Mores Mountain Hike

Mores Mountain Hike

The Mores Mountain Hike is a moderately challenging hike around and up Mores Mountain. It provides amazing views of the surrounding area, especially of the Bogus Basin recreation area and hill. The area also includes Shafer Butte and a campground but the highlight is the amazing walk around the mountain.

Getting Started

The Mores Mountain Trailhead is at the end of forest road 374e, a winding single lane dirt road, which is just a little ways past the Bogus Basin recreation area. The road can be a little hard to find so I would suggest using some mapping app to help you get there. Once there, make sure to purchase a day pass with the cash donation box. The trail then starts opposite of the Shafer Butte campground and leads up a hill. Hiking this trail at the end of June showed off some lush plants and blooming flowers. Taking the trail clockwise leads to a gradual incline over the 2.7 mile loop that surrounds the mountain.

The Front

Hiking clockwise, the Mores Mountain trail heads out to the west side of the mountain first. The first three quarters of a mile are mostly in the woods with a few peeks of the surrounding area. Once you clear the trees it is spectacular but that doesn’t mean that the wooded sections are anything to complain about!

When the thick woods begin the clear the view of the Bogus Basin complex takes over. In Summer, the mountain glows green with small paths providing access and wider sections visible for winter sports. The fascinating part of this section of the hike is that, while in the woods, you really can’t see any of this. Being new to the area, the views came as a really beautiful surprise.

Hiking clockwise, this is also the most challenging section of the trail. There is a pretty consistent incline, around an 8% grade for most of this side of the hill. Occasionally, the incline will pop up into a 10-15% grade for a smaller hill and even peaks at a 21% grade for a short burst. There are plenty of great spots to take quick breaks. At the 1 mile point, the trail turns around the corner of the hill and the incline will decrease the rest of the way. This is also where you really start to take in the beauty of the surrounding foothills.

The Backside of the Mountain

Once making the turn, the Mores Mountain hike really starts showing off. At this point, the trees are cleared and the skies are wide open. One of my favorite parts of this hike was the third of a mile, mostly flat walk across the side of the hill. It was a perfect time to catch the breath and take a break and enjoy the views.

It is good that this section is flat because it is hard to stay focused on the trail with everything else to look at! It is a full third of a mile of enjoying these amazing views of the mountains and hills that surround Mores Mountain.

Around the second bend, when you turn to the south to head back to the trailhead, there is a small trail that leads up to the actual peak. This is a quick little tenth of mile jaunt to the peak and the trail isn’t as clear as the rest of the hike. After that, the trail switchbacks its way back to complete the loop to the trailhead. From the top of the backside, the views of Bogus Basin are really impressive and really highlight the back end of this really amazing hike.

Video of the Mores Mountain Hike

I have put this time-lapse video together of the Mores Mountain hike so other hikers can get a feel of what the hike is like. If you enjoy this video make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. It is free to subscribe and you will get the latest outdoor content.

Distance and Elevation

If you don’t have the AllTrails app you might want to check it out, I really love mine. It records your progress and is a great way to search for hikes that are nearby and gives you difficulty measurements. According to AllTrails today’s hike was around 2.72 miles and had a total elevation gain of about 538 feet including undulations. That put the high point at around 7,237 feet. I was also moving for a total 1 hours and 13 minutes.

I am a Pro member of AllTrails and love it. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. It gives me a small commission with no extra cost to you.

Effort

The Mores Mountain Hike does take some effort to complete, although it isn’t the most challenging. There are a couple of short bursts where the incline touches a 20% grade but these are few and far between. For the most part, the elevation hovers around an 8% grade with some sections with little to no elevation. There are also some narrow trails but for the most part the trail is easy to follow. I am going to grade this as a moderate hike.

Terrain

Mores Mountain has a really well worn trail. However, it is fairly narrow and relies on single file hiking for most of the hike. There is some cover at the beginning of the hike but a majority of the hike is exposed on a mountain side. This means sun and wind and elements are all a possibility. Make sure you have sun screen, a hat and weather protection for this hike.

Access

The Mores Mountain hike is located down forest road 374W off of Bogus Basin road and just past the recreation are for Bogus Basin. The road is windy, single lane dirt road but it is a decent road. The trailhead has some pit toilets and room for about a half dozen cars. There is a deposit box for cash deposits for day permits.

Wrapping up the Mores Mountain Hike

My first hike and visit to the state of Idaho was great! The Mores Mountain hike has wonderful views and is challenging enough to keep it exciting without being overwhelming with inclines. The summer views were lush and green and the mountains looked amazing.

There is a lot of exposure on this hike to the sun and heat but otherwise it was a really nice hike. This was a wonderful way to get my first views of the Boise Hiking Scene!

I have added this hike and all of my hikes to the interactive map page you can find here. If you have any suggestions for hikes or comments feel free to email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!

Gallery of the Mores Mountain Hike

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