possible hiking, turn left and after .5 miles park and walk out ridge road; this is the trailhead for hiking north down Squaw Butte Ridge.

1.0 8.7 Just after crossing divide, observe erosion platform on Squaw Butte's west side

1.3 10.0 Junction; bear right, heading north on Fourmile Road, at the headwaters of Big Willow Creek, tributary to the Payette

3.0 13.0 After curving around a house, stop and look back down Big Willow Creek, looking west as the creek heads to the Payette

1.7 14.7 Good view back to Squaw Butte from summit

1.4 16.1 Gem-Payette County line; superb views across Big Willow Creek canyon; many hillsides straight ahead show rock stripes, a periglacial feature; between the stripes are areas of deep soil; this is the steep-slope equivalent of patterned ground hummocks

1.0 17.1 Cross Willow Creek (W3); turn right and head up its scenic canyon, on the southeast flank of Willow Ridge

2.5 19.6 Especially fine cliffs across canyon

0.4 20.0 Reenter Gem County

1.3 21.3 After climbing above Willow Creek, you see excellent stone stripes at 0100; Jakes Creek, to the right, drains a big chunk of Squaw Butte

2.1 23.4 Summit; a good trailhead, only 1000 feet below 4825, a major peak on the south end of Willow Ridge; in Section 11, T9N R1W, USGS Coonrod Gulch map

1.1 24.5 Coonrod Gulch to left; also hikeable

4.2 28.7 Fascinating view ahead as Big Willow Creek veers to the right and heads for its source; ahead lies Big Flat, mostly drained by Crane Creek; this long valley could be a trench, responding to tectonic changes that mean Big Willow and Crane alternately drain Big Flat; this is the change from Map 1 to Map 2 (W4)

6.8 35.5 Council Mountain is the lone peak on the horizon to the NNE

0.7 36.2 McFadden Lane to the left; access to the north end of Willow Ridge, poor condition range; Weiser 38 miles

1.1 37.3 Summit of hill; best view south along Willow Ridge to Squaw Butte; you can clearly see the re-establishment of western North America's north-south trend here, on the north end of the Snake River Plain and the west side of the Idaho Batholith

0.9 38.2 Sheep Creek Road (W5) heads right to Dodson Pass, Ola 20; you will end the loop on this road

0.5 38.7 On a straightaway after rounding a corner, the Dodson Pass/Low Pass area is visible behind you at 0530; soon after, you enter hummocky patterned ground, a hint of things to come

1.0 39.7 Rejoin North Crane Creek

3.5 43.2 Fourmile Road comes in from left; you continue north

2.2 45.4 "T" intersection (W6); Granger Butte straight ahead; turn right for Indian Valley

2.4 47.8 West Mountain at 0300; Indian Mountain at 0130; Council Mountain at 0100

0.3 48.1 Enormous patterned ground hummocks begin; this is a former glacial outwash fan of the Little Weiser River; the river no longer follows this route, but swings north towards Council; this area is mostly private land

2.4 50.5 Lava Flat; BLM land is found on both sides of the road; great place to explore the patterned ground

0.5 51.0 Begin descent to Little Weiser River

1.5 52.5 Bear left at junction (W7) with gravel road

1.6 54.1 Bear right

1.6 55.7 Indian Valley store; go straight

1.3 57.0 "Y" junction; bear left

2.7 59.7 Junction with US-95 (W8); turn left towards Cambridge; leave Map 2 and begin Map 3

10.3 70.0 Cross main Weiser River; enter Cambridge, turn left

0.4 70.4 ID-71 to right leads to Hells Canyon; continue south on US-95

1.7 72.1 Enter canyon of Weiser River; very good grass can be found on ungrazed areas of the highway right of way, on the slopes to the right, with parking at turnouts 0.4 and 0.7 miles past here

6.8 78.9 Enter Midvale, turn left down main street

0.3 79.2 Cross new Weiser River bridge, watch for signs and follow road to Crane Creek Reservoir

0.8 80.0 Junction (W9); turn right for Crane Creek Reservoir; leave Map 3 and start Map 4

