Nip and Tuck Road

5/5 (1 reviews)
Stanley, Idaho (Custer County)
Last Updated: 07/18/2021

Trail Information

Highlights

Altitude
Camping
Scenic
This is a wonderful little dirt trail that takes you off of Highway 21, bypasses the summer crowds in the town of Stanley, and offers amazing, expansive views of the Sawtooth Mountains. Nip and Tuck is part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area that is managed as part of the Sawtooth National Forest and covers over 730,864 acres. This trail is a popular spot for dry-camping, hikers, and bikers. You feel you have just enough space to get away from the crowds and traffic of town and highway. On one side, you see rolling grassland hills with blooming wildflowers in the summer, and on the opposite side, you can see the Sawtooths peaking in and out of views. This trail is proof that your next adventure might just be one road away that is less traveled.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

This trail is mainly hard-packed dirt, but during the wet and winter season can be muddy and very slippery. The trail should be avoided until it is dry. It is straight through and travels along a ridge almost parallel to Highway 21 for nearly 5 miles at over 6000' in elevation, bypassing the town of Stanley and ending at the middle of Lower Stanley off Highway 75. You can run it in either direction. Allow 30 minutes to complete the trail. There are no obstacles on this road. It is suitable for 2WD and AWD vehicles.
There is UTVs and RV traffic that frequent this trail. Stay aware, and yield to oncoming traffic as necessary.

Trail Reviews

5/5 (1)
Official Crew
5100
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 06/03/2021

I love taking this trail every time I'm in the Stanley area, it is a great way to avoid the hustle and bustle of the tourists in Stanley and gives a great first view of the Sawtooths as you are coming into the Stanley area, due to the trail being on such a high ridge opposite of the mountains.

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