Climbing and access information for this peak is found on page 354. Updated June 2018

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This impressive summit has over 3,000 feet of prominence, is the highest point in the Deep Creek Mountains, and also the highest point in Power County. It is the 23rd rated Idaho peak for prominence. Because of it’s triple status, the peak sees frequent ascents by prominence seekers and county high pointers. I suspect that most ascents climb the peak’s west ridge from Big Canyon/Knox Canyon pass.

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Access

Google Maps will take you to this starting point by plugging in Deep Creek Peak. Contributor Ken Jones provided the following directions using ID-37:

Leave ID-37 at virtual milepost 48.5 (about 20 miles south of I-86/U.S. 30) and find the signed Big Canyon Road, which has both a county road sign and a BLM sign. Turn east on this wide, well-graded road. Stay on the main road. As it enters the canyon it becomes steeper and rougher, but remains easily passable in 2WD with normal clearance all the way to the trailhead. At 6.4 miles you’ll pass a junction off to the right, and at 7.3 miles, at a switchback, you’ll pass on another right fork. When you reach 9 miles you’ll top out at a saddle where a right turn would take you to an unimproved camp spot; just beyond is the junction with the signed Bull Canyon road heading down to the right – continue up on the main road. At 9.3 miles reach the road’s high point, at a shallow saddle at about 7350′ and park.

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West Ridge, Class 2

Ken adds: From the saddle an unmarked jeep trail heads a couple of hundred yards to the 7400 foot+ summit to the east-southeast. We walked this, but a high clearance vehicle could have driven it. From this point, hike east-northeast (with some bends) following the main ridge all the way to Deep Creek Peak. There are a few rocky and or brushy bits in the first mile or so, but there are reasonable animal (hiker?) paths through the worst of them.

Stay near the crest of the ridge, and poke about a bit if the brush gets heavy. After the first mile, the hike from the last saddle (just southeast of the number “14” on the topo) is mostly an open ridge walk with excellent views. At the summit we found the “Knox” benchmark and two small registers. According to register entries this peak has been ascended on horseback at least twice from Bull Canyon Ranch, which would be the south ridge. The terrain is such that almost any approach you might take will probably go well.

Addendum

There is an immediate drop of roughly 200 feet after the 4WD road ends and this is the brushiest spot of the trip. My GPS tracked the route at just over 5 miles with a total elevation gain, in and out, of 1,650 feet. The road up Big Canyon was well maintained in June 2018 and suitable for passenger cars.