119 Travel Log by leahmia
14 locations
Pine Butte / The Caldera
As per the signs on the road, the caldera is not accessible to "humans" until May 1st, just a heads up. We went on May 1st and the trail was still snow covered, so we had to hike down the lava rock hillside instead. Such a great little private meadow for camping! Flat spots for tents, as well as trees for hammocks. There is a little fire pit already set up. We loved it. I hope to go back when the wildflowers are in bloom!
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Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area
leahmia
4/13/17 11:52 amThere was a variety of trails, and we only explored a little bit...our trail took us under the overpass and past these big fun murals. Near the entrance was a pond with tons of enormous fish. Towards the butterfly habitat there were little wooden animal cutouts in the brush so visitors can know what wildlife to expect. We saw bunnies and lizards and birds and butterflies. It wasn't busy, there was plenty of parking, and we want to go back! We did see a lot of trash off far trail, and that was annoying. Maybe someone could do an eagle project cleanup or something. We took our baby in his stroller and the paved path was perfect for that.
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Table Rock / Table Mountain
leahmia
4/13/17 4:00 pmThis is a tough hike! But it is soooo worth it. Great view from the top and all along the way. Be smart about following the trail. I've gotten lost on the way down 2/4 of the times I've hiked this. We always see moose.
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Darby Wind Cave
leahmia
4/13/17 4:03 pmGreat easy hike to the caves, fun spelunking inside! It gets a little tight, so don't plan on carrying a big backpack inside. Once when we were in the heart of the mountain a BYU-Idaho outdoor adventure team was there too, and they let us use their equipment to rappel down the big drop off. It was so cool! But definitely required the right equipment. If you go at the right time of year you'll see pretty wild flowers.
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Ashton to Tetonia Trail
We like to carry rocks onto the bridge so we can toss them off into the water below! There is now a safety rail along the bridge so no one will fall off. It's fun to cross country ski out there in the winter, or jog up Squirrel Road to the bridge in the summer. We often see deer or moose on the hillside below. It's also a great place for a romantic date under the moonlight. ;)b
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Twin Bridges
We go swimming there at least once a week in the summer! Sometimes it's pretty packed with college students or local kids, but they're all pretty nice. The low jump-off-point is 11 feet, and the high point is 17 feet I think...And the water is plenty deep. Up river a little bit is a sunken old car. It's fun to go look at. Under the bridge there is usually a rope swing...if it's not there this summer, someone should put another one in!
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Big Springs
leahmia
4/13/15 5:02 pmSomewhere in the back of the camp ground there is a trail that leads to an abandoned fire tower. This is seriously my favorite hike! Uphill but not too steep, it takes about 20 minutes to reach the fire tower (just when you think you are lost, you'll arrive). I've never seen any no trespassing signs. If you are careful you can climb up the broken staircase and enjoy the lookout from the top of the tower. Take a sharpie to sign that you were there and a camera to remember the view. My favorite time to go is either at sunset or in the middle of the night under a full moon. GORGEOUS landscape! It takes about 20 more minutes to get back to the campground.
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Conant Creek Pegram Truss Railroad Bridge
leahmia
4/13/15 5:05 pmI often see moose or deer out there! Great place to jog, cross-country ski, or bike. This photo doesn't show the nice, new, very safe handrails. Take some pebbles to drop off the top into the creek below.
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Donut Falls
leahmia
4/12/15 5:35 pmBeautiful, easy hike! In early April, when we hiked it, there was still snow on two thirds of the trail and the bathrooms were not open yet. The website says 1.5 miles, but since the parking lot wasn't open yet, we had to hike from the main road to the trailhead, and that made it about 2.5 miles. The snow and ice made it tricky getting up the rocks to see the waterfall, but it was still totally worth it. That final ascent will be a lot easier/safer in the summer, I think. I would recommend bringing watershoes so you can enjoy the cave and still walk back down with dry feet. We went on a Saturday so there were lots of people on the trail. We also took lots of water and ended up not needing it all (the hike is pretty short). The trees were gorgeous, the rocks majestic, and the waterfall coming through the hole is just as awesome as the picture indicates! We'd definitely take our friends there.
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