2.8 82.8 Descend to Banner Creek

5.2 88.0 Crane Creek Reservoir Road heads to the right; hiking potential exists in Crane Creek canyon below the dam, but public access is uncertain; continue straight (east)

2.1 90.1 Bear left on a sweeping curve

3.7 93.8 Pavement ends at "Y" intersection (W8); bear left for North Crane Creek

0.6 94.4 Turn right toward Snowbank Mountain

4.0 98.4 Back at "T" intersection south of Granger Butte (W6); turn right toward Ola, and retrace steps to Sheep Creek Road; leave Map 4, go to Map 5

7.2 105.6 Sheep Creek Road (W5); turn left

4.1 109.7 Dodson Pass; trailhead for hike; from here to ID-52, the route is almost entirely through private lands

0.2 109.9 Poor road leads left; makes acceptable hiking to north of Dodson Pass

1.3 111.2 Third Fork Road; bear right

2.1 113.3 Go left on East Nesbitt Lane

2.0 115.3 Bear right and climb

0.4 115.7 Four way intersection (W10); turn right for Ola on Road 618, begin descent of Squaw Creek

9.3 125.0 Turn left on Second Fork Road

1.0 126.0 Ola; good views toward Squaw Butte at 0130

9.4 135.4 High point; good view down Squaw Butte to Sweet

7.9 143.3 ID-52; go right to Emmett, left to Horseshoe Bend

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--	0.0	Start drive at intersection of ID-16 and ID-52, on the south side of Emmett; head north on ID-52 through Emmett
1.6	1.5	Cross Payette River; soon after, climb terraces on north side
1.8	3.3	Junction (W1) of ID-52, which heads right (east) to Horseshoe Bend, and Van Dussen Road, which heads north to the desert; Little Butte is prominent at 0130
2.1	5.4	The fragile hills here, in ancient lake sediments, have long been overgrazed
0.6	6.0	Views of the right side of Squaw Butte show tilted rock strata
1.2	7.2	Quarry to left reveals Lake Idaho sediments
0.5	7.7	Pavement ends at 3 way junction (W2); take middle road north; right road climbs to Squaw Butte
		SQUAW BUTTE SIDE TRIP. Take the road to the right, a decent gravel road which is extremely steep at times. After 1.0 miles on the road to right, turn left and enter part of a catastrophic 1986 burn. After 3.5 miles, near a garage, note that this rocky bench is at the same elevation as the uplands at 0900. After another 0.7 miles you start up Corral Creek Canyon, with unburned range to the right, burned range to the left; compare the cover (how much soil is exposed to wind, rain, hail). After another 1.1 miles, an area of especially good vegetation to the left; another 0.9 miles brings you to a grazing exclosure to the left; another 0.4 miles brings you to a T intersection. To reach the top of the Butte, turn right and then left after .2 miles. To reach possible hiking, turn left and after .5 miles park and walk out ridge road; this is the trailhead for hiking north down Squaw Butte Ridge.
1.0	8.7	Just after crossing divide, observe erosion platform on Squaw Butte's west side
1.3	10.0	Junction; bear right, heading north on Fourmile Road, at the headwaters of Big Willow Creek, tributary to the Payette
3.0	13.0	After curving around a house, stop and look back down Big Willow Creek, looking west as the creek heads to the Payette
1.7	14.7	Good view back to Squaw Butte from summit
1.4	16.1	Gem-Payette County line; superb views across Big Willow Creek canyon; many hillsides straight ahead show rock stripes, a periglacial feature; between the stripes are areas of deep soil; this is the steep-slope equivalent of patterned ground hummocks
1.0	17.1	Cross Willow Creek (W3); turn right and head up its scenic canyon, on the southeast flank of Willow Ridge
2.5	19.6	Especially fine cliffs across canyon
0.4	20.0	Reenter Gem County
1.3	21.3	After climbing above Willow Creek, you see excellent stone stripes at 0100; Jakes Creek, to the right, drains a big chunk of Squaw Butte
