Hard Guy to Dry Creek Loop

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Features Downhill · Technical · Views · Wooden/Built Features

A steep and challenging, yet not very technical, climb up Hard Guy leads takes you out of the high desert and into the pine trees. Then a short spin on the Boise Ridge Road leads to one of the better descents in the foothills, Dry Creek.

The climb up Hard Guy is steep, and there is no shade until the very top, while the descent on Dry Creek has lots of shade. It it's going to be a hot day, it pays to start early and get the uphill over with before it warms up. Climbing Dry Creek is possible, but very much not recommended. Do it as a downhill, you won't regret it!

From the Miller Gulch Trailhead (you can also start about 1/2 mile "down" Bogus Basin Road--uphill from here--at the Corrals trailhead to cut out a little climbing), climb the initial hill to where the connector trail meets up with Corrals Trail. Hang a left on Corrals and enjoy the mellow cruise while it lasts. There is short a "frontage singletrack" that cuts off to your right at one point. Take this if you want to increase your skinny trail ratio.

Eventually there will be a left turn for Hard Guy. Take this and drop down a short distance to where the steep climb begins. Pedal, pedal harder, and pedal some more. If it's a hot day this climb can be miserable. Bring extra water. Grunt it out, but don't forget to pause and look at the growing view behind you.

Eventually Hard Guy ends at the Boise Ridge Road. Hang a left and follow this dirt road for a couple miles of rolling terrain. You'll pass one possible left turn (which ends at a dead end on a ridge). Keep a eye out for the second left, which is onto a narrow trail that will probably have bike tire tracks on it.

This is the start of Dry Creek. Follow this trail out onto the ridge. After a couple minutes the trail makes a sharp turn to the right and there will be a fainter trail that breaks off to the left. GO RIGHT (left is Shingle Creek Trail). As soon as you turn, the trail starts dropping.

Get ready for a winding trail through the trees, some rocks and drops, a few washed out corners, and LOTS of creek crossings which are all rideable. Plan on getting your feet wet! The fun just keeps coming all the way down. You can really let it rip on some stretches of this trail, but keep in mind that people could be hiking it, and some corners have poor visibility.

Eventually the downhill lessens, and the trail begins to traverse more open slopes away from the creek, back in the sun. You'll have to pedal more here, but it's still a nice stretch of trail. Soon enough you'll reach a wooden bridge at the fork of Dry Creek and Shingle Creek. You'll likely see more people beyond this point.

This lower section of Dry Creek is of a different character than the upper portion. It's a lot of ups and downs, with with technical bits that seem to come mostly on the ups. It's not as close to the creek, and the few crossings are all bridged. You can follow this trail all the way to Bogus Basin Road and ride pavement the rest of the way to your car, but there is another option that earns you more trail.

Take the left turn onto Sheep Camp connector, which is easy to spot because it starts with a wooden bridge. This takes you up away from the creek and rejoins the bottom section of Hard Guy. This requires a steep climb to get back to Hard Guy, but avoids a super techy and often crowded section of Dry Creek Trail, and skips the riding on Bogus Basin Road.

If you took the connector, just reverse your tracks when you get back to the bottom of Hard Guy (right on hard guy, down, up a short climb to Corrals, right on Corrals, right on the connector back to Miller Gulch Trailhead).