Ashton/Island Park Ranger District Travel Regulations (Idaho)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patty Kraayenbrink 208-524-7639

Idaho Falls, ID – Caribou-Targhee National Forest winter travel regulations for Ashton/Island Park Ranger District go into effect Thanksgiving Day. The official Travel Map for the Ashton/Island Park Ranger District describes winter travel opportunities for both winter cross-country use and winter designated routes. This map along with the snowmobile map produced by the Island Park Chamber of Commerce shows winter recreationists groomed snowmobile trails; groomed cross-country ski trails, areas with seasonal closures and areas closed to protect wildlife winter ranges or designated Wilderness. Maps may be obtained through the Ashton/Island Park Ranger District or the Island Park Chamber of Commerce.

Light snow conditions may still allow passenger vehicle traffic on National Forest roads open to summer motorized travel. Vehicle travel will be allowed until snow depth prevents cars and trucks from using the roadways or Fremont County begins snowmobile trail grooming. Roads maintained by Fremont County are not open to snowmobile use.

Most of the Ashton/Island Park Ranger District is open to winter cross-country motorized use. However, there are a few areas displayed on the map in purple hues that are closed to winter cross-country motorized use. The area known as Big Bend Ridge is closed to winter cross-country use until January 1st for the security of the elk and deer migrating to their winter range west of the Forest. Another large area closed to over-snow motorized vehicles is an area from the south side of the Island Park Reservoir east to Henrys Fork River, south to Highway 20 and Green Canyon Road. This area is the Thurmon Ridge area and Harriman State Park. Winegar Hole Wilderness and Jedediah Smith Wilderness are closed to snowmobile use.

People recreating on snow machines are asked to be respectful of private property. District Ranger, Adrienne Keller, has received complaints from area property owners about people on snow machines who ride their machines wherever they please and don?t pay attention to private property boundaries. “I’ve received complaints about people riding their snow machines around private cabins, running over trees in yards and leaving trash when they’ve stopped for a break on a deck of an unoccupied residence.” The groomed snowmobile trails in Fremont County depend on the approval of private land owners to allow the trail to cross their property to connect the trails to the National Forest. Keller adds, “If private property owners near the trails are affected by this rude behavior of some people on snow machines, we could lose their support for the trail going across their property, affecting the connectivity of the trail system in the Ashton and Island Park areas in Fremont County.”

For more information on winter recreation opportunities on the Ashton/Island Park Ranger District, contact either the Ashton Ranger Station at (208) 652-7442 or Island Park Ranger Station at (208) 558-7301. Safe riding!!

USDA Forest Service
Caribou-Targhee National Forest
1405 Hollipark Drive
Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401

http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/caribou-targhee/news/2009/09-61%20ashton-islandpark_winter_travel_regs.doc