454

106

105

002

Hells Canyon

Reservoir

Kleinschmidt Grade

Black

Lake

To Council

Council Cuprum

Road

Hells

Canyon

Dam

 Hornet Park

Silver King

Mine

Lafferty

Campground

Kinney Point

Overlook

Halfway Stage

Station

Horse Mountain

Lookout

Three Story

Sheep Barn

Smith

Mountain

Lookout

Huckleberry

Campground

Sheep Rock

National Natural

Landmark

Bear

Cuprum

002

112

106

105

050

072

110

Hells

 Canyon

 Wilderness

Roads

Paved

Gravel

Dirt

High Clearance Vehicles

Watch for Signs

Halfway Stage

SHEEP

ROCK

A View of

Hells Canyon

Credits: This project and brochure was made possible by grants from the 

National Park Service and Idaho State Parks and Recreation. A special thank 

you to local boy scouts, volunteers, and Forest Service employees.

Plenty of water and food.

Clothing for varying weather, hiking 

shoes.

Camera and binoculars.

A full tank of fuel (Council is the last 

gas and food stop).

A full day for travel.

Payette National Forest visitor map 

recommended.

REMEMBER –

Travel times depend 

on vehicle speeds and 

number of stops for 

viewing. The trip from 

Council or Hells Canyon 

Park to Sheep Rock takes 

about two to three hours to 

drive.

The road from Cuprum to 

Sheep Rock is closed seasonally 

due to snow; it is usually open 

from July 1st thru mid October. It is 

recommended you check with Weiser 

or Council Ranger Districts before you 

start your journey.

Contacts:

Weiser Ranger District 208-549-4200 or

Council Ranger District 208-253-0100

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and 

activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political 

beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all 

programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center 

at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To fi le a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Offi ce of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, 

Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington D.C., 20250-9410 or call 

(202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an Equal Opportunity provider and employer.

23.309.412.05/04

Fall view of

Sheep Rock Trail

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Intermountain Region

Payette National Forest

Plenty of water and food.

Things You Need 

on Your Trip

Travel Time

Take lots of pictures 

and only pictures – 

Leave only footprints.

Enjoy your National Forest
Sheep Rock 

is a scenic 

overlook 

and 

interpretive 

nature trail 

in a fairly 

remote 

area on the 

Idaho rim 

of Hells 

Canyon – 

the deepest 

canyon 

in North 

America. 

At an 

elevation of 

6,847 feet, the overlook provides visitors 

with an up-close, birds-eye-view of one 

of the greatest 

lava extrusions of 

geologic time. In 

1978, the National 

Park Service 

designated Sheep 

Rock a National 

Natural Landmark 

to recognize the 

significance of 

this natural area 

for it’s continued 

preservation. It 

is one of only 11 

such sites in the 

state of Idaho. Two 

years later it was designated a National 

Recreational Trail when the Forest Service 

constructed the nature trail at Sheep Rock.

Your journey to Sheep Rock takes you 

through some of Central Idaho’s more 

amazing country. Broad vistas of 

rugged mountains and open spaces with 

wildflowers accentuate your trip. Birds of 

prey and the possible sighting of bighorn 

sheep or mountain goats will thrill the 

wildlife viewer.

Sheep Rock is 42 miles northwest of 

Council, Idaho – where you begin your 

tour. Leaving US Highway 95 in the center 

of town, take the Council/Cuprum road 

(#002) – this portion of the road is paved. 

You may want to take in the interpreted 

historical sites along the way: Hornet 

Park, Halfway Stage Stop, and Lafferty 

Campground. At the #002 and #105 road 

junction as you enter the little 

community 

of Bear, 

you turn 

left heading 

west on a 

good gravel 

road. At the 

Kleinschmidt 

junction, 

you will see 

junction as you enter the little 

of the greatest 

lava extrusions of

geologic time. In 

1978, the National 

Park Service 

designated Sheep 

Rock a National 

Natural Landmark 

to recognize the 

significance of

this natural area 

for it’s continued 

Kinney Point Overlook

THE CANYON

Now that you have seen Hells Canyon 

from the rim, you may want to visit the 

canyon floor. From Sheep Rock take the 

Kleinschmidt Road past the old sheep 

barn. Be aware this is a narrow steep 

rocky road but the trip will be worth it (no 

RV’s please). When you arrive at the Snake 

River at Hells Canyon Park you may want 

to travel downstream to the Hells Canyon 

Dam and the Visitor Center, or upstream 

past the Oxbow and Brownlee Dams 

where you can loop back to Highway 95 

at Cambridge, Idaho. 

Activities

Fishing 

Camping

Horseback riding

Hiking

Biking

Picnicking

Wildlife viewing and sightseeing

a unique aging three-story sheep barn 

at the Speropulos Ranch. It was built by 

A. O. Huntley who originally operated a 

cattle ranch there. 

Continue traveling east on road #002 

through Cuprum, the historical mining 

town. The town’s name is Latin for the 

Copper that was mined there years ago. 

The road is narrower from here on and 

RV’s and low clearance vehicles are not 

recommended beyond this point. Take 

a left onto road #106 and follow it until 

arriving at Sheep Rock. Look for the old 

copper mine known as the Silver King, the 

Horse Mountain Fire Lookout, and Kinney 

Point Overlook junctions along your way. 

In 2003, Sheep Rock was renovated, with 

a new restroom, picnic tables, and a 1/2-

mile interpretive trail providing the only 

barrier free overlook into Hells Canyon on 

the Idaho side of the river. Enjoy the view 

of this unique geology.

preservation. It 

is one of only 11 

such sites in the 

state of Idaho. Two 

years later it was designated a National 

SHEEP ROCK

A View of

Hells Canyon

Horse Mountain Lookout

Hells Canyon Reservoir

Three-story sheep barn

View from Sheep Rock

Other Side Trips