Hole in the Wall and Hart Creek Canyons 

This loop makes for a lovely day trip with multiple fascinating locations to explore.  This outing is best if done any time from late October to early March.  

Safety notice:

Exploring outside of the above time frame greatly increases your odds of encountering snakes while climbing amongst the rock formations.    

Driving Directions:

Typically, this drive does not require four-wheel drive, but it does require a vehicle with high ground clearance.  Parts of this route could become impassable after a rainstorm.

• The "Hole in the Wall" loop begins in Grandview, Idaho.

• Turn right onto Highway 78 from Grand View Road and drive about 17 miles to reach coordinates: 43°  04.34' north, 116° 23.5' west.  

• Take the road to the left for 2.3 miles past Oreana until reaching an intersection at coordinates: 43° 02.36' north, 116° 23.69 west. 

• Just before this intersection, you will encounter this Catholic church from the late 1800's.  Services are still held there on some Saturdays.

• Take the road to the right for 2.8 miles to reach coordinates: 43° 01.50' north, 116° 26.6' west.  

• Take the jeep trail to the right for 1.9 miles to reach coordinates: 43° 00.80' north, 116° 28.43' west.  

• You will see these stone ranch buildings and the remains of a corral at the end of the road.  The under ground building is on the north side of Hart Creek.  Turn around here.

• As you leave the stone buildings heading south, there is a small jeep trail heading up-hill off to the right.  Take this jeep trail to get closer to the twin canyons.  

• Hart Creek canyon is the one to the south and Little Hart Creek is the canyon to the north.

• Reverse your route to return to the paved Oreana Road.  Turn right at the stop sign.

• After 1 mile going south, the road turns left to the east.  

• After 3.7 miles you reach an intersection.  Turn to the right heading south-east on Poison Creek Cutoff Road.  The pavement ends here.  Travel 5.0 miles and reach the Birch Creek sand wash.  Coordinates: 42° 56.80' north, 116° 17.84' west. 

• The final drive up the Birch Creek sand wash has places with deep sand where vehicles run the risk of getting stuck.   As you can see below, if spring runoff causes Birch Creek to flood, driving down the sand wash may become impossible.  After the flooding shown below, it took two years before I could drive my truck all of the way to the Hole in the Wall.  

• If in doubt, walk this 1.3 miles to the final location.  Coordinates: 42° 55.80' north, 116° 18.52' west. 

• When tired of exploring, return to the Poison Creek Cutoff Road and turn right to go east.  Drive 5.7 miles to reach coordinates: 42° 52.10' north, 116° 16.60' west.  

• Turn right onto a jeep trail.  Drive 3.4 miles to coordinates: 42° 50.72' north, 116° 20.01' west.  

You have arrived at the Doyle Place homestead.  

I know nothing about the history of this ranch, but it is fascinating to visit it and imagine what it must have been like living there at that time.  The original off-grid lifestyle!

Remember to leave everything just as it is; take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints!

• Return to the Poison Creek Cutoff Road and turn right to go east.  Drive 6.2 miles to coordinates: 42° 47.89' north, 116° 13.76' west and reach the pavement again.

• Turn left and drive 6.8 miles to coordinates 42° 50.51' north, 116° 06.57' west and arrive at the geology roadside information kiosk for Oolite formations.  (Reference the outing:  Hole in the Ground). 

• Continue 9 miles on Poison Creek Cutoff Road until reaching Highway 78.  Turn left at the Stop sign to return to Grandview.

Safety notice: 

Please remember, you are not alone out there!