Category: Byways
Southeast Idaho Byways
Hitch Up Your Wagon And Take A History Tour Of Southeast Idaho! Drive along the same route that the early Pioneers traveled and relive the history of the old west. Walk in the ruts created by the wagons on the Oregon Trail. Visit museums displaying the actual artifacts they left behind. Explore the homes and churches they built with their bare hands. Learn about Native American life and history.
Use the map below to find all of the stops listed below it.
Gold Road History Tour
Gold Road History Tour Travel the Idaho Gold Road Tour and learn about gold prospectors, the railroad, fur trappers and the Oregon Trail emigrants. The gold road through eastern Idaho was born during the Civil War years when John White and his party discovered gold on Grasshopper Creek in Montana in 1862. Soon a boom-town of 500 persons were running short of supplies. They sent Mr. Woodmanse on a difficult journey of 400 miles to Salt Lake City for winter supplies. Then in 1883 gold was discovered in Virginia City and thousand of persons came and the need for supplies exploded. The Gold Road from Montana to Utah through 200 miles of eastern Idaho became a lifeline for the mines-gold on one end and food and supplies on the other. Use the map below to find all of the stops listed below it.
Oregon Trail Bear Lake Scenic Byway
Southeast Idaho, from the Utah border, through Soda Springs and west to McCammon, has been traversed by travelers since before recorded history. First by various tribes of natives on their way to “Po-Ha-Ba,” the healing waters of the hot springs at Lava Hot Springs, later by fur trappers, then emigrants on the Oregon Trail. This scenic drive passes by beautiful Bear Lake, which straddles the Idaho-Utah border and continues through Oregon Trail country. The lake is known for its turquoise-blue water, especially when viewed from Hwy. 89 summit (7,800 feet) high above Garden City. View the National Oregon Trail/Bear Lake Scenic Byway Brochure. Download a printable Map and Itinerary.
Pioneer Historic Byway
The National Pioneer Historic Byway abounds with undiscovered recreational opportunities, scenic and historic sites for families and travelers to discover and enjoy. Hitch up your wagon and take a ride back through time! The National Pioneer Historic Byway begins on US 91 at the Utah/Idaho border and continues north to Idaho 34, ending at the Idaho/Wyoming border. Historians will love learning about Southeast Idaho’s Native American, Mormon Pioneer, and Oregon Trail heritage. On the byway, visitors will enjoy pristine geological formations. Begin your journey with a visit to a memorial site designated as a National Historic Landmark just north of Preston where, in 1863, the United States Army attacked a Shoshone Native American Tribe. The infamous attack, known as the Bear River Massacre, is studied as part of the American Indian War and American Civil War. At the north end of the Byway, drive through Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge and see the world’s largest concentration of nesting Sand Hill Cranes each April. Printable Map and Itinerary. Watch our Pioneer Historic Byway Video! Use the map below to find all of the stops listed below it.