Idaho · Hiking

Big Springs Interpretive Trail

Big Springs Interpretive TrailPhoto: James N Perdue, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
1.3 mi
round trip
7 ft
climb
6,402 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Big Springs Interpretive Trail open right now?

No closures listed

The Forest Service lists no closures for Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Big Springs Interpretive Trail is an easy, short walk of about 1.3 miles in the Ashton/Island Park Ranger District of Idaho's Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The trail is an out-and-back with a total climb of about 12 feet, so it's an easy addition to a day spent around the Big Springs area. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Island Park, ID, show July and August highs around 77°F with lows in the low 40s. That station sits about 100 feet lower than the trail's low point, so temperatures on the trail run slightly cooler. The trail makes a natural pairing with camping. Big Springs Grp. Area - Island Park is just 0.2 miles away, and Big Springs Campground is 0.3 miles off. Big Springs Snow Park is about 2 miles away, and Flat Rock offers river fishing roughly 4 miles out.

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Big Springs Interpretive Trail

    Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      27° / 6°

    2. Feb

      30° / 7°

    3. Mar

      39° / 14°

    4. Apr

      47° / 23°

    5. May

      59° / 32°

    6. Jun

      67° / 38°

    7. Jul

      77° / 43°

    8. Aug

      77° / 40°

    9. Sep

      68° / 32°

    10. Oct

      51° / 24°

    11. Nov

      36° / 14°

    12. Dec

      25° / 6°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Island Park, ID, 7.7 mi away at 6,290 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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