Old Stage

A trail wide enough for a stage coach, which was its original and still permitted use, Old Stage Trail No. 75 serves as the main feeder trail to the Kettle Crest National Recreation Trail for access to nearby Copper Butte.

This former stagecoach route, constructed in 1892, served as the original east/west "highway" over the Kettle Mountain Range. The steep and rocky route was moved south to Sherman Pass by 1898, but the trail is still technically considered open to stagecoach travel, should anyone wish to attempt it. Old Stage Trail #75 is the eastern portion of the old stage route. The trailhead boasts a circular drive to accommodate horse trailers, a CXT outhouse, and three small campsites with fire rings.

The trail consists of a relatively short climb of 1.7 miles to the junction with the Kettle Crest National Recreation Trail (running N/S), and Old Stage Trail No. 1 (continuing west).

A small campsite is located at this intersection, with access to water a short distance south at a stock tank on the flank of Midnight Mountain. Old Stage Trail No. 75 is the main access route for hikers intending to hike Copper Butte, the tallest peak along the Kettle Crest at 7,140 feet.

The trail can also be combined with several others in the area for longer hiking and backpacking routes.