The Lake Channel

Hikes: D.
Total Distance, D: 2 miles.
Difficulty: Level I.
Season: Year-around.
USGS Map: Register Rock.
BLM 100K Map: Lake Walcott.
Dirt Road Miles: 12 good dirt.
PLSS Location: Section 16, T8S R29E.

Introduction: Only 14,000 years ago, the Bonneville Flood went its catastrophic way across southern Idaho. In two main areas, it left the confines of the present Snake River channel. The first was the Lake Channel area southwest of American Falls. After moving cross-country in a wide swath, it cut a narrow channel that today has two distinctive features: lakes and sand dunes.
  Much of the Lake Channel is private land, but the sand dunes at its northern end are on BLM and State land. This area, like every other sand dune area in Idaho (aside from Bruneau Dunes Park), is overrun by trail bikes. The best hiking is on a quiet evening, or in cool or rainy weather. The author wishes the BLM would use alternate-day ORV closures: allow motorized vehicles on odd or even days only.

The Hike: Start at the 90 degree bend (T1), and hike west across poor condition range, crossing small sand dunes. Soon, you are looking over an alcove, a little side canyon cut by flood eddies. And amazingly, the alcove has sand dunes on its floor! The author hiked a bit along its north side, and then took a rather risky descent to its floor. (If you can't make it down here, just continue along the rim, and you will eventually find a suitable way down.) It's worth going down here--the vegetation in this alcove is better than that in the main channel area.
  Once you leave the the alcove, you are on the channel's east side. Follow the author's "10,000 cows can be wrong" route-finding rule here, staying high and as far out of the cow zone as possible. Be sure to go at least as far as the little bench that looks around the bend at the head of the channel (D1).
  Just south of the powerline, there's a relatively easy way up to the rim. Your car should be southeast of here, across more rolling dunes.
  You can also hike the Lake Channel's rim south of the main Lake Channel road (T2). Follow directions below, and walk the east rim along BLM land. You could hike all the way to the Snake River from here (D2).

Access: Drive just beyond the north end of American Falls Dam, and turn west on Lamb-Weston Road. Take the second left, which comes very soon, on Borah Road. Go 1 1/2 miles, and turn left across the Union Pacific main line (BE CAUTIOUS!) on Lake Channel Road. Follow this main gravel road 10 miles, until it makes a 90 degree turn to the left (T1). For the north, sand dunes end of the Channel, turn right and park on a lane that heads north. For the southern area, take the 90 degree turn left and head south about 2 3/4 miles. Just after the paved road drops off the rim, you are on BLM land (T2). You can take a road south and up on the rim to start.