Caribou-Targhee National Forest

Stretching across 2.6 million acres of southeastern Idaho and into small portions of Wyoming and Utah, Caribou-Targhee National Forest serves as the western gateway to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, connecting some of the most iconic wildlands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The forest encompasses the dramatic western slope of the Teton Range, where the Jedediah Smith Wilderness offers backcountry hikers stunning views of the Grand Teton and access to hidden alpine lakes and cascading waterfalls without the crowds found on the range's eastern side. Grand Targhee Resort, nestled on the forest's Teton slopes, receives over 500 inches of annual snowfall and is legendary among skiers for its deep, light powder.\n\nThe Caribou division to the south protects the Caribou Range, Bear River Range, and portions of the Snake River Plain, including the geologically unique Menan Buttes -- the world's largest volcanic tuff cones. The forest's extensive sagebrush-grassland and aspen ecosystems provide critical winter range for large elk and mule deer herds, while grizzly bears, gray wolves, and moose roam the higher elevations. Numerous streams and reservoirs offer excellent fishing for cutthroat trout, and the forest's network of groomed snowmobile trails stretches for hundreds of miles across the high plateaus.