Pocatello ORV Area
The Pocatello ORV Area is south of the city and sports 52 square miles of desert terrain that is criss-crossed by 40 miles of ATV trails. The American Falls Reservoir is close by, and most of the terrain is suitable for novice and amateur riders. One downside is that this area is only open from April 15 to November 15, which is a relatively short season. The park area and ATV tracks are free of charge and open to anyone who simply shows up.
Pocatello ORV Area
BLM - Pocatello Field Office
4350 Cliffs Drive
Pocatello, ID 83204
208-478-6340
Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in a high mountain valley on the extreme southern part of the state, a little over 20 miles away from the Twin Lakes area as the crow flies, although it's a longer drive since the roads don't directly connect the two area. There isn't a specific ATV only section, but there are multiple shared trails that accept ATV transportation, although the trails do have to be shared with hikers and mountain bikers.
Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
5637 East Shore Road
St.Charles, ID 83272
208-945-2565
parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/bearlake.aspx
Caribou National Forest
The Caribou National Forest has multiple ATV trails available for outdoor enthusiasts throughout the park. These trails aren't as developed as other areas, and most of them are "shared trails," meaning riders need to be mindful of hikers, cyclists, and other people who may also be on the same trails as the ATVs. As an odd funny story, Caribou National Forest was not named after the animal, but after a miner nicknamed Caribou Jack, who was known for telling tall tales but actually did discover gold in the area.
Caribou National Forest
Suite 282, Federal Building
250 S. 4th Ave.
Pocatello, ID 83201
208-236-6700
Article Written By Monty Dayton
Monty Dayton is a professional freelance writer who has worked for the ACLU, Touchstone Publishing LLC, the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and many other employers. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Alaska and loves writing about travel, the outdoors and health topics.
