Forest Service closes Lead Draw Trail to prevent target shooting-hiker conflicts

It was a case of an accident waiting to happen.

Before the worst could become reality, the Caribou-Targhee National Forest implemented an emergency trail closure this week for the hiking/horseback riding Lead Draw Trail just south of Pocatello. The area is also a popular unofficial shooting range. The unusual closure halts trail use but continues to allow recreational target shooting.

“With the number of reports we’ve heard regarding near-misses between target shooters and hikers, I could not in good conscience keep the trail open as it currently sits,” said Kim Obele, Westside District ranger. “It was only a matter of time until we had a tragedy and someone was seriously injured.”

Most of the reports have been circulated on social media by hikers who talk of bullets flying too close for comfort, sometimes across the trail or in their direction.

“It seems like with more people recreating and more new users coming out, there are more conflicts happening with that area,” said Sheila Larsen, recreation manager at the Westside Ranger District. “We don’t want to wait for an accident to do something.”

The temporary trail closure expires July 31. By that time, the Forest Service hopes to have a permanent solution.

“This time we don’t have a plan that we’re trying to sell to the public,” Larsen said. “We’re asking people to be part of the conversation to help us figure out what is the solution. Is it rerouting the trail? Is it closing it to shooting? Is it something else?”

Larsen said the Lead Draw Trail is generally not frequented by seasoned hikers because of its unofficial status as a target shooting range. Last year, the Forest Service issued an informational video and service announcements after poor behavior and particularly close calls along the trail. Firefighters battled a blaze at Lead Draw in June 2020 caused by an exploding target. In October 2020, a Pocatello hiker went to a local TV station to talk about target shooters sending bullets in her direction as she hiked down the trail.

“People have gone there and had an incident there, and they don’t go back,” Larsen said. “It’s the new users that go because they’re not aware that it is an unofficial shooting area.”

Larsen said fortunately the Mink Creek corridor south of Pocatello has several stellar trails for hikers and others. The Forest Service is pointing outdoor recreators to alternate nearby trails such as the Crestline and Walker Creek trails. Although the trail itself is closed, access to the Lead Draw area will not change.

“This is kind of non-conventional to close the trail and keep the shooting,” she said. “But looking at all the opportunities for hiking around Pocatello, there’s so many and there’s not a lot of safe opportunities for safe shooting.”

The Westside Ranger District is encouraging public comments and suggestions. Contact Sheila Larsen or Robert Harris at the district by calling 208-236-7500 or via email at Sheila.larsen@usda.gov or robert.e.harris@usda.gov.

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