Last weekend I took Rebecca to Hobo Cedar Grove in Idaho. This weekend, she wanted to show me a cedar grove that she had visited in the past. We drove out of Moscow, Idaho on ID Hwy 8. Make sure you turn right in Bovill, Idaho, to stay on Hwy 8. We enjoyed the twisty roads and scenic views as we traveled to Elk River, Idaho. In Elk River, we headed northward on N. Front St, which turned into Larch St., which then became FR 382. We stayed on the road for roughly 10 miles and then made a right onto FR 4763. We followed this road for one more mile until we reached the trailhead. This last mile was the roughest section of road, but with care, it can probably be traversed safely by most vehicles with 8 inches or so of ground clearance.

After using the vault toilet at the trailhead, we set out to find the giant cedar. The toilet was well stocked with tissue and seemed to be in pretty good condition. The path is paved throughout the area and is very much handicap accessible. It is nice and wide and in really good shape. There are basically three loops of trail, which make it rather hard to get lost. The first loop always puts you within site of the giant cedar. The other two loops take you through the cedar forest, each leading back to the giant cedar. The giant cedar itself is quite hard to miss, due both to its’ massive girth and the board walk around it. There is a stair and bridge feature over a fallen cedar which would be impassable for a wheel chair, but you can elect to go around it and still access the paths that it leads to.

We spent some time admiring the giant cedar and taking a few photos before exploring the rest of the trails. I would guess that walking all the trails is maybe a little over a half mile of walking. We admired the ferns, ate a few huckleberries, and were impressed by some plant with leaves about six or seven times the size of my hand. There were plenty of benches throughout the trail system to rest at and just soak up the peace and quiet of the grove. This is a pretty nice grove to visit and I would recommend checking it out if you enjoy cedar groves and want to see a tree that is estimated to be over 3000 years old.

After getting our fill of the Giant Cedar Grove, we headed back towards Elk River. At FR 1969, we turned right and began to climb up the mountain. After 6 miles of narrow and dusty road, we reached the trailhead for Perkins Cedar Grove. Oddly enough, Google maps and Google earth do not show this cedar grove. Good thing there are signs to point the way and make you aware of its’ existence! As we traveled up to the trailhead, we were greeted with a couple of spectacular views of the mountains to the east and south, something the other road did not truly offer. There were also wildflowers proudly on display all along the roads.

The Perkins Cedar Grove has a different feel to it from the others that we had visited lately. It almost feels like it is younger and it definitely showed more signs of fire damage. The trees almost seemed smaller than at the other groves and it had a lot more clutter on the forest floor. It was a nice 1/2 mile hike and still had all the trappings of a nice cedar grove, with ferns and berry plants covering the forest floor. The trail was a little grown over right at the trailhead, but it opened up into a nice little single track after less than 50 yds. Judging by the visitor check-in sheet, it sees a lot less traffic than either the Giant or Hobo Cedar groves. If in the area, I would try not to miss it, as it has a charm all its’ own.

Overall, it was a great weekend of short hikes and peaceful cedar groves. If you are ever in Elk River, Idaho, I think it is worth the couple hours it takes to get to the groves so you can explore them for yourself. There was plenty of dispersed camping available along the way, and there are a few campgrounds nearby as well if you wanted to spend a day exploring everything the area has to offer.

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