Queens River Loop
Scenic lake drainage loop out of Atlanta, Idaho — the Queens River / Little Queens circuit in the Sawtooth Wilderness. Two big questions going in were whether there’s an Azure Lake up there and whether it fits the loop. Answer to both: yes.
Azure Lake — 8,270 ft, Elmore County, reached from Forest Trail 459 or 494 along Johnson Creek. Drains to Johnson Creek and into the Middle Fork Boise. It’s already on the route, no detour required.
Scenic Lake — 8,398 ft, Trail 456 off Trail 454, drains Scenic Creek → Little Queens River → Middle Fork Boise. Other side of the divide, same loop. Makes a good first night.
At a glance
| Core loop | ~30 mi |
| With lake spurs | ~45 mi |
| Climbing | ~5,900 ft |
| High point | 9,200 ft saddle |
| Trailhead | 5,200 ft |
| Days | 4–5 |
| Season | July–September |
The 30-mile number is the loop walked straight through. Every lake worth seeing is a spur off it, and the spurs are the whole point — budget the longer number.
The route
True loop from a single trailhead, so no shuttle and no second car. Cross the bridge at the parking area, go left on Trail 454 up the Little Queens, come back down Trail 458 along the Queens River.
Go counter-clockwise. Everyone who writes this trip up does, and the reason is the last day: the Queens River side has a 4–5 mile stretch where the trail disappears into overgrowth and deadfall. Take that downhill on a light pack at the end, not uphill on day one. Counter-clockwise also front-loads the climbing while you’re fresh and puts the good lake basins in the middle.
Trail sequence: 454 up the Little Queens → left at the fork onto 459 north → right onto 494 east along Johnson Creek → 458 all the way down.
Day by day
Day 1 — Trailhead to Scenic Lake
11.7 mi · +4,200 ft · −1,600 ft · Trail 454 → 456
The long one, front-loaded on purpose. First miles run through the 2013 Little Queens burn — open, hot, no shade by midday. Start early and carry more water than the map suggests. Trail hugs the river most of the way, then climbs through meadows and switchbacks near Scenic Creek to the lake at 8,398 ft.
Day 2 — Scenic Lake to Azure Lake
~7 mi · +1,300 ft · −1,400 ft · Trail 459 → 494
Short, lake-dense day. Drop back to the Little Queens, bear left at the fork onto 459 north past Browns Lake, then right onto 494 east along Johnson Creek. Johnson Lake and Azure Lake both in here. Make camp early and swim.
Day 3 — Over High Pass to Pats Lake
~7 mi · +1,100 ft · −1,100 ft · High Pass 8,500 ft
Long grind up a brushy slope to High Pass. Ground on the far side goes marshy and vague — this is where people lose the tread, keep the map out. Pats Lake at 8,312 ft is the reward.
Day 4 — Pats Lake to the Queens River
10.4 mi · +2,900 ft · −4,300 ft · high point 9,200 ft
Best day. Climb from Pats past Arrowhead Lake to a 9,200-ft saddle — top of the trip, Mt. Everly across the way — then a long descent into the Queens River canyon with granite walls both sides. Camp low, around 6,700 ft.
Day 5 — Out
8.8 mi · +900 ft · −2,000 ft · Trail 458
Valley walking through burned ponderosa. This is where the deadfall lives, so it’ll be slower than the mileage reads. Don’t book anything tight for that afternoon.
Four-day version: merge Days 2 and 3 into one 13.7-mile push. Costs you the Azure Lake afternoon.
Getting there
| Mile | Move |
|---|---|
| 0.0 | Leave Boise north on State Highway 21 |
| 26.6 | Left at the four-way stop onto FSR 268 (Middle Fork Boise River Road) |
| 36.5 | Left onto FSR 206 (Queens River Rd / China Basin Rd) at Queens River Campground |
| 39.0 | Queens River Trailhead, ~5 mi west of Atlanta |
Budget 3–4 hours from Boise, not the 2 the distance implies. FSR 268 is narrow, rough and washboarded for ~25 miles, with spots where meeting an oncoming truck means somebody backs up. Passable in a normal car when dry, but clearance makes the day a lot better. No fuel between Idaho City and Atlanta — fill up before turning off the highway.
Logistics
- Permit — free, self-issued at the registration box at the trailhead or wilderness boundary. No quota, no reservation, no fee.
- Fire restrictions — Boise NF was at Stage 1 as of writing, which means no campfires at the lake camps. Stove only.
- Water — abundant at every lake and above the burn. Dry stretches are the lower Little Queens (Day 1) and lower Queens (Day 5).
- Bears — black bear only, no grizzlies. Hang or canister.
- Navigation — download offline maps before leaving pavement. No cell service in Atlanta, let alone the wilderness. The two spots the tread genuinely disappears: marshy ground below High Pass, and the deadfall on the Queens River side.
- Timing — early July can still hold snow on the 9,200-ft saddle. September gets cold nights, no bugs, no people. Mid-to-late August is the sweet spot.
Before we go
- Call Idaho City Ranger District — (208) 392-6681 — for FSR 268 / FSR 206 conditions, current fire restriction stage, new closures
- Confirm the Wapiti Fire closure doesn’t reach this loop (it’s affected the Grandjean side, far north end — shouldn’t touch us, but confirm)
- Lock dates and group size
- Verify Day 2 / Day 3 mileages against a real topo — those two are estimated from surrounding segments and mapped lake positions, unlike Days 1/4/5 which come from a logged trip report
- Fishing licenses — no idea what’s in these lakes yet, worth asking the ranger district