Idaho Falls

IDAHOFALLSMAGAZINE.COM 43 which butts up against the Caribou-Targhee National Forest to the east. The trail goes south along the Webster Mountain Range before turning east toward Wyoming. You make a northeasterly trek until you get to the small town of Fairview, WYO, in the southern portion of Wyoming's scenic Star Valley. Scenic Wyoming Stretch The Salt River Range looms pretty large in the east and is one of the reasons Star Valley is so beautiful. The trail goes through Star Valley, south of Smoot and then crosses U.S. Highway 89. From here the Caribou Loop Trail goes through some of the most spec- tacular mountains and scenery in western Wyoming. The trail heads east up and over a mountain range, heads back south just for a little while and then turns north along the Grays River, which runs between the Salt River Range and Wyoming Range. There are a couple of side routes along here, which add to the overall mileage of the Caribou Loop Trail and add to the variety of terrain the trail offers. The side routes get you closer to the mountains of the Wyoming Range and ramp up the already spectacular scenery. As you head north toward Alpine, WYO, you will pass the historic Box Y Lodge, which offers lodging and meals and is nestled in a mountain valley where wildlife is abundant. The ride along the Greys River is smooth and the road fairly wide as you go along this awesome waterway. Heading Back Into Idaho Eventually the trail heads back west and goes through an impressive canyon as you make your way into Alpine, WYO (where there are lots of lodging and food options). Alpine sits at the junction of the Salt, Greys and Snake rivers, all of which dump into Palisades Reservoir. The trail then heads south of Alpine for just a few miles and then heads west across the Wyoming/Idaho state line and along Palisades Reservoir to McCoy Creek and back to Herman. The riding between the Wyoming/Idaho state line and Herman is a mix of forested mountains, high desert and rolling hills. So you could spend as much time as you want just on the Caribou Loop Trail but we didn't say anything about the dozens and dozens of side trails that are all along the loop. The trail is also part of the Great

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