Caribou and Targhee National Forests were combined from original forest lands created in 1891. Two designated
wilderness areas are located in the easternmost sections of the forest, bordering on National Park lands. The
Jedediah Smith Wilderness is adjacent to Grand Teton National Park on the western slope of the
Teton Range. Known for karst limestone formations, the wilderness has many
caves and provides excellent views of the less often seen west face of the Teton peaks. The smaller
Winegar Hole Wilderness borders Yellowstone National Park and the
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, and was set aside primarily to protect prime
grizzly bear habitat. While western sections of the forest have a mixture of
sagebrush and
grasses, the higher elevations in the east support
lodgepole pine, and numerous species of
spruce and
fir. In addition to grizzlies most of the major
megafauna associated with Yellowstone National Park can be found in Caribou–Targhee National Forest. Mammalian species of
black bear,
wolf,
elk,
moose,
mule deer,
bison,
cougar, and
pronghorn have all been seen by visitors on forest lands. An active
peregrine falcon recovery program was begun to return this bird species to some of their ancestral range.
Cutthroat trout,
brook trout and
pike are found in the
streams and
lakes and the forest is considered one of the best
fishing areas in the world for cutthroat trout. is one of only two caves administered by the U.S. Forest Service Dozens of
campgrounds and 1,600 miles (2,500 km) of
trails allow access to much of the forest. There are two trails that access the high altitude Alaska Basin immediately west of the main Teton Range peaks and allow access to trails in Grand Teton National Park.
Caribou National Forest, the smaller and more southerly of the two, is located in southeastern Idaho, western Wyoming, and northern Utah, and has a total area of . There are local
ranger district offices located in
Montpelier,
Pocatello, and
Soda Springs in Idaho. The larger and more northerly
Targhee National Forest is located in eastern Idaho and northwestern Wyoming, and has an area of . There are local ranger district offices located in
Ashton,
Driggs,
Dubois,
Idaho Falls and
Island Park in Idaho. In Island Park is
Big Springs, a first-magnitude spring that is the source of the South Fork of
Henrys Fork. Linkage of limited habitat, through ecological corridors, is the current, most favored, method of effectively restoring native wildlife communities. Many such corridors have been identified where wildlife conservation is a concern. The montane nature of the Caribou National Forest and its juxtaposition make it a very important, fragile and unique link between the northern and southern Rocky Mountains. If restoration of native species is to be achieved throughout the wildlands of the American West, the Caribou will play an important role. The combined Caribou–Targhee National Forest is managed by the Forest Service from offices in
Idaho Falls, Idaho. ==Wilderness areas==