
Cache Valley Idaho

Cache Valley was originally named Willow Valley because of the abundant willows growing along its many rivers and streams. Later, the name was changed to Cache Valley for the practice of early fur trappers to cache, or hide, their furs in the area.
The valley is about 50 miles long, 20 miles wide, surrounded by rugged mountains, and straddles the Utah-Idaho border. It is a green oasis in the arid west, and even greener because of the irrigation system that was established by early settlers.
It was originally only known to Indians (primarily Shoshone and Ute), then trappers. But soon after the Mormons settled in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, they began colonizing nearby areas. The first settlement in Cache Valley was at Wellsville in 1856, though cattlemen tending Brigham Young’s herds were here earlier, encountering the area’s cold winters, which killed the cattle and prevented settlement efforts until a few years later. The southern or Utah portion of Cache Valley hosts 80% of the valley’s population, with the northern end in Idaho being more rural.
Explore Pioneer Trails East Map
Birding area. Shore birds, marine birds, upland birds, marsh birds, water fowl, Sage Grouse and many Sandhill Cranes in fall. Habitat includes wetlands, shrub steppe, and farmland. Visit this site any season but winter.
View moreLau Family Farms have been direct marketing grass-fed beef and lamb since July of 2004. John Lau is the fifth generation to live here, and his ancestors were one of four families sent by the Mormon Church to settle Soda Springs. The farm was established in 1882, and has received the Idaho Century farm designation….
View moreCorrigan Park is located in downtown Soda Springs, Idaho, on the north side of US Highway 30/State Highway 34. It is a pleasant spot to stop and have lunch. While there, you can visit the Galloping Goose and the Dinky Engine, two locomotives that have a part in the history…
View moreWhy Is It Called Soda Springs? The region around Soda Springs, Idaho, is very active geothermally. Early trapper and pioneer diaries are replete with descriptions of the strange geology in the area. The rocks for miles around were described as being of the “soda formation,” which consisted of mounds of…
View moreThe Grill offers traditional western food, pizza and libations in a rustic historic bar.
View more3C Grill opened in September of 2012 in the town of Grace, Idaho. Burgers, Pizza, and BBQ.
View moreTrail Creek offers eleven rooms in a lodge, and amenities like a hot tub, sauna, and satellite big screen TV. You can get breakfast service or group meals, or you can prepare your own meals. Outdoor recreation opportunities include cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, and fishing. Camping and RV hookups…
View moreThe Daughters of Utah Pioneers built this museum in 1983. It features pioneer artifacts, Native American artifacts, and other relics found in the area left by the travelers on the Oregon Trail which went through Soda Springs. Open Friday through Saturday 1 pm to 4 pm. To schedule special groups…
View moreIn Caribou County, manages the activities of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Books, maps, travel and recreation information available.
View moreThis is the oldest drugstore in Idaho. Stop in for an old fashioned soft drink like iron port. The store sells gifts, cards, and historical book by local authors, along with the usual drugstore stock.
View moreOn this route, travelers can retrace some steps of Idaho's pioneers and follow the path taken by early-day Yellowstone Park visitors. From Franklin, Idaho's oldest settlement, it follows US Hwy 91 north to Preston, then Idaho State Hwy 34 north through Thatcher and Grace to US Hwy 30. It then goes east…
View moreMarine birds, marsh birds, water fowl, Sandhill Cranes, and Trumpeter Swans in winter. Visit this site any season.
View moreIn 1881-1882, Mormon settlers came to this area north of Bancroft at the invitation of their friend and relative Chester Call, who had established a ranch nearby. Their hope was to build a thriving community, but in 1882, the Oregon Short Line Railroad was built through Bancroft instead of their…
View moreBirding area. Song birds, birds of prey, upland birds, water fowl, as well as Sandhill Cranes, Sharp-tail Grouse and Sage Grouse. Local habitat includes farmland, and mixed forest. Visit this site any season but winter.
View moreNow an inn featuring a dining room, this 30-room Early Commercial style hotel was built in 1917 and restored in 2001. Guests will enjoy the authentic architecture and decor throughout, as well as the Somewhere in Time Antique Gift Shop and the Enders Museum. Guests receive a daily breakfast at the The Geyser View dining room, from where…
View moreThis building was built of local lava rock in 1902. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
View moreThis is a small house with a big story. The Old Rock House, built in 1896 from rocks originally quarried for a railroad round house, was saved from eventual destruction by the loving care and hard work of its latest owner, Anna Beauregard. The house was built by William Hopkins….
