Rivaling its better known neighbor to the west, Sun Valley, the upper Lost River Valley offers stunning scenery and a variety of high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities. Trout fishing, wingshooting, big game hunting, horseback riding, mountain bike riding, backcountry skiing, hiking and wildlife viewing can all be outstanding and enjoyed either on or minutes away from Castle Rock Ranch.
Trout fishing is among the most highly pursued activities in the area. From its spring creek-like beginning in an area called “the Swamps” upstream of the ranch to its convergence with the North Fork to become the Big Lost River, the East Fork is a gem of a mid-sized freestone stream that offers a variety of fishing scenarios in a relatively short distance. Rainbows, Snake River fine-spotted cutthroats, and brook trout are the quarry and are found in abundance throughout the East Fork and upper Big Lost. Blue winged olives, green drakes, golden stones, and caddis are standard hatch fare during summer months; however, matching the hatch isn’t required to take fish, as day in and day out high floating attractor patterns are reliable producers. Castle Rock Ranch features an outstanding reach of the East Fork as riffles, deeper runs and undercut banks within this stretch all hold fish. Beyond the ranch, one finds excellent access to the East Fork across Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service lands. There is also outstanding access across public lands to the East Fork’s main tributaries, Star Hope and Wildhorse creeks, as well as to the North Fork and the main stem Big Lost just a few miles west of the ranch.
For the upland hunter, chukar partridge are abundant on rocky slopes while blue grouse are common on the higher elevation Forest Service lands. All of Idaho’s big game species can be found within proximity to the ranch.
For the hiker or horseback rider, the upper Big Lost area, including nearby Copper Basin (a remote and stunningly beautiful high elevation valley rung by peaks over 11,000 feet beginning just east of the ranch), enjoys some of the state’s most spectacular high country. In addition to unlimited cross-country hiking and riding opportunities, an extensive public lands trail network provides access to the area’s vast alpine riches.