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The Great Western Trail (GWT) is actually much more than a trail, but rather a corridor of trails and passageways designed to serve the many types of trail interests and users. Using whatever was available, travelers in the Old West made their way by foot or horseback, or by using a variety of vehicles including wagons and water craft as they moved between communities, over mountain passes, down rivers, and across valleys. And so it is today along the Great Western Trail as the magic and romance of the Old West unfolds once more to recreational enthusiasts from across the nation and many foreign countries. Opportunities exist for hikers, horseback riders, boaters, mountain bikers, cross-country skiers, and off-road vehicle and snowmobile riders to traverse this scenic and culturally rich area of our nation in a variety of ways. It is envisioned as a north/south trail system extending from Canada to Mexico. A route is possible and actually in place through much of the area. The route being chosen for this trail corridor and at least one tread alignment takes advantage of the rich abundance of public lands throughout the heart of the Rockies. By following mostly existing roads and trails, very little right-of-way acquisition and minimal new construction is needed. This trail would be mostly on National Forests and some public domain administered by the Bureau of Land Management in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Arizona. The preferred route from north to south would include the Idaho Centennial Trail route to the Magruder Corridor (Idaho Panhandle National Forest (NF), Clearwater NF, & Nez Perce NF), then east between the Selway Bitterroot and Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness areas (Bitterroot NF and Salmon NF). An additional alternate southern route floatable by permitted water craft along the historic main Salmon River east/west through Idaho is possible (Clearwater NF & Salmon NF). Once at the ldaho_Montana border the GWT corridor then extends south along the alignment of the existing Continental Divide National Scenic Trail to the Trail Pass (Salmon NF & Beaverhead NF), then south through the Targhee NF past the west side of Yellowstone NP to Palisades Reservoir, where the route splits. An additional alternate route is being considered for pedestrian and horse access across the southwest corner of Yellowstone NP. From there it continues south in Idaho through the Caribou NF near Soda Springs, and Montpelier to the Utah border west of Bear Lake. Again at the Palisades Reservoir, the trail splits and extends along the east side of the reservoir to Alpine, Wyoming, then south along the Greys River to La Barge and Smith Fork, then northwest into Star Valley, Wyoming (BridgerfTeton NF), then west into Idaho past Montpelier, connecting again on the. ridge west of Bear Lake (Caribou NF). At the Utah border, the trail corridor continues south east of Logan, Salt Lake City, Provo, Nephi, and several smaller communities along the Wasatch Front, extending into southern Utah (Wasatch/Cache NF, Uinta NF, Manti NF, Fishlake NF, and Dixie NF). At the southern Utah border, the GWT corridor could extend through Arizona completing the link to the border of Mexico.' This extension could follow a proposed motorized trail route and be known as the El Camino Grande section of the GWT. This section would extend south and east through Arizona crossing the Colorado River upstream of the Grand Canyon NP and head south passing Flagstaff, Phoenix, and Tucson finally reaching the border of Mexico. (Kiabab NF, Coconino NF, Tonto NF, and Coronado NF)
