Rearing Stallion Peak is located in central Idaho’s Pioneer Range, and stands above the west side of highly scenic Wildhorse Canyon. The summit is a great vantage point to take in the views of some nearby taller peaks. There are no easy routes to the top. Many enjoy this peak as a technical climb, and there is also a challenging scramble route via the west ridge.

After a four hour drive from Boise, Michael and I made it to the end of the 4WD road in Wildhorse Canyon, and hit the trail. We almost immediately crossed the left fork of Wildhorse Creek on a bridge, then a quarter mile later we left the trail and crossed the other fork. From there we did some light bushwhacking for a while, until gaining an obvious rib just south of the creek that drains the basin south of the peak. Elk trails up the rib made for fairly easy climbing, and we finally emerged from the forest near Lake 8950’ about an hour after leaving the trailhead.

Once we reached Lake 8950’, Rearing Stallion Peak came into view. The views from here were quite stunning, and this area alone is worth the hike. From the lake, we climbed talus, aiming for blockier terrain south (climbers left) of a slab waterfall visible above. We set a steady pace up the talus, then some boulder hopping to get above the waterfall. More boulder hopping led us to the upper lake, where we paused for a snack break, and to take in the impressive views of the amazing east face of Goat Peak. The scenery continued to be fantastic.

After a snack, we headed north and set our sights on reaching the saddle on Rearing Stallion’s west ridge. We carefully made our way up the talus slopes, crossed a lingering snowfield, and made it to the ridge without any major obstacles.

The ridge itself would be the crux of the day. After a peek over the north side of the ridge showed us somemajor exposure, it was an easy call to stay more on the south side of the ridge. We made our way carefully upward, with a couple trickier class 3+ sections, and then emerged on the summit. From here, we rested briefly to enjoy the views and point out nearby peaks. But with the prospect of a challenging downclimb looming, we didn’t stay on top long. Fortunately we were able to make our way back down the ridge without issues. From there, it was just a matter of retracing our route back down to the trailhead.

Climbing Rearing Stallion Peak is highly recommended. Amazing scenery, and a challenging scramble, make for a great combination. It took us about 6.5 hours to cover the 7 miles and 3700’ elevation gain round trip. But our day wasn’t done yet…

Map of the route, 7 miles and 3700' gain round trip.	First crossing of Wildhorse Creek.	Emerging from the forest for some views.	Rearing Stallion Peak from Lake 8950'.	Heading up the talus.
Plus-sign boulder on the way up.	View back down toward the lake from above the waterfall.	Contemplating the next boulder hop.	East face of Goat Peak from the upper lake.	That saddle is our next target. We took the grassy ramp on the left.
Snowfield crossing.	West ridge of Rearing Stallion Peak, Abel Peak distant right.	Steep slabby scrambling.	More scrambling as we near the summit.	Smokey view into Wildhorse Canyon, Howard Peak.
Rearing Stallion Peak summit shot.	View back down toward the upper lake from the summit.	View east toward Abel Peak from the summit.	Snowy lake north of Rearing Stallion Peak.	Heading back down, final view of the peak from Lake 8950'.
Map of the route, 7 miles and 3700' gain round trip.First crossing of Wildhorse Creek.Emerging from the forest for some views.Rearing Stallion Peak from Lake 8950'.Heading up the talus.Plus-sign boulder on the way up.View back down toward the lake from above the waterfall.Contemplating the next boulder hop.East face of Goat Peak from the upper lake.That saddle is our next target. We took the grassy ramp on the left.Snowfield crossing.West ridge of Rearing Stallion Peak, Abel Peak distant right.Steep slabby scrambling.More scrambling as we near the summit.Smokey view into Wildhorse Canyon, Howard Peak.Rearing Stallion Peak summit shot.View back down toward the upper lake from the summit.View east toward Abel Peak from the summit.Snowy lake north of Rearing Stallion Peak.Heading back down, final view of the peak from Lake 8950'.