Caribou–Targhee National Forest

Caribou–Targhee National Forest
Caribou–Targhee National Forest
	Camas flowers and the west vista of the Teton Range from Caribou–Targhee National Forest
Location	Idaho-Wyoming-Utah, United States
Nearest city	Pocatello, ID
Coordinates	42°47′0″N 111°33′0″W / 42.78333°N 111.55000°W
Area	2,630,716 acres (10,646.13 km2)
Established	1903
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service
Website	Caribou–Targhee National Forest

Caribou–Targhee National Forest is located in the states of Idaho and Wyoming, with a small section in Utah in the United States. The forest is broken into several separate sections and extends over 2.63 million acres (10,600 km²). To the east the forest borders Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and Bridger–Teton National Forest. Most of the forest is a part of the 20-million-acre (81,000 km²) Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Description

Caribou and Targhee National Forests were combined from original forest lands created in 1891. Two designated wilderness areas are located in the easternmost sections of the forest, bordering on National Park lands. The 123,451-acre (500 km²) Jedediah Smith Wilderness is adjacent to Grand Teton National Park on the western slope of the Teton Range. Known for karst limestone formations, the wilderness has many caves and provides excellent views of the less often seen west face of the Teton peaks. The smaller 10,715-acre (43 km²) Winegar Hole Wilderness borders Yellowstone National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, and was set aside primarily to protect prime grizzly bear habitat.

While western sections of the forest have a mixture of sagebrush and grasses, the higher elevations in the east support lodgepole pine, and numerous species of spruce and fir. In addition to grizzlies most of the major megafauna associated with Yellowstone National Park can be found in Caribou–Targhee National Forest. Mammalian species of black bear, wolf, elk, moose, mule deer, bison, cougar, and pronghorn have all been seen by visitors on forest lands. An active peregrine falcon recovery program was begun to return this bird species to some of their ancestral range. Cutthroat trout, brook trout and pike are found in the streams and lakes and the forest is considered one of the best fishing areas in the world for cutthroat trout.

Dozens of campgrounds and 1,600 miles (2,500 km) of trails allow access to much of the forest. There are two trails that access the high altitude Alaska Basin immediately west of the main Teton Range peaks and allow access to trails in Grand Teton National Park.

Caribou National Forest, the smaller and more southerly of the two, is located in southeastern Idaho, western Wyoming, and northern Utah, and has a total area of 987,221 acres (3,995 km²). There are local ranger district offices located in Montpelier, Pocatello, and Soda Springs in Idaho.

The larger and more northerly Targhee National Forest is located in eastern Idaho and northwestern Wyoming, and has an area of 1,643,501 acres (6,651 km²).^[2] There are local ranger district offices located in Ashton, Driggs, Dubois, Idaho Falls and Island Park in Idaho. In Island Park is Big Springs, a first-magnitude spring that is the source of the South Fork of Henrys Fork.

Linkage of limited habitat, through ecological corridors, is the current, most favored, method of effectively restoring native wildlife communities. Many such corridors have been identified where wildlife conservation is a concern. The montane nature of the Caribou National Forest and its juxtaposition make it a very important, fragile and unique link between the northern and southern Rocky Mountains. If restoration of native species is to be achieved throughout the wildlands of the American West, the Caribou will play an important role.

The combined Caribou–Targhee National Forest is managed by the Forest Service from offices in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Wilderness areas

There are two officially designated wilderness areas within the Caribou–Targhee National Forest that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Both lie just south of Yellowstone National Park, in the Targhee National Forest section.

Counties

Counties are listed in descending order of forestland area, by forest.

Caribou National Forest

Targhee National Forest

References

^ "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
^ Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County - United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007

External links

"Caribou National Forest-Montpelier Ranger District-Montpelier Watershed Analysis"^{[permanent dead link‍]}
"Lumber, Stone & Concrete", Administrative Facilities of the Caribou–Targhee National Forests, 1891-1955
"Caribou–Targhee National Forest". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved 2006-07-08.
Map of Caribou–Targhee National Forest
Official Twitter feed of Caribou–Targhee National Forest

[1] "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2012.

[2] Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County - United States Forest Service - September 30, 2007

[1]

[2]

v t e National Forests of the United States
List of national forests of the United States
Allegheny Angeles Angelina Apache–Sitgreaves Apalachicola Arapaho Ashley Beaverhead–Deerlodge Bienville Bighorn Bitterroot Black Hills Boise Bridger–Teton Caribou–Targhee Carson Chattahoochee–Oconee Chequamegon–Nicolet Cherokee Chippewa Choctawhatchee Chugach Cibola Clearwater Cleveland Coconino Coeur d'Alene Colville Conecuh Coronado Croatan Custer Daniel Boone Davy Crockett De Soto Delta Deschutes Dixie El Yunque Eldorado Finger Lakes Fishlake Flathead Francis Marion Fremont–Winema Gallatin George Washington and Jefferson Gifford Pinchot Gila Grand Mesa Green Mountain Gunnison Helena Hiawatha Holly Springs Homochitto Hoosier Humboldt–Toiyabe Huron–Manistee Idaho Panhandle Inyo Kaibab Kaniksu Kisatchie Klamath Kootenai Lake Tahoe Basin Lassen Lewis and Clark Lincoln Lolo Los Padres Malheur Manti–La Sal Mark Twain Medicine Bow–Routt Mendocino Modoc Monongahela Mount Baker–Snoqualmie Mount Hood Nantahala Nebraska Nez Perce Ocala Ochoco Okanogan–Wenatchee Olympic Osceola Ottawa Ouachita Ozark–St. Francis Payette Pike Pisgah Plumas Prescott Rio Grande Rogue River–Siskiyou Roosevelt Sabine Salmon–Challis Sam Houston Samuel R. McKelvie San Bernardino San Isabel San Juan Santa Fe Sawtooth Sequoia Shasta–Trinity Shawnee Shoshone Sierra Siuslaw Six Rivers St. Joe Stanislaus Sumter Superior Tahoe Talladega Tombigbee Tongass Tonto Tuskegee Uinta Umatilla Umpqua Uncompahgre Uwharrie Wallowa–Whitman Wasatch–Cache Wayne Wenatchee White Mountain White River Willamette William B. Bankhead
List of former national forests of the United States

v t e State of Idaho
Boise (capital)
Topics	Index Geography Government Delegations Governors History Bibliography Images People Symbols Tourist attractions
Society	Abortion Climate change Crime Culture Demographics Economy Education Elections Gun laws LGBT rights Politics
Regions	Boise metropolitan area Cache Valley Central Idaho Columbia River Plateau Eastern Idaho Great Basin Inland Empire Magic Valley North Central Idaho Idaho Panhandle Palouse Southern Idaho Southwestern Idaho Treasure Valley Wasatch Range Wood River Valley Yellowstone
Larger cities	Boise Nampa Meridian Idaho Falls Pocatello Caldwell Coeur d'Alene Twin Falls Lewiston Post Falls Rexburg Moscow Eagle
Smaller cities	Kuna Ammon Chubbuck Mountain Home Hayden Blackfoot Garden City Jerome Burley
Counties	Ada Adams Bannock Bear Lake Benewah Bingham Blaine Boise Bonner Bonneville Boundary Butte Camas Canyon Caribou Cassia Clark Clearwater Custer Elmore Franklin Fremont Gem Gooding Idaho Jefferson Jerome Kootenai Latah Lemhi Lewis Lincoln Madison Minidoka Nez Perce Oneida Owyhee Payette Power Shoshone Teton Twin Falls Valley Washington
Idaho portal

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF
National	United States 2 Israel
Other	NARA