Near Mountain Home in Elmore County, Idaho — The American West (Mountains)

Site 7 ★ Canyon Creek

Main Oregon Trail Back County Byway

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, May 16, 2018

1. Site 7 ★ Canyon Creek Marker

Inscription. August 4th "This day we traveled nineteen miles over tolerably rough road ... After watering, we traveled eight and a half miles, which brought us to a barrel creek (Canyon Creek). Here we found a small creek running through a barrel-shaped valley, which is surrounded by rock bluffs about twenty feet high. We nooned at Barrel Creek..." P.V. Crawford, 1851

Canyon Creek was a popular camping area along the Oregon Trail. After traveling 12 miles across the rocky desert, most emigrants stopped and camped in this small valley. Often crowded with emigrant wagons, the animals had to be taken a mile upstream to find grass.
The round shape and steep walls reminded many of a barrel. In spite of the guidebooks, Canyon Creek was called by many names, including Barrel Creek, Barrell Creek, Bearl Camp Creek, Barrow Creek, Carrol Creek, Lake Creek, Lake River, Rock Creek, Charlottes Creek, Shillot Creek, and Peters Spring.

Erected by Bureau of Land Management; Oregon-California Trails Association, Idaho Chapter. (Marker Number 7.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles

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• Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Oregon Trail series list. A significant historical date for this entry is August 4, 1851.

Location. 43° 15.714′ N, 115° 42.216′ W. Marker is near Mountain Home, Idaho, in Elmore County. It is on Canyon Creek/Mayfield Road near Memory Lane, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6825 Mayfield Road, Mountain Home ID 83647, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Idaho’s Snake River Plain,

in Greater Boise,

and on the Shoshone–Paiute Duck Valley Reservation.

It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Canyon Creek Station (a few steps from this marker); Site 6 ★ Kelton Road (approx. 3½ miles away); Toll Gate (approx. 6.3 miles away); Rattlesnake Station (approx. 8.2 miles away); Site 5 ★ Rattlesnake Creek (approx. 8.2 miles away); Site 8 ★ Ditto Creek

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, May 16, 2018

2. Site 7 ★ Canyon Creek Marker

(approx. 8.2 miles away); Oregon Trail 1864 (approx. 8.7 miles away); Mountain Home Irrigation District (approx. 8.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mountain Home.

More about this marker. Should anyone wish to follow this portion of the Oregon Trail, I suggest they obtain a copy of the Main Oregon Trail Back Country Byway brochure by the BLM and OCTA. It is generally available at local visitors centers.

Canyon Creek image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, May 16, 2018

3. Canyon Creek

Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2018. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 539 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 1, 2018, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.