Packsaddle Lake - Dive, Hike, Mountain Bike, Snowshoe, and Swim near Tetonia, Idaho
Packsaddle Lake Rd, Tetonia, ID 83452, USA,Tetonia,Idaho
43.77401451344664, -111.33896291255951
9.3 miles W of Tetonia, Idaho
Address: Packsaddle Lake Rd, Tetonia, ID 83452, USA
GPS: 43°46'26.5"N 111°20'20.3"W
Maps | Directions
State: Idaho
Trail Length: 5.00 miles
MTB Difficulty: Beginner
Trail Type: Out & Back
MTB Trail Type: Fire Road
Hike Difficulty: Intermediate
Trails/Routes: 0.6 mi

Lakes Rivers Trails Wildflowers

Dive, Hike, Mountain Bike, Snowshoe, and Swim

Packsaddle is one of the less well known lakes/trails in the area. If you've got a good offroad vehicle, you can probably make it all the way to the end of the road, otherwise, it's just an extra 0.5 miles up the hill. Even to get to that point though, you may push the limits of your car or mini van and be required to do some pretty technical driving. There are plenty of good spots to park along the road if you decide that's as far as you can drive. The descent to the lake is pretty steep (300ft elevation drop) but less than a 1/2 mile to the lake. You'll be able to see the lake from the top of the trail. There's a little camp area on the eastern edge of the lake.

Mountain Bike Trail (From Lower Trailhead)

It starts on a slight incline and then gets gradually steeper. Trail is pretty smooth. After a tough climb, you get a downhill followed by a field. Then there's a fork in the road. If you actually want to get to the lake, take a left at the fork. Climb some more. View the beautiful Tetons on your left. You'll come to a clearing at the top. If you look down to the left, the lake is between the trees down the steep decline singletrack. Don't ride right into the lake. It's freezing, and does a quick dropoff. Courtesy of Singletracks.com
30.5K Written by endovereric
2.0K Edited by camilledupar

Never modify trail features. Ride trails when they're dry enough that you won't leave ruts. Speak up when you see others on the trail and always yield to hikers, horses, and others coming uphill. Always ride on the established trail.

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Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.

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  1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
  2. Travel & camp on durable surfaces
  3. Dispose of waste properly
  4. Leave what you find
  5. Minimize campfire impacts
  6. Respect wildlife
  7. Be considerate of other visitors

Directions

From Tetonia, Idaho

  1. Head south on S Main St toward Perry Ave (0.2 mi)
  2. Turn right onto N 3000 W (2.1 mi)
  3. Turn right onto W 4000 N (6.7 mi)
  4. Continue onto Packsaddle Rd (1.2 mi)
  5. Continue onto Packsaddle Lake Rd (1.8 mi)
  6. Turn left to stay on Packsaddle Lake Rd (0.5 mi)
or

If you're okay driving through 1.5 feet of murky water

  1. Head East on Highway 33 towards Driggs (24.4 mi from Hwy 20)
  2. Turn RIGHT onto Hoopes Road
  3. As you come to the edge of the woods, keep LEFT at the fork to stay on Hoopes Road.
  4. Immediately after the turn, the road will likely be flooded. If you plan to drive through it, you may want to make sure you're not going to hit any debris
  5. You'll come to a 'T' in the road. Turn RIGHT onto Packsaddle Lake Road
  6. Follow Packsaddle Lake Road for 1.8 miles
  7. At the fork, turn left (either on foot or by car). The road from here is pretty steep and can be quite difficult
  8. At the top of the hill, follow the trail to the left down the hill. You should be able to see bits of the lake pretty soon

Otherwise

  1. Head East on Highway 33 towards Driggs (24.4 mi from Hwy 20)
  2. Turn right onto N 8000 W after passing Rim River Ranch
  3. After 3.9 miles, turn right onto W 4000 N
  4. Continue on Packsaddle Lake Road for 3 miles
  5. At the fork, turn left (either on foot or by car). The road from here is pretty steep and can be quite difficult
  6. At the top of the hill, follow the trail to the left down the hill. You should be able to see bits of the lake pretty soon

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Guest Review/Comments

/5
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camilledupar

10/23/17 9:21 am 10/21/17
I went with a group of friends out to Packsaddle Lake, and we had a lot of fun. We took my friend's truck and another friend's jeep, and it's a good thing we had both, because as we started to climb up the mountain, the truck got stuck in the snow in a couple spots, and we needed the jeep to help us get back on our way. Once we got to a parking area on the mountain, we hiked down to the lake. There had been a little less than a foot of snow on the ground, but it was still powdery soft and fresh, so we used it for some snowballs as we made the trek down. Once we were at the lake, we built a campfire, and some of the group went into the lake for a polar bear plunge. We ate lunch and dried off, and then hiked back before it got dark. Overall, I had a great time.
Reply

hjmarshall18

10/16/17 11:37 am 6/9/17
Great place. A little rough to get there if you have a small car, but you have something higher off the ground then you should be good.
Reply

netjim1

7/13/17 12:42 pm 12/31/69

endovereric

7/5/17 10:44 pm 7/3/17
We made it most of the way up the road in our mini van but it took some creative driving over some of it. About 0.4 miles from the trailhead, the road takes a steep turn uphill and then the road gets really washed out. It's probably not a big deal in a pickup but we just used the parking spot right at that corner. The trail was pretty steep but the switchbacks made it doable and everybody handled it okay. The mosquitoes were horrible at the top of the trail but down by the lake they really weren't too bad. The water wasn't too cold but it was a little lower than expected so you had to make sure you swung out on the rope far enough. I was sad to see the jumping log was gone. I wish we would have thought to bring a float toy. We borrowed one and had a great time floating with the kids out on the lake.
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View from the Hill View from the Hill
Rope Swing Rope Swing Diving Board (no longer there) Diving Board (no longer there) Winter View of the Valley from the Parking Area by Camille Du Par Winter View of the Valley from the Parking Area by Camille Du Par Winter View from the Top of the Hill by Camille Du Par Winter View from the Top of the Hill by Camille Du Par Winter View from the Bottom of the Hill added by camilledupar Winter View from the Bottom of the Hill added by camilledupar Hayden's Jump into Packsaddle Lake by Amy Salvato

Trails

Distance ?

0.6 miles Round Trip

Elevation Gain ?

-260 feet

Real Ascent ?

24 feet

Real Descent ?

284 feet

Avg Grade (-9°)

-16%

Grade (-20° to 12°)

-36% to 21%

Elevation differences are scaled for emphasis. While the numbers are accurate, the cut-away shown here is not to scale.

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