Shoshone ATV Trail
By Lynn R. Blamires
The Shoshone ATV Trail in Cache and Rich Counties is proof that northern riders don’t have to travel hundreds of miles to enjoy great trails. The roads in the Shoshone system were mapped and signed in 2004 to make trip planning easy. Trails marked green are easy, blue trails are more difficult, and black trails are the most difficult. The 337-mile system is laid out to provide riders with loops small enough for a day trip or large enough to ride for two days or more. The trails are smooth for the most part and wide enough to handle the new side-by-side machines like the Yamaha Rhino and the Polaris Ranger.
Access to the Shoshone is by trailheads located at Temple Fork, south of Millville, and Blacksmith’s Fork on the Logan side. From Ogden, go to Hardware Ranch or Monte Cristo. To really enjoy the Shoshone, plan a two-day trip from the Logan or Ogden sides and stay over night in Randolph or Garden City. Randolph has fuel, accommodations and food, and Garden City has recently opened trails that connect with the Shoshone at the Peter Sinks trailhead. Although the current map does not show it, there are plans to extend trails to access Lake Town and Woodruff. The Bear Lake /Garden City KOA campground has camping available or for indoor accommodations try one of their cabins. The trail goes right out of the back of the campground. It is a good idea to take a good GPS because construction on some home sites makes access to Peter Sinks slightly difficult to find.
Matt Leavitt and Reed Empy, both of Layton, joined me for a ride on the Shoshone starting at the trailhead on the Monte Cristo Range off Highway 39. The elevation there is above 9,500 feet in a beautiful setting of tall pines and quaking aspen. We headed north on trail number five, a green trail that rides the top of the Monte Cristo range. On the way out, we took side trail 43, a blue trail that loops up on a ridge with great views at the top and then winds back onto the five. It is a path worth taking.
We passed the location of Baxter’s Sawmill and traveled across Squaw Flat on the edge of Straw Valley. We picked up blue trail 27 as we turned west up Dip Hollow finally reaching our destination, “Old Ephraim’s Grave”.
Old Ephraim was a grizzly bear standing nine feet, eleven inches and weighing 1100 pounds. The grave is marked by a four and a half ton monument, equal in height to the old bear. Frank Clark of Malad, Idaho, a sheepherder who lost many sheep to this ferocious bear, finally killed him in 1923. I have heard stories about the coyness of this old bear and I looked forward to seeing this site. It is very impressive to stand at the base of this monolith and imagine facing Old Ephraim. I understand that his skull is on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. More information about the story of this bear is available on the Internet.
We followed the same trail back to our vehicles on Monte Cristo, a round trip of about 90 miles on a pretty fall day. It is great to have such a good trail system so close. I look forward to more amenities developing that will boost local economies and add to the enjoyment of riding the Shoshone. Maps are available in Logan, Ogden, and Salt Lake at BLM, Forest Service, and Utah Division of Parks and Recreation.
I look forward to spending more time exploring the trails on the Shoshone. If you have a favorite trail, I would like to hear about it. E-mail me at quadman@juno.com. Remember to ride safely, tread lightly and keep the rubber side down.