The Wood Road

Hikes: D, O.
Total Distance, D: 3 1/2 miles.
Difficulty: Levels I, II.
Season: March 15-October 15.
USGS Map: Schodde Well.
BLM 100K Map: Lake Walcott.
Dirt Road Miles: 1 1/2 gravel, 2 1/4 good dirt, 1 1/4 fair dirt.
PLSS Location: Section 26, T7S R27E.

Introduction: This is the best hike for southwestern and south-central Idahoans who want to experience the glories of hiking on pahoehoe lava. It starts on the Wood Road, which was built to access the area's junipers for firewood and fence posts.
  The BLM excluded this road, and the grassland it goes through (and in fact all the grasslands on the Wapi Flow's west side) from its Great Rift wilderness recommendation. The road hasn't been maintained in years, it would make a great hiking trail, and it just doesn't make sense to allow motor vehicle access into the heart of the lava flow.
  There are four hikes here. Easiest is to walk east from the trailhead on the Wood Road; it extends for two miles. You can also follow a road north to Higgins, which has good views. A great Level II day or overnight hike is to cut off the Wood Road once it enters the Wapi Flow, and hike north along gentle pressure ridges. Finally, you can hike to the end of the Wood Road, and then cut eastnortheast across the lava to a wonderful area of smooth lava near the south center of the Flow.

The Hike: As you begin walking east on the Wood Road, note Higgins to the north: a low butte with a prominent vertical jeep scar. As you walk your mile on this road, watch for changes in vegetation relating to less frequent fire: from here on in, the vegetation improves, with more bunchgrass, more flowers, and greater "cover": amount of soil protected by living and dead vegetation.
  At last you see it: a black stretch of lava that marks the true start of the Wood Road. A quick up and down over the lava brings you to the first grassy area: note the reduced vehicle traffic. The second lava stretch is longer.
  As you walk along the lava here, watch to the north for Pillar Butte, the source of the Wapi Flow. Pillar has a distinctive nuclear-submarine profile, with conning tower and missile-tube hump: entirely appropriate for a vent near the Navy's reactor training area.
  Once on grass again, count off 500 feet and turn northnortheast, heding cross country on a stretch of flat, platy lava. It's amazing to see how far people went in search of juniper trees!
  You then burst into a dense stand of cheatgrass, which offers easy going for another 1/2 mile or so. However, lava hiking aficionados will be irresistably drawn away from this easy route to a glorious path across the gentle pressure ridges to the east side of the grassy area.
  How far do you go? Well, day hikers can just walk north as far as they wish, and return to the Wood Road. Overnighters can do better, staying high on the pressure ridges and continuing northnortheast for 1 1/2 miles from the Wood Road. There are occasional stands of large old junipers to the right. The duff under them covers the lava rock, and makes for acceptable camping. Don't forget, however, to carry a ground cloth and a thick foam pad!
  The pressure ridges end in an area where the lava piled up in a big, jumbled lake. The last valley approaching this spot is awesome. From here, you can cut west for the north end of Higgins. This is a bit tougher hiking than returning to the Wood Road, but it's fascinating to watch the vegetation get denser as you approach the west edge of the Flow, where prevailing winds have deposited more soil. From Higgins, a road leads south along the lava's edge to the junction where your car is parked.

Extensions: Instead of heading north from the Wood Road, continue east on it for another 1 1/2 miles. This brings you to a large grassy area. For even more excitement, go to the northeast corner of this grassy area, and hike eastnortheast to a large area of smooth, undulating lava, with one cleft the author has christened "the Grand Canyon". The author has camped here, and then returned via Higgins.

Access: With dry conditions, you could probably reach this trailhead year around. Start at Minidoka City Hall and Post Office. Drive east along the road paralleling the Union Pacific main line, for 6 1/2 miles to the end of pavement. Continue straight 1 1/2 more miles on a gravel road until it bends left and crosses the main line: be careful when crossing!!!!!!
  Cross the tracks, a fenceline, and a faint dirt road. Then, 100 feet past the faint road, turn right on a road that starts as fair gravel and ends as good dirt. Drive a long 1/2 mile, and bear left on the best road. Continue 1 3/4 miles, to a cattleguard with the Wapi Flow immediately on your right (a good trailhead for poking around). Turn right on a fair dirt road that snakes along the lava's edge. After 1 1/4 miles you reach a junction, the loop hike trailhead: one road heads north to Higgins, one east to the Wapi Flow. If you're hiking the Wood Road, you can bear right and drive a short distance further, until the road starts a steep descent.