STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Finally! The Stanley to Redfish Trail is officially open.

The 4.5-mile trail open to hiking, biking and horseback riding, provides a non-motorized connection from Stanley to Redfish Trail.

There, unfortunately, is no connection from the trail to the lake at this time—users will be forced to share the busy road leading to Redfish Lake with traffic.

Most of the trail is relatively flat save for a couple hills. The trail offers nice views of the Sawtooth Mountains and, often, a herd of pronghorn.

Often, planes can be seen taking off and landing at the nearby Stanley Airport.

Sawtooth Recreation Area Ranger Kirk Flannigan praised the hard work of seven years by Forest Service staff, elected officials, business owners and community members who persisted despite the efforts of a property owner to kill the project.

“Over the years we had several instances where I thought we may not be able to complete the trail, and not once did our partners walk away from this important project. And now the community and visitors alike have a world-class trail to enjoy for many years to come,” he said.

Stanley Mayor Steve Botti called the trail a lasting legacy for enjoying public lands: “This trail will be a great amenity for the Stanley community and for recreationists from throughout the State and beyond.”

Rep. Mike Simpson noted that the trail was an important piece in the Boulder-White Clouds compromise: “it will positively impact recreation on federal lands and the local economy.”

The trail can be accessed from Pioneer Park in Stanley, the U.S. Forest Service’s Stanley Ranger Station and the Redfish Lake recreation complex near Little Redfish Lake.