Montpelier Ranger District
Montpelier Ranger District area management encompasses more than 400,000 acres and includes lands on part of the Cache National Forest as well as the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
District Ranger: Mike Duncan
Address: 322 N. 4th Street, Montpelier, ID 83254
Phone: 208-847-0375 Fax: 208-847-3426
Office Hours: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday through Friday
Trails
There are many trails to choose from whether you are interested in hiking, horseback riding, trailbike riding, snowmobiling or snowmobiling. There is something for everyone. Click here for maps that you can download and print.
Campgrounds
Several campgrounds are scattered throughout the district. Some have nearly all the conveniences of home while others are very rustic. Take your pick! Click Recreation on the navigational site (on your left), the click Camping.
Rental Cabins
Do you want to go camping, but would rather stay in a cabin? Rent one of our many rustic cabins located throughout the Forest. They are open year-round and can be accessed by snowmobiles or by cross-country skiing during the winter months. Click Recreation on the navigational site (on your left), then click Cabin Rentals.
Elk Valley Marsh is a remote high elevation 200-acre mountain marsh that is a nesting and moulting area for waterfowl. The site is a 200 acre, 27 mi driving tour. Highlights include Raptors, Shorebirds, Songbirds, Upland Birds, Waterbirds and Waterfowl. Snow may limit vehicle access. It's open late May - October 31 and may be inaccessible due to muddy roads. Access is free of charge.
At 9,957 feet Meade Peak is the highest point in southeast Idaho. Meade Peak is an important peak to county highpointers and prominence peak chasers alike. It is the county highpoint for both Bear Lake and Caribou counties and has 2497 feet of prominence, making it the 46th most prominent peak in Idaho. It is accessible by the Snowdrift Mountain Trail. 307 acres have been designated as a research nature area for the Forest Service.
Montpelier Reservoir stores water for irrigation and flood control, and provides excellent fishing. A boat ramp is available at the reservoir, and the reservoir is a good habitat for cutthroat and rainbow trout, brown trout, and perch. Fishing is best near the dam.
Bloomington Lake is a high elevation (8,200 feet) 10-acre glaciated lake with a good population of trout. Access is by Bloomington Canyon by high clearance vehicles only. The last one-quarter mile is limited to foot travel only. This area is managed as a Special Emphasis Area in the Caribou Revised Forest Plan for its unique geologic, ecological, botanical and zoological resource values.
Bear Lake Wildlife Refuge is managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. This 18,000-acre marsh provides good wildlife viewing opportunities.
Bear Lake, a large scenic lake often called "Caribbean of the Rockies" for its intense turquoise blue water. As visitors catch their first glimpse of the lake, they marvel at its color and wonder what makes the lake so blue.
Once the site of fur trading rendezvous, Bear Lake offers a wide variety of water sports and is the home of the unique Bonneville Cisco.
If you like caves, then go see Minnetonka Cave. It is a half-mile cavern of fascinating geological formations. The cave features guided tours from June through Labor Day. Fee site.
The Shoshone Indian Trail was used by Indians traveling to and from Bear Lake and Cache Valley.