16 miles of MTB trails to be closed in Idaho’s Kelly Canyon, but more are proposed

Kelly Canyon is the closest outdoor recreation playground for residents of Idaho Falls, ID, and its surrounding communities. For years, mountain bikers have regularly traveled the roughly 30 miles to Kelly Canyon to ride the area’s 100-plus trails. 

However, visitors and residents likely didn’t know that many of the trails they enjoyed in Kelly Canyon had been closed over 15 years ago. While it now looks like these closures will be enforced, a new trail system is proposed in the area.

New closures from unenforced policies

As the spring and summer recreation season of 2025 approaches, the Palisades Ranger District of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest (CTNF) has entered the scoping period for Kelly Canyon. But this “new” Kelly Canyon project isn’t that new, as it looks to enforce an already established USFS travel management plan from nearly two decades ago.

In a 175-page document, the CTNF released its 2008 Big Hole Mountains Subsection Summer Travel Management Plan (2008 Travel Plan). The plan aimed to manage trail recreation opportunities for all trail users, reduce conflicts, better protect natural resources, and better implement already-established forest plans.

The 2008 Travel Plan recognized several issues involving motorized and non-motorized trail use. Among them were user conflict and “user-created” trails on steep landscapes: 

“Both user-created motorized and non-motorized (mountain bikes) trails have often been constructed in inappropriate locations such as on steep slopes and next to streams which are non-sustainable and difficult to maintain over the long term.”

The 2008 Travel Plan resulted in “closing the remaining areas of the Big Hole Mountain Subsection to off-trail or cross-country use by bicycles.” Despite these closures, the CTNF did not enforce them effectively, leading to a surge in outdoor recreation and trail use in the subsequent years.

The rise in trail usage now seems to be pushing the Palisades Ranger District to finally implement the 2008 Travel Plan by closing nearly 16 miles of trails.

The Kelly Canyon Mountain Bike Trail Plan

December 9, 2024, marked the beginning of a new project to improve Kelly Canyon’s mountain biking trails. In a letter to “interested citizens,” the Palisades Ranger District asked for input on a project to “designate a formal sustainable non-motorized trail system that is experiencing unmanaged recreation.”

Before doing this, the ranger district will close many trails.

The issues stem from illegally built mountain bike trails connected to the area’s official USFS routes. From an overhead view of trail maps, many official USFS routes mentioned appear to be access roads or ATV (motorized) trails. The illegally built mountain bike trails often came from old cattle, horse paths, or other uses. They are frequently located next to streams or on steep slopes, making them “unsustainable and difficult to maintain.”

As part of the new Kelly Canyon plan, the Palisades Ranger District will first assess whether any non-system trails could be added to the current trail system. If they cannot be added, they will be closed or “naturalized” into the surrounding habitat. Closing the trails can involve several methods, including using nearby brush to cover and/or rehabilitate them, posting signs, or constructing fences.

Tickets and fines could also be options, as the CTNF’s 2008 Travel Plan enforces the closures. 

However, the Palisades Ranger District also recognizes that the lack of recreation opportunities for non-motorized users has created the need for many of these illegally built trails. 

“There is a need to provide approved trails for mountain bikers, hikers, and other non-motorized forest users in this area to meet current and future recreational use, reduce user conflicts, and protect natural resources,” the Palisades Ranger District said.

In addition to closing roughly 16 miles of trails, the Palisades Ranger District also proposes an official trail system. During this scoping period, the USFS is asking for input on: 

• Officially designating nine miles of existing trails for non-motorized use
• Creating loops and connections by building two miles of new non-motorized trails
• Reroute and reconstruct up to seven miles of existing trails

The new Kelly Canyon proposal is expected to be decided on and implemented in June; however, this is an “estimated” timeframe.

The importance of Kelly Canyon

Access to the trails at Kelly Canyon is vital for local Idaho Falls mountain bikers like Nate Carey. Carey is a coach development manager for the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) and shared how the area has been essential for developing the next generation of mountain bikers.

“There are four NICA teams in [the area] that have about 200 student-athletes,” Carey told us. “It’s a rural area that’s pretty flat, and their closest real mountain bike trails and mountains is the Kelly Canyon area.”

Carey’s story reflects what so many NICA teams experience across the country. He and his wife started the mountain bike team with seven students. In only eleven years, student participation increased exponentially, and more teams followed suit.

Not only has Carey helped build an incredible NICA program in southeast Idaho, but he has also advocated for partnerships with the CTNF and other land managers.

“We do trail work,” Carey said. “We organize and partner with Forest Service and local nonprofits to be advocates for trail work and be good trail users.”

For NICA and Carey, creating the next generation of trail stewards is essential, and building strong relationships with local land managers is a key part of making that happen. With the Palisades Ranger District asking for public comments on the proposal, Carey feels their job is to advocate for cycling through that avenue.

While there’s still a lot of uncertainty about what’s next for Kelly Canyon, Carey remains optimistic about the future. 

“This community has an opportunity to work together…to engage and develop this area in a way that has longevity and sustainability. We’re excited to have it move forward.”

Singletracks reached out to the Palisades Ranger District for comments on the proposed changes. Unfortunately, leadership changes within the district prevented them from responding before publication.

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