Elevation: 5,940 ft
Prominence: 240
This peak is not in the book. I updated this post with additional access information, a map, and a photo. Updated November 2021
Rocky Butte is an unranked summit just west of Gilman Butte. It is a rocky outcrop, not a typical flat-topped butte. Rocky Butte is located on the south side of Croy Creek Road and Gilman Flat, due west of Bellevue, ID. It is a fun scramble from a saddle to its west on Rock Creek Road. There is a lot of private land in this area, particularly on the north side of the peak, so consult the BLM Fairfield map before tackling this climb. Beware of rattlesnakes and copperheads in this area. USGS Bellevue
Rocky Butte from the southwest. Steve Mandella Photo
West Face, Class 2
Access
Access this peak from Rock Creek Road which can be accessed from Hailey in the north of US-20 in the south. Rock Creek Road is not maintained in winter. It north end is a good, graded gravel road and its south end is a graded dirt road. Rock Creek Road is a public thoroughfare. Much of the land south of the peak in the Rock Creek drainage is now owned by the University of Idaho. The land was purchased by the Wood River Land Trust and transferred to the university in 2019. The land is accessible to the public through the Idaho Fish & Game’s Access Yes program.
Hailey Access: From the junction of ID-75 and Bullion Street in Hailey, ID, drive west on Bullion Street/Road for 4.6 miles to a signed junction with Rock Creek Road. Turn left/south on Rock Creek Road and drive 1.4 miles to a saddle just east of Gilman Hill. The elevation here is 5,580 feet.
US-20 Access: Rock Creek Road is accessed from US-20 at a signed intersection which is located 21.0 miles east of Fairfield or 5.3 miles west of the US-20/ID-75 intersection. Follow the Rock Creek Road north for 9.3 miles to an unmarked junction at the 5,580-foot saddle between Gilman Hill and Rocky Butte.
The Climb
From the saddle, scramble east up a mix of scrub and talus/scree to reach the narrow, rocky summit. There is a nice cairn on top and a magnificent view of the ranches in Gilman Flat.
The summit cairn atop Rocky Butte, looking northwest across the ranch land of Gilman Flat. Livingston Douglas Photo
My GPS tracks for Gilman Hill, Rocky Butte, and Gilman Butte. The Gilman Hill climb covered 0.9 miles with 531 feet of elevation gain round trip. The Rocky Butte/Gilman Butte route covered 1.4 miles with 580 feet of elevation gain round trip.
East Face, Class 2
Access
Same as for the west face
The Descent
From the summit, descend east down the scrub and talus/scree face to reach a gentle saddle at the base of the east face. There is some rock scrambling near the summit, but this is mostly a descent down easy scrub. Be on guard for snakes hiding in the rocks and grass. The saddle connects Rocky Butte to nearby Gilman Butte.
Rocky Butte as viewed from the southwest. Steve Mandella Photo
Additional Resources
Regions: Smoky Mountains->WESTERN IDAHO
Mountain Range: Smoky Mountains
Year Climbed: 2021
Longitude: -114.37569 Latitude: 43.45529