2.1	23.4	Summit; a good trailhead, only 1000 feet below 4825, a major peak on the south end of Willow Ridge; in Section 11, T9N R1W, USGS Coonrod Gulch map
1.1	24.5	Coonrod Gulch to left; also hikeable
4.2	28.7	Fascinating view ahead as Big Willow Creek veers to the right and heads for its source; ahead lies Big Flat, mostly drained by Crane Creek; this long valley could be a trench, responding to tectonic changes that mean Big Willow and Crane alternately drain Big Flat; this is the change from Map 1 to Map 2 (W4)
6.8	35.5	Council Mountain is the lone peak on the horizon to the NNE
0.7	36.2	McFadden Lane to the left; access to the north end of Willow Ridge, poor condition range; Weiser 38 miles
1.1	37.3	Summit of hill; best view south along Willow Ridge to Squaw Butte; you can clearly see the re-establishment of western North America's north-south trend here, on the north end of the Snake River Plain and the west side of the Idaho Batholith
0.9	38.2	Sheep Creek Road (W5) heads right to Dodson Pass, Ola 20; you will end the loop on this road
0.5	38.7	On a straightaway after rounding a corner, the Dodson Pass/Low Pass area is visible behind you at 0530; soon after, you enter hummocky patterned ground, a hint of things to come
1.0	39.7	Rejoin North Crane Creek
3.5	43.2	Fourmile Road comes in from left; you continue north
2.2	45.4	"T" intersection (W6); Granger Butte straight ahead; turn right for Indian Valley
2.4	47.8	West Mountain at 0300; Indian Mountain at 0130; Council Mountain at 0100
0.3	48.1	Enormous patterned ground hummocks begin; this is a former glacial outwash fan of the Little Weiser River; the river no longer follows this route, but swings north towards Council; this area is mostly private land
2.4	50.5	Lava Flat; BLM land is found on both sides of the road; great place to explore the patterned ground
0.5	51.0	Begin descent to Little Weiser River
1.5	52.5	Bear left at junction (W7) with gravel road
1.6	54.1	Bear right
1.6	55.7	Indian Valley store; go straight
1.3	57.0	"Y" junction; bear left
2.7	59.7	Junction with US-95 (W8); turn left towards Cambridge; leave Map 2 and begin Map 3
10.3	70.0	Cross main Weiser River; enter Cambridge, turn left
0.4	70.4	ID-71 to right leads to Hells Canyon; continue south on US-95
1.7	72.1	Enter canyon of Weiser River; very good grass can be found on ungrazed areas of the highway right of way, on the slopes to the right, with parking at turnouts 0.4 and 0.7 miles past here
6.8	78.9	Enter Midvale, turn left down main street
0.3	79.2	Cross new Weiser River bridge, watch for signs and follow road to Crane Creek Reservoir
0.8	80.0	Junction (W9); turn right for Crane Creek Reservoir; leave Map 3 and start Map 4
2.8	82.8	Descend to Banner Creek
5.2	88.0	Crane Creek Reservoir Road heads to the right; hiking potential exists in Crane Creek canyon below the dam, but public access is uncertain; continue straight (east)
2.1	90.1	Bear left on a sweeping curve
3.7	93.8	Pavement ends at "Y" intersection (W8); bear left for North Crane Creek
0.6	94.4	Turn right toward Snowbank Mountain
4.0	98.4	Back at "T" intersection south of Granger Butte (W6); turn right toward Ola, and retrace steps to Sheep Creek Road; leave Map 4, go to Map 5
7.2	105.6	Sheep Creek Road (W5); turn left
4.1	109.7	Dodson Pass; trailhead for hike; from here to ID-52, the route is almost entirely through private lands
0.2	109.9	Poor road leads left; makes acceptable hiking to north of Dodson Pass
1.3	111.2	Third Fork Road; bear right
2.1	113.3	Go left on East Nesbitt Lane
2.0	115.3	Bear right and climb
0.4	115.7	Four way intersection (W10); turn right for Ola on Road 618, begin descent of Squaw Creek
9.3	125.0	Turn left on Second Fork Road
1.0	126.0	Ola; good views toward Squaw Butte at 0130
9.4	135.4	High point; good view down Squaw Butte to Sweet
7.9	143.3	ID-52; go right to Emmett, left to Horseshoe Bend