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Payette River West Bank. This GPS map shows an automobile tour or mountain bike trip from Gardena on the main Payette river, up the Brownlee grade to the Brownlee Loop Road, then north on the Cruikshank road to Dry Buck Creek, and then down the Banks grade to Banks, all on maintained dirt roads. A side trip on an ATV trail takes you to a scenic overlook of Banks, where the North Fork of the Payette meets the South Fork of the Payette River to form the mighty main Payette river.
To download trail data in GPS Exchange format (.gpx) compatible with GPS mapping software right click on the link below:
To view the trails as a printable topographic map in Adobe Portable Document format (.pdf) left-click on the line below:
To view the trails as a Scalable Vector Graphics File (.svg) left-click on the line below: (See GPS Trail Maps - Scalable Vector Graphics for information on Scalable Vector Graphics)
GPX map by Dave Wissenbach
Send Mail To: Dave Wissenbach
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Copyright 2005 by David Wissenbach
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Scenic drive or bike ride on dirt roads. Starting at Gardena, proceed up the Brownlee Grade. Turn right at the Brownlee Loop road, on to the Cruikshank road north to Dry Buck Creek, and then down the Banks grade. In the spring, scenic views of Squaw Butte to the west, and Hawley Mountain and the Boise ridge to the east and southeast. This route is best in mid-spring, before the dirt road gets too hot and dusy, and while the scenery is still green and the deer are out and about. Watch for mountain bluebirds.
Highway 55 from Banks to Gardena. This road follows the main fork of the Payette river, an extremely popular class 3 whitewater river run.
ATV Trail on abandoned logging road passes by several excellent view points.
Spectacular view of Banks, Idaho.
Dry Buck Creek and Banks Grade.
Closed road is still used by ATVs and mountain bikes. Turn off here for a detour to the banks overlook.
Beehive Bend. Takeout for rafters and kayakers floating the Payette river.
Beautiful grove of Ponderosa Pines with blooming trillium poking up through the thick bed of pine needles. The road goes north from the point to who knows where, but in the middle of April was still snow-covered and muddy.
Banks. Class 3 whitewater boaters put in here. Class 4 and Class 5 boaters take out.
Gardena. The Brownlee Grade begins here. The long way to Banks starts with a climb up the hill to the big rocks to your west.
Brownlee Loop Road. Turn right here and proceed to the intersection of Brownlee Loop Road and Cruikshank roads.
Cruickshank road. This high section of road, not maintined in winter, has very little traffic, if you don't count the deer. Where the road first meets the timber to the north, I spied a pair of mountain bluebirds.
