Trip Report Dempsey Meadows #MTB Ride – Mount Bennett Hills, Idaho

Biking, Hikes and Fish Idaho

(February 27, 2019 / Author: Tim Bondy) The Dempsey Meadow trail is located just north of King Hill and Glenns Ferry, Idaho. While there is a lot of dirt road riding starting at the trailhead, once you get close to the Wilderness Study Area, the road turns into a pretty challenging doubletrack that has many eroded sections and rock gardens to pick through. I’ll be back to Dempsey again late next summer or early autumn. 

Link to photo: https://photos.app.goo.gl/h6tHQdErDG6KRGw58 at 43.0874443, -115.1476364

What About the Dempsey Meadows Mountain Bike Ride

This ride is strenuous and technical in parts. It starts near the small town of King Hill, Idaho and heads north into the Mount Bennett Hills. A portion of the ride I took on Oct. 25, 2018, bordered directly on the King Hill Creek Wilderness Study (WSA) area. I do not believe this WSA land is open to motor vehicle traffic but it’s obviously been driven on recently.
 
Parking at the 43.033714, -115.167234 trailhead, the dirt road heads north and climbs steadily for about 4.3 miles. Once you ride through the gateway to the WSA, the road becomes a rough doubletrack and continues climbing. If heading north, the WSA land will be directly on your left (west).

I’ve been on this trail twice and both times the furthest north I could make it was up on the escarpment above, or north, of Hog Creek Springs. Both times were also in the early fall so the trail was dry. I suspect the trail would be quite muddy during the spring and early summer, so that’s something to consider before heading up Dempsey Meadows. 

 
Pro’s: Fun and scenic. It’s also challenging. There are two marked spurs along the route to mix things up during future rides.
Con’s: It’s sort of dangerous because of the cantaloupe-watermelon sized rocks embedded in the doubletrack.

Dempsey Meadows Ride Stats

  • Adventure Date: October 25, 2018
  • Consider Doing it Again?: Yes 
  • Trailhead: 43.033714, -115.167234
  • Turn-Around Point or Furthest Out Point: 43.108159, -115.155945
  • 7.5 Topo Maps: “King Hill” and a possibly a sliver of “Deer Heaven Mountain”
  • Trail/Road #: BLM identified road “DEMPSEY MEADOW #2002 
  • Land Ownership: BLM lands but borders on some State land 
  • Mileage: 13.7 miles 
  • +Vertical Feet: 1,869feet
  • Avg Slope from Google Earth Vertical Profile of the GPX File: 5.0%
  • Google Photo Album Link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7k5fkRk38oh9wZsy7
  • Google Earth KMZ: BENN – Bike – Dempsey Meadows – King Hill (local file only)
  • GPX File Name: 20181025-124918.gpx (local file only)
  • Driving Time to Trailhead: 50 minutes to a safe place to park

Future Ride Recommendations: Start riding/trailhead at 43.081669, -115.144198. Starting at that point would allow me to get further into “virgin” territory.
 
43.1049538, -115.1577682 – I believe a few motorized vehicles have passed by this sign stating “No motorized vehicles.”

Link to Photograph: https://photos.app.goo.gl/d7VhhB5HKXVV56NA8

Info on the King Hill Creek Wilderness Study Area: This study area encompasses about 29,300 acres in southeastern Elmore County, Idaho. In short, the study area was not recommended to be converted into a wilderness area and that it should be released for “other than wilderness uses.” I believed this determination was made in 1988. Maybe someday, I’ll do proper research into wilderness study area rules & regulations.

To read more about this isolated tract of high desert and canyonland, download a copy of a 10 page BLM documents. The document was available as of Feb. 26, 2019 at
https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/36671/43543/46684/Vol2_King.Hill.Creek.pdf
Many times these documents get moved and online links will break or disappear.

Originally posted at Tim Bondy Writes (https://timbondy.blogspot.com/) on January 7, 2019

Thanks,

~ signed ~

Tim Bondy
Freelance Writer & Citizen Journalist
.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”  ~ Neale Donald Walsch

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