---
template: byway.jade
id: "2045"
name: "Oregon Trail-Bear Lake Scenic Byway"
distance: "111.3"
duration: Allow 2.5 hours
description: "The Oregon Trail-Bear Lake Scenic Byway offers travelers a panoramic view of Bear Lake and the Bear River valley. Following a portion of the Oregon Trail, it also offers panoramic views of the Blackfoot Reservoir and Grays Lake."
contact: "**[Caribou-Targhee National Forest](http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/caribou-targhee/)**  \n 208-524-7500  \n\n"
path: "{fj_Gjo~fTkEDoP`ByDJoEKkDYiDq@uKsCsD[cB?iWtBqFVwB?sFs@cF{AsUyMmS_JcFuCmF{DwGsGmWkXmBkAcCe@ci@gD_`@mB{Xe@mDSyFy@sDw@gEuAwFcCcE{BiQsLmDmBoCgAcBk@sFgA}C[iBIu\\d@yt@Pqq@@euB^abADgGViLrA_F`AkTfHyFrAgHjA}zBrYmY~BwaCfQqaA`H}GXqkAKuv@e@ao@KkpBGquGy@gDKgEm@}WgHyD_AmC_@gDMuUAsAqA_@g@m@eCBi{@SeCeAoEiAgCc{AikCmA}Be@uAcAoD}C{O_P}|@WaDaEoo@YeC_@yAe@aBo@}Aag@eaA_BcEu@kDWaCIiB?g_@DmGGgP@ew@EiLC}a@cnA?}RGce@e@uX?uHd@wEr@uCp@eH`CgHlDoRbLwH`Ewl@f]kJ|F{O~IqRpKyFdCqK~DwrA`e@gkGdxBi\\vLmMtFqEbCkO|IqGdEsEfDeOzLomAreAoDjCuDzA{CbAwcAd[me@dYge@bX}[`SmB`BeB`CgDzFiBlFsCdM{@hCm@lAcAhBiBtB_Ax@wA~@qEdByaBdd@kZnI_Bj@sDfBuE`Dc\\jZiBvA}DrBsBt@eTlF}EpB}@p@}AzAcBrByBjD_Uff@cAlByBdDyAdBgC`CkM`IgBrAiDrDcD~Eiz@lhB}Nr[uSnc@sDpIwG`NaK|TqVjh@md@fbAqAfCgFxIqDrEiExE}FrE}EzCwFjCiCz@sG`Bio@fK_Bb@}Bz@mDpBeAz@wPlO{ObPwXdXmx@fx@oC`CiPzOowAtvAqq@zq@{A`B_BzBqCvFaAhCgB~Gmk@djDeQdfAeMfm@aAfD}AdDmClDmAfAmLzIcDdDyB`EuBzG{@~FO~CEbFJxe@{MHkKKByc@?mEOcCSoBYqAu@oBmAcBy@y@yAaAm@SoAK_BEmaBPuNEmBSuBe@aDyA_OoKgBcAoDyAog@uNcBi@uFeCiDsByDqC}g@mc@qF_EaFmC{e@sUmE}AsCSgaB?gcFScsHsBeBW{Bk@{A{@}VeW_RaSuD_DaAm@wDwAwIsBiBSmDMaGDu@K}CeAwF{FaJcL{DwDuAm@oCa@wBIaOG_CQoD{@_VmJ{Dy@mb@mHkBAmKfCqC^kBF{Mf@qSb@sUS{@R}Al@uP~L}BnAs@Vo@F}AQ{MmFoRqGqEU_NbB_H~@oBd@mDnBgIlF}@ViCDi@KsTsIoC_B{CgDkOcT}AmCe@sAk@yC]yCS_CBoBR_Bt@_EB{@Ck@[sBw@qAm\\kYwC{B}Aq@yAW_BAGI{c@IyDK_C_@}BeAgCgCoAyBwWcu@uByFc@y@o@aAqAeAsEaBkBcBy@iAgDyG{JsQyAsB}AyAuF}Dq|@}k@cD{AeDs@aBKuYy@_f@eAgF\\cErAwH`EwD|Asc@hHkNpBmIvAm\\~MuCf@_BByCWiBe@{TiGwuByj@iBYmCCk@HkDrAiKrGkCzBgIxJy@x@gBz@{BV}ACsBa@_DaBs@U_AGiAJoHlBcF~@eDdAmp@~_@{AZmAAo@KiBy@sAuAo@cBYuAS}CBmANsAn@eCd_@g`ApUym@bEqJj@iAvBcDzIyLfG{IxIoLpBmDrAwDnAgF~b@gfCb@kDFgBAyAO_DY{Ai@qByCoGiLiSeCwC{@o@eAe@kA_@mIyAgCm@mAcAU_@YgAKsAD_B^{Ah@cAn@i@|ZuR`CcBpAmAvAyBhAcDh@yCNqB?uEcDohB?obBEyBi@qEW{Aa@}AuOmc@y@{CSgCEg}@DeAh@oAlAs@hz@uT|CK`Yb@pPb@fDa@hBs@fCaB`A_AvB_Dx@eBbTuk@p@gC\\mBb@eGDmDOgDo@sEYgBc@wAqFoLaAsCuJ_c@YsCAaCVmDd@qB\\gArAqC`W{d@xAkDn@cDHyCCwCiCcOIaDZmCpByIn@aEBgDMsC_AaO_AuRcAoN_BiHqG{V]uBGqACsERsCj@sClAyCt@uAlAwA`M{Kl@y@x@sAz@eCRaAXyC?yAIsDsA_]?gF\\_DhFcPb@_BbA{HD}B?aG[cFQcAUaAcAqBu@u@c@YeBi@_AAcALmBbAiCtCcBrAmBRcBScBy@_AmAiA{CSqAAaANwCr@kCh@aAhBeCbBcD`BsGb@yEN{IdCi{@RiLFoQSuHo@qGyBuOcAaH_BaJgE}O}HoV}@cCwAcCqBgB}BqAcAiA}@eBoAsDe@y@Y_@iDaC}@}@o@yAe@aBOsB?yCj@e_@UiORkE~@uIDmAUgC_AmHIgFz@gQ\\uCn@yD~@mDhByE\\uATyAXqIh@aDhCgHbA{ETyCHeBCmBRyFd@eDvAgFNiATwCj@iMAsDMuBeAeGeIwYsCsH{C{Gc@oBIcBBmCNqArB}GXsBNsC?uHFcBl@{DfC{JxBoRJmB?qBEgBOuBgByNkAuHoQ{|@mAoFyAyD_BsBgBoAq@]mPgDcD}AwG}DsA_A_@i@_@s@oBcFmBkBwAa@]CuGJiDy@}B_BuAgBqAqCcFiOoCiGs@qAi@uAo@cDOcFO_A_AkCs@{@i@c@oCmAcBkAs@u@c@y@_AkCY{AOwACaC`@uHDqCE{C]_E[kB_Ne`@uIqUoQig@iAkFk@_GOsD?qHhCcc@HiJOkHMcBiFso@CuFNqCx@{Ev@eC|MkZvCmIhAsINuD?cNN{Ez@sGh@}BvB{FrPc\\nAcEn@yEHyA?gD_AsMQuFAgFDyBvA}RNgDJubCKkW"
websites: 
  - url: "http://www.fs.usda.gov/ctnf"
    name: "Caribou-Targhee National Forest"
  - url: "http://www.idahobyways.gov/byways/oregon-trail-bear-lake.aspx"
    name: "Oregon Trail-Bear Lake Scenic Byway"
designations: 
  - Idaho State Scenic Byway
states: 
  - ID
ll: 
  - -111.40869899999996
  - 42.00062900000012
bounds: 
  - - -111.594833
    - 42.00062900000012
  - - -111.04405999999994
    - 43.01207000000011

---

<div><em>The Oregon Trail</em></div>
Take a closer look at one of the Nation's most historic pathways
while traveling the byway. The Oregon Trail passed through this
area and the pioneers who traveled it sometimes decided to stop
here for good. It seems that the area could not have changed much
since the first settlers arrived as drivers pass small communities
and wheat fields that lead up to the foot of the mountains.
<div><em>Bear Lake</em></div>
<br>
<br>
The southern end of the Oregon Trail-Bear Lake Scenic Byway winds
its way along the turquoise-blue waters of Bear Lake the gem of
Southeast Idaho. Bear Lake straddles the Idaho-Utah border and
boasts sandy beaches, great water sports, fishing, boating, and the
famous Bear Lake State Park. The Lake has been a popular recreation
area for generations.<br>
<br>
<div><em>Places Along the Way</em></div>
Along the drive, visitors will pass many historic towns, some
nearly forgotten. Nevertheless, the buildings erected by the
earliest settlers of this territory still stand as a monument to
the culture of an expanding country. Architecture from a different
age can be found in buildings throughout the byway. Often,
travelers will find displays that retell the stories of sites and
the people who made them signficant.<br>
<br>