Public input wanted for Pioneer Ridge Trailhead grant application

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - The City of Pocatello seeks public input for an Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation grant application.

The application would fund trailhead and parking area improvements adjacent to Pocatello Creek Road, located on Little Pocatello Creek Road just before the gate. Proposed improvements would offer five to six parking spaces, an informational kiosk, and a dog waste bag station. The grant would also cover the installation of three gates along the new one mile trail which will connect with the Pioneer Ridge trail system. The gates would allow foot and bike traffic but restrict motorized vehicle access. This area is only open to human-powered traffic due to the sensitive conditions of the nearby capped, decommissioned landfill. 

The one mile trail crosses City land and accesses the new Pioneer Ridge trail system on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. Phase one of the trail system, which will include just under six miles of trail, will be fully complete in the summer of 2024. In 2023 construction began after the City and BLM partnered to support this new trail system on the east bench. Preliminary project design estimates a total project cost of $7,000. The city is requesting approximately $4,500 from the Idaho Parks and Recreation Mountain Bike Plates fund. If grant funds are awarded, the improvements will be made in 2024.

“The new Pioneer Ridge trail system will offer incredible year-round recreational opportunities to residents of Pocatello. We anticipate this area will become a popular destination and will be convenient to the residents of the eastside of town, much like City Creek trails are to those on the westside,” Outdoor Recreation Manager Cary Rhodes said.

To provide feedback and comment on the grant application proposal, contact Cary Rhodes, Parks and Recreation Outdoor Recreation Manager, at cary.rhodes@pocatello.gov or 208-234-6237. The city will be accepting public comment on the grant application until Friday, Jan. 25, 2024, at 5 p.m.