Oregon Trail-Bear Lake Scenic Byway
Oregon Trail-Bear Lake Scenic Byway is a State Scenic Byway in Idaho. Within Idaho it covers roughly 110 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Oregon Trail-Bear Lake Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
The Oregon Trail–Bear Lake Scenic Byway runs 111 miles through southeastern Idaho, beginning at turquoise Bear Lake near Fish Haven. It follows US 89 and US 30 north through Montpelier, Soda Springs, and Lava Hot Springs to McCammon. Bear Lake's clear, mineral-tinted waters have earned it the nickname 'the Caribbean of the Rockies,' while Soda Springs is home to the world's only captive geyser, created by accident in 1937 when a well driller struck a natural geyser 317 feet underground. The route traces a corridor used long before recorded history by Native travelers heading to the healing waters at Lava Hot Springs, later by fur trappers, and eventually by Oregon Trail emigrants. Minnetonka Cave, the largest developed limestone cave in Idaho, holds a half-mile of stalactites and stalagmites, and 15 marked historic stops along the way include the Chesterfield Historic Town Site and the National Oregon/California Trail Portal.
- 111 miles, Bear Lake to McCammon
- Bear Lake, 'the Caribbean of the Rockies'
- Soda Springs' captive geyser (est. 1937)
- Minnetonka Cave
- Chesterfield Historic Town Site
- Oregon Trail emigrant history
Plan a drive on Oregon Trail-Bear Lake Scenic Byway →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along Oregon Trail-Bear Lake Scenic Byway
7 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Oregon Trail-Bear Lake Scenic Byway.
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