View moreGeological site. Ancient volcanic flows and rhyolite domes. This site also features farmland and sagebrush steppe. Best during spring and fall. This is a stop along the Pioneer Historic National Scenic Byway.
View moreThis old cemetery is home to several interesting graves. The Wagon Box Grave is the 1861 burial site of an Oregon Trail emigrant family of seven killed by Indians and buried together in the wagon box from their covered wagon. You can also find a Morrisite headstone. The Morrisites were…
View moreSong birds, birds of prey, shore birds, marine birds, upland birds, marsh birds, water fowl, Sandhill Cranes and Trumpeter Swans. Visit this site any season.
View moreBirding area. Song birds, birds of prey, marine birds, marsh birds, water fowl, nesting sandhill Cranes and Trumpeter Swans. Visit this site any season but winter.
View moreHere you can picnic in a place traversed by Oregon Trail travelers. The Oregon Trail, marked by white carsonite markers, heads up from Alexander Reservoir and crosses the road that leads down into the park.
View moreFive miles west of Soda Springs is a great stone bluff rising several hundred feet above the Bear River. This is the point at which the Bear makes its sweeping left turn, around the base of Sheep Rock, and heads back south toward the Great Salt Lake. Geologically, it marks…
View moreCome watch newly hatched fish (fry and fingerlings), learn about fish reproduction and stocking, and maybe try your luck in a nearby creek! This fish hatchery was built in 1946 and supplies fish stock to southeast Idaho lakes, rivers, and streams. The primary fish produced in the hatchery’s 16 vats…
View moreLocated at Soda Springs City Park in downtown Soda Springs, along the main Hwy 30. Wednesdays 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Homemade fresh baked goods, fresh noodles, artisan lettuce, fresh eggs, crafts and more.
View moreGeneral Patrick Edward Connor, with California and Nevada volunteers, was ordered by President Lincoln to protect the overland travel routes in the West. (This is the same Connor who led his troops to slaughter upwards of 300 Shoshone Indians at the Bear River Massacre in January, 1863. Please see the…
View moreThis old store in Henry, Idaho, was originally built as a trading post for Indians, trappers, and later gold miners from Caribou Mountain. Also known as Chester Store by locals, after one of the owners. The original building was destroyed by fire, and the current building was constructed in 1913. Henry Store…
View moreIn 1913 this building housed a doctor's office and general store. It has seen various owners and uses since then, until 1964, when Sam Krebbs bought the store and established Sam's Market, a mainstay in the community of Grace.
View moreThis 1895 Gothic style church in Soda Springs Idaho is built of local lava rock. In 1895 Captain John Codman donated the land, and a house, to the effort, and this building was raised. Total cost of the construction and furnishing of the church amounted to $3,671.35.
View moreBeginning in September, local potato farmers sell their newly harvested potatoes in fifty pound bags. Watch for opportunities to buy real Idaho spuds at roadside stands often found along State Highway 34, near Grace, Idaho, or along US Highway 91 in Preston.
View moreFree, clear sparkling soda water still is available in a beautiful Soda Springs city park located two miles north from the center of town. A prime attraction for more than 160 years, soda water from these springs was known nationally after rail service reached this resort area in 1882. W.H….
View moreWithout the extensive networks of irrigation canals created by settlers of this region, farming as it now exists would have been impossible in this arid area. Residents created cooperatives to organize the use of the water, with families owning shares that gave them the right to irrigate their land on…
View moreThis is a branch of the Oregon Trail. On July 19, 1849, Benoni M. Hudspeth, captain of a wagon train headed for California, and John Myers, the wagon train’s guide, decided to open a new wagon route to shorten the northern and more established route through Fort Hall. Instead of…
View moreThis preserve established by the Nature Conservancy protects crystal-clear pools and a unique wetland complex at the base of the scenic Aspen Mountains. The cold springs that feed the terraced pools and creek system deposit high concentrations of travertine (calcium carbonate), which gives the site its unique geology. Perhaps the…
View moreA summer cabin was built in 1870 for Latter-day Saint (Mormon) Church President Brigham Young. The cabin was used for many years as a stopping place for Young and other church leaders as they traveled through the area doing church business. The home was destroyed in 1944 in an attempt…
View moreThis farm located in the Gem Valley in the Caribou Highlands of southeastern Idaho was first cleared of its sagebrush in the 1880s. Bart and Cherie Christensen, who raise wheat, barley, and seed potatoes on the land, decided to create a couple of golf fairways for their five children to…
View moreEstablished in 1950, this is the place to get frozen homemade pie dough so you can have perfect pie crusts, too.
View morePreston Area Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 552
Preston, ID 83263
(208) 423-8271
Facebook Page
Email Us