Caribou Range

Fourth of July Ridge

Compared to many neighboring mountain ranges, the topography of the Caribou Range in southeastern Idaho is relatively gentle. The soil is primarily clay and the vegetation sparse sage, aspen and conifer. Between Fall Creek and Bear Creek are a series of long parallel ridges that provide exhilarating mountain riding.

Caribou Range from Forrest McCarthy on Vimeo.

On Saturday July 22, 2012 I completed a 48 mile solo mountain bike loop connecting Skyline Drive with Lone Pine, Commissary, Fourth of July, Lightning, and Deadhorse Ridges. The 7.5-hour ride included 25 miles of improved dirt road, 9 miles of two track (jeep and ATV), 14 miles of single track, 6,500 ft of climbing, and several miles of hike-a-bike.

Deadhorse Ridge

The Caribou Range, managed by the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, is named after Cariboo Fairchild, a prospector who had taken part in the gold rush in the Cariboo region of British Columbia in 1860 and later discovered gold in eastern Idaho. There are no, and never have been, caribou in the area. The single-track section of the ride transects the 97,690 Bear Creek Roadless Area.

Skyline Drive

Commissary Ridge 

GPS Navigation