Public land winter closures coming soon

The Bureau of Land Management field office in Pocatello is preparing for seasonal trail closures.

The Blackrock/Chinese Peak trail system is closed to motorized and mechanized (bicycle) travel from Nov. 16 – April 14. The Pocatello West Bench and Soda Hills areas are closed to motorized travel from Nov. 16 – May 15.

In the Soda Springs Hills, the upper gates at Ninety Percent Canyon, Idaho Ranch Canyon and Swenson Canyon close on Nov. 16, with a tentative opening date of May 15. The lower gates in those three canyons will close Jan. 5, with a tentative opening date of May 15. (The Idaho Canyon lower gate is County controlled).

Cooley Canyon on the east side of Bear Lake will close starting Nov. 16, with a scheduled opening date of May 15. Goodenough Creek Campground and the trails system leading out of the campground/trailhead will close on Nov. 16, with a scheduled opening date of May 15.

“The purpose for many of the closures is to protect big game winter range,” said Chuck Patterson, outdoor recreation planner for the field office. “We also want to minimize erosion and other resource damage that occurs when vehicles are driven over wet and freezing roads.”

Cooley Canyon on the east side of Bear Lake will close starting Nov. 16, with a scheduled opening date of May 15. Goodenough Creek Campground and the trails system leading out of the campground/trailhead will close on Nov. 16, with a scheduled opening date of May 15.

Other public land trails and roads may also have seasonal closures.