The Idaho section of the Highline Trail originates at the northern most end of the Wasatch Mountain Range. The trail runs south along the spine of the range for 45 miles to the Idaho-Utah border. Throughout the length of the Highline Trail, the visitor is greeted with scenic vistas of the Gem, Bear Lake and Cache Valleys. This Trail is the premier trail of all the trails in the Montpelier District. Andrew Romero, a ranger who built the Eight-Mile Ranger Station, worked on the trail in 1907.
Romero contends that the northern end of the trail followed the Indian route of the time. There are several trails that intersect with the Highline Trail, including the Shoshone Indian Trail, which was the mail route for the early settlers of the Cache and Bear Lake Valleys.
The Highline Trail is the longest trail in the entire Caribou/Cache National Forest, going from Soda Point in the north, to Beaver Creek to the south. Elevations on the trail run from 6,400 feet in Egan Basin to 8,921 feet at Soda Peak. Several points of interest are encountered on the trail. The visitor has access to Soda Point, Soda Peak, The German Dugway, Bloomington Lake and should not leave the area without visiting Minnetonka Cave.
The most popular access to the Highline Trail would be the trailhead in Emigration Canyon. Drive west from Montpelier, Idaho on Hwy. 89 to Ovid, Idaho, 6 miles. Veer right at the Junction of 89 and Hwy. 36. Follow Hwy. 36 for 12.5 miles. Turn left onto the Copenhagen Basin Road. The trailhead parking lot is approximately 200'.
