Idaho OHV enthusiasts to ride the Lombard Trail in Challis Saturday for trail-dedication event

Ernie Lombard

Pacific Mine Loop

Views from the Lombard Trail

Old Mill

Lombard Trail map (courtesy IDPR)

Motorbike and ATV riders are heading to Challis this weekend for a trail ride and trail-dedication event on Saturday, Sept. 11, to officially open the Lombard Trail in honor of Ernest J. Lombard of Eagle, Idaho, a long-time Idaho Parks & Recreation Board member, trail enthusiast, history buff and architect.

Anyone who wants to participate is welcome. The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Bureau of Land Management, Great Basin Institute and the Challis Area Chamber of Commerce are co-sponsoring the event. A number of Idaho ATV and motorbike clubs are expected to be there, as well as the Idaho State ATV Association and some out of state clubs.

Activities begin at 9 a.m. Saturday morning with the trail-dedication at Land of the Yankee Fork State Park in Challis, followed by a trail-ride at 10 a.m. on the Lombard Trail, BBQ lunch at the Bayhorse ghost town at noon ($5 per person), and then folks can take off for additional rides or ride back to Challis.

Here's a brief video of the Lombard Trail. It runs for 13.5 miles from Land of the Yankee Fork State Park to the old Bayhorse mining site and ghost town. The trail is well-designed so it can be ridden by all skill levels. It climbs several thousand feet and suddenly you are riding among the mountain peaks near Challis, affording awesome 360-degree views.

Once in Bayhorse, there are many trail rides available that people will enjoy. One of the new trails in the area, the Pacific Mine Trail #390, provides a great tour of the Bayhorse mining area, where people can see the old mines, a stamp mill, a smelter, cabins, bank, cemetery and more.

Bayhorse also is a jumping off point for literally hundreds of miles of trails in the Yankee Fork region. IDPR has produced an excellent overview map (see above) that shows the myriad of options available. The Idaho OHV Public Outreach Project is in the midst of publishing trail descriptions and maps to five specific rides in the Bayhorse area on http://www.stayontrails.com/.

For more information about Saturday's event, contact the Land of the Yankee Fork State Park, 208-879-5244.