Caribou National Forest, Idaho  

One of the lesser-known national forests, the Caribou is partially within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Of its four ranger districts: the Malad, Montpelier, Pocatello, and Soda Springs; the Montpelier and Soda Springs are in the GYE. The lands here are within the Middle Rocky Mountains (as is the rest of the GYE). The Malad and Pocatello districts include Great Basin mountain ranges. The total size of the forest is just over one million acres, making it one of the smaller western national forests. Just over 900,000 acres are in SE Idaho. The rest is just over the border in northern Utah.

The Grays Range on the Soda Springs Ranger District Caribou National Forest. © Ralph Maughan (photo taken from the Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge)  

No caribou ever ranged on the Caribou National Forest. The name was given in reference to "Cariboo Jack", an early-day prospector.

The part of the Caribou in the GYE is comparatively well-watered for eastern Idaho and the mountains are fertile. In fact, they contain the largest desposits of phosphate rock in the United States (at least the SE Idaho phosphate field does). Open pit mining is commonplace on the Soda Springs Ranger District. The mining and processing of phosphate rock into fertilizer and elemental phosphorous is the largest of Idaho's mining industries, despite the common perception that Idaho mining is most gold, silver, and base metals in northern and central Idaho.

There are a number of roadless areas on the Caribou National Forest,  most of them fairly small , but two of real size and importance to the GYE:  Caribou City roadless area and  Stump Peak roadless area . 

In 1998 the Caribou National Forest was administratively combined with the Targhee National Forest to its north. A number of such administrative unions have taken place in recent years due to budget cuts and retrenchment.

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last revised on Feb. 7, 1999/ Text and photos © Ralph Maughan