The latest addition to the Ridge to Rivers system, The Watchman Trail opened this weekend. It is a non-motorized multi-use trail. The trail connects Trail 6 with Five Mile Gulch. Starting at Trail 6 makes for a mostly down hill run (but a lung-buster to get to the trail's starting point) while starting at Five Mile makes for the opposite. However, either way the grades are rolling and mellow, especially for the upper foothills. SWIMBA (the Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association) contributed funds for this trail.

The trail is not yet signed, but it is easy to find. To access Watchman from Trail 6, take the Three Bears Trail (Trail 26) from Rocky Canyon Road or from Shane's Loop. From Rocky Canyon Road, travel on Three Bears until you top out where the Three Bears trail meets the Trail 6 Connector trail. Go right at this junction onto the Trail 6 Connector.  If coming up from Shane's, go straight at this junction. Watchman begins where the Trail Six Connector meets Trail 6 proper.  It is an obvious right hand turn. Fifty yards before this junction, you can hang a right on to some new switchbacks to avoid an extremely steep downhill.
 
To access Watchman from the other end, travel on Five Mile Gulch Trail (Trail 2) from Rocky Canyon Road. Go straight where Five Mile takes a hard right to climb out of the gulch. You'll stay in the gulch for a few hundred yards more. Then the new trail climbs left out of the gulch.

The trail's soils mostly consist of basalt/lakebed sediment, and the trail is mostly shaded, so it is not a good wet weather option. (Visit the SWIMBA trail conditions page for  the latest on this and other trails).