Idaho UTV/ATV/Motorbike Program

I am enjoying the 15th Annual OHV Safety Fair at the Diamondfield Jack parking lot with Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office, Cassia County Sheriff's Office, and Minidoka County Sheriff's Office.
Tomorrow from 9am - 5pm we will be holding 9 additional OHV Safety classes. You can register at www.reced.idaho.gov.

** Trail Crew Report **
From our East Region Trail Rangers, with special thanks to Holt, Josh, and the North Fork RD Trail staff for helping out to move this mess.

NATIONAL FOREST: Salmon Challis NF
RANGER DISTRICT: North Fork
WORK DATE: 5/27-6/3/2026

Some before and afters...

The West side of the state is seeing the same amazing amounts of downfall as our East side crews. Our ATV crew, Mitch & Mike, along with our equipment operator, Rene and volunteer club members from the Canyon County ATV club are doing some work on and around the East Mountain Trail in Cascade RD, trail number 099A04.

I saw a post on one of our local group pages and wanted to remind everyone of the simple concept of up and over, or through; never around. During spring run-off we get water on the trail (very bad) and then it pools in low areas. Yes, we need to create water bars on the downhill slope to get the water off the trail, but we should never create a new route to go around a hazard.

The trail corridor is the trail corridor...

The reason behind this golden rule is trail preservation. Here is why this ethic is so important to keep public lands, local trails, and areas open and accessible:

Prevents Trail Widening: When riders repeatedly go around obstacles, they create new, unauthorized paths. This widens the trail far beyond its designated footprint, which damages surrounding vegetation and topsoil.

Reduces Erosion: Widening paths and cutting switchbacks destroys natural root systems that hold the dirt together. This accelerates severe soil erosion, particularly in vulnerable ecosystems, wetlands, or during heavy rains.

Keeps Trails Open: Land managers monitor trail damage closely. Repeatedly going off-trail or widening paths leads to permanent trail closures.

If an obstacle is too intimidating or goes beyond your capabilities or your own skill level, the correct practice is to go up and over, or through, or turn around entirely, rather than plowing through barriers or creating a new line.

To stay up-to-date on local trail openings, route designations, and ethical riding practices, check

Idaho Trails Mapping Applications - Department of Parks and Recreation Idaho Trails maps are tailored for summer and winter activities. Maps: Summer | Winter Permits: More Info | Buy Online Now Summer Trails Trail Info & Offline Maps Web-based mapping […]

Salmon-Challis National Forest - Henderson Ridge Trail #6141 is experiencing a bit of a blockage, and by a bit I mean a full-on please stay away until resolved.

From Brian and the East Region Trail Rangers - Henderson Ridge Trail #6141 at the lower end is completely blocked. We are working with the forest to make a plan to get it re-opened but won't be anytime soon.

Approximate location of slide,
Latitude: 45.491944 | Longitude: -114.14725
DMS (degrees, minutes, seconds)
Latitude - N 45° 29' 31''
Longitude - W 114° 8' 50.099''

For those who have already been out riding this season this will come as no surprise, for those that haven't, better get a saw mount for your machine.

East Region Trail Rangers are out with Brian and this is what they have encountered in just the first quarter mile.

From Brian... O yeh. We are at 150 trees already.

To all the OHV clubs that take on the challenge of trail maintenance, thank you!

May 19th and our Trail Crews have reported for duty!!!
For thoee who don't know the IDPR Motorized Trails structure.
Each region, 3 of them (Boise, Idaho Falls, Coeur d’Alene) has 1 Trails Specialist, 1 Equipment Operator, 2 Seasonal Trail Rangers, and 1 Equipment Operator Assistant.

The early season goal is to open as many miles of trail as possible. We do 90% of our work on National Forest lands. Late season if we can get back around to these trails it is to "buff them out."

Trail crews will be out for their first shifts starting next Wednesday through the following Wednesday.

In three weeks Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office will be giving away a youth ATV!!!

All you need to do is register and attend an OHV safety class at the 15th annual Tristan Hunter Howard OHV Safety Fair at the Diamondfield Jack parking lot on June 5th or 6th.

register at www.reced.idaho.gov

Education opportunities this coming weekend.
Gem County - May 15th
Bannock County - May 16th
Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office - May 16th
Cassia County Sheriff's Office - May 16th
Bingham County - May 16th

Register or find a class in your area at www.reced.idaho.gov

It is May, the soil is slowly drying out, and everyone is getting ready to ride, so I wanted to share the "What Would Brian Do" story for April & May of this year.

Someone, maybe a Jeep or UTV club, put a bug in Brian's ear to see what he could do about finding more opportunities for those user groups. In true Brian fashion, he went to the City of Idaho Falls who manages the Idaho Falls Raceway (Noise Park), and began the discussions about some site development and improvements to create an OHV challenge park.

They agreed, and Brian is doing what Brian does best, churning dirt and creating opportunity. Phil is our East Idaho Equipment Operator and is working right alongside Brian. Hold on, Phil, the summer is young.

Without the support from each of you through buying your OHV stickers, none of this would be possible. $12 is a small amount for the return that comes back to the sport.