The China Basin Road connects Queens River to the Atlanta valley. The bench above Queens River was named after Chinese miners who worked the tertiary gravel deposit high above the valley floor. The Pioneer hard rock mine located on the China Fork produced less than 50 ounces of gold between 1937 and 1942. The trail and road first shows up on the 1932 Sawtooth Forest map.
The road is in much better shape on the Queens River side. In 2011 the Sawmill Creek side was badly rutted in places and seemed impassable to anything but an ATV or motorcycle. The road makes a nice mountain bike ride that can be ridden in either direction, though the climb up Sawmill Creek is a bit steeper. There are great wildflowers along the ridge to Peak 7,436, where riders enjoy a great view across the Atlanta valley. It is 8.7 miles from the Queens River Trailhead to Riverside Campground and 16 miles if you make a loop along the Middle Fork of the Boise River.
Check out the Atlanta Overview for a more detailed overview of the recreation and camping opportunities in the Atlanta region.
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Our mission is to inspire adventure with beautiful, comprehensive and waterproof map-based guidebooks. Owner, publisher, and photographer Matt Leidecker, grew up exploring and guiding on the rivers in central Idaho. His award winning Middle Fork of the Salmon River – A Comprehensive Guide is the standard by which other river guidebooks are measured. Printed on virtually indestructible YUPO paper, IRP guides are truly unique all-in-one resources for adventure. Each book is loaded with full-color maps, stunning photographs, and information on the history, geology, and wildflowers. Visit Idaho River Publications to explore our guidebooks to the Rogue River in Oregon and the mountains of Central Idaho.
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