Two tribes dominated Southeast
Idaho, the Shoshone and the Bannock. Although they spoke different languages, they
shared a similar culture and lifestyle, migrating with the season to hunt buffalo, deer,
and antelope by horseback. With the pioneers, came caravans of covered wagons, military
forts and supply depots. With perseverance and luck, they became villages and towns. Then
came the railroad. Life was never the same again. The technicians, materials and ideas
conveyed by the Iron Horse made possible a lifestyle not unlike our own. The tepee and log
cabin gave way to well-built homes and irrigated crops.
The "Gate City" it was
called, the largest rail center west of the Mississippi. Pocatello is still the
center of travel between Yellowstone, Salt Lake City, Sun Valley and the rest of Idaho.
But the golden age of the train, when nearly everyone traveled by rail, has passed into
history. That unique era can be revisited here as nowhere else at the Oregon Short Line
Depot, an elaborate, three-story passenger station designed at the turn of the century.
Across the street is the Yellowstone Hotel whose wine-colored bricks and terra-cotta trim
have been a fixture in Pocatello for generations. Southeast Idaho's history before the
railroad is told at the Idaho Museum of Natural History on the ISU campus and at
the full-scale replica of Fort Hall, one of the Oregon Trail's most famous trading posts.
The rich traditions of Idaho's
first inhabitants are celebrated each August at the Shoshone-Bannock Indian Festival and
Rodeo. Indian games, art exhibits and a colorful war dance competition in painted face are
proudly displayed. Another living tradition renews itself each March when the Dodge
National Circuit Finals Rodeo brings the nation's top cowboys and cowgirls to Idaho State
University's indoor arena.
The Bannock and Shoshone reserved
as sacred ground a zone of peace where rival tribesmen could unite in reverence to the
Great Spirit. Rejuvenating Lava Hot Springs south of Pocatello is still a gathering
place of diverse peoples, a state-operated facility drawing visitors from around the
world. At the base of lava cliffs and along the Portneuf River are four large hot pools
ranging in temperature from 104 to 110 degrees. The pools are open year-round and late
into the evening for stargazing.
The gem of Southeast Idaho is a
one-of-a-kind spectacle and a magnet to photographers. Bear Lake's juniper and pine
shoreline is pristine. Its size - 7 miles wide and 20 miles - is gigantic. But sometimes
it's the little things that make the difference. In this case, the little things are
soluble carbonates in the water; they create an astounding turquoise-blue color. Daybreak
is dazzling as the flaring reds, yellows and pinks of the rising sun reflect off the
lake's shimmering surface. Bear Lake Recreational Area is a water-sport capital, ideal for
sailing and powerboating. The North Beach is one of the most popular swimming sites in a
three-state area. Fishing is excellent with abundant rainbow and native cutthroat trout.
Southeast Idaho's Pioneer
Historic Byway gives motorists a nostalgic glimpse, through rustic ranches and
roadside communities, of a west long past. Along the way are numerous attractions - Bear
Lake State Park, the Paris Museum, the Cache National Forest, the Caribou Forest, the
carbonated waters and spouting geysers of Soda Springs and the Blackfoot Reservoir. The
Pioneer Historic Byway and Bear Lake Scenic Byway combine historic sights and scenic
splendor for a truly memorable experience. The Big Bubbly
In the late spring and early
summer, the endless, irrigated fields grow vine-like leaves spotted with yellow flowers -
the world famous Idaho potato. The sandy volcanic soil and highland climate allow potatoes
to grow to a perfect shape and size not possible in harder clay soil. The harvest begins
in September and October. The city of American Falls is a major processing and shipping
center. Nearby are the pastoral farming communities of Aberdeen, Springfield, Pingree and
Blackfoot, home of Idaho's World Potato Exposition. There's no better place to learn about
the agricultural, historical, social, scientific and economic aspects of potatoes.
Southwest of American Falls is
Massacre Rocks State Park. Thousands of emigrants passed safely through this break in the
rocks prior to an 1862 skirmish in which ten people were killed. Deep ruts from wagon
trains are still visible here. A few miles away is another hidden oasis called Register
Rock, a popular stopping place along the Oregon Trail. Visitors can still read the names
carved into rock by early pioneers. The largest rock is 20 feet high and protected by a
fenced, roofed enclosure at the center of the park. Dark Caves And Shooting Geysers
Southeastern Idaho is full of
surprises. You just need to know where to look. Northwest of Bear Lake is Minnetonka Cave,
half a mile long and full of stalactites, stalagmites and fossils. Guided tours take you
through room after room; the walls are lined with ice crystals and banded travertine rock.
The fossils reveal marine and plant life thousands upon thousands of years old. North of
American Falls is another rarity, a crater 100 feet wide and 150 feet deep. Formed by a
prehistoric explosion, King's Bowl is located along Highway 39 at the Great Rift National
Landmark. Perhaps most surprising is the water at Soda Springs, a small town north of Bear
Lake. Oregon Trail emigrants stopped here to savor the naturally carbonated spring water.
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