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Print Friendly MapThe Ashton-Tetonia Trail officially opened in 2010 and extends nearly 30 miles between the towns of Ashton and Tetonia, Idaho. The trail occupies a former rail spur once operated by Union Pacific (the Oregon Short Line). The trail includes five bridges and restored rail trestles. The trail—a mix of gravel and dirt surfaces—is managed by State of Idaho Parks and Recreation and is open to snowmobiles in winter when there is enough snow to groom the trail.
Mountain bikers and hikers might want to go from Ashton to Tetonia so that you can enjoy views of the Teton Mountains; however, this is slightly uphill (800 feet elevation gain over the course of the trail).
There's a 1.4-mile detour off the main rail line in the France-Drummond area in Fremont County to skirt private property. Take County Road 4400 E. (gravel road at Rt. 32) north to County 700 N. (two-track dirt road) then head west to pick up the trail again. Note the snowmobile route takes a different detour in the France-Drummond area than non-motorized users.
The Ashton-Tetonia Trail is part of a larger trail network called the Greater Yellowstone Trail, which is being spearheaded by Wyoming Pathways. The developing 180-mile trail system will connect Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with West Yellowstone, Montana, via rail-trails traversing Victor, Driggs, Tetonia, Ashton, and Island Park.
Parking is available at the southern trailhead off Egbert Avenue in Tetonia.
Road 8 miles from Tetonia to Ashton where we were finally forced to turn around. The trail is gravel, yes, but variable sized rock which push tires sideways as well as rough. It’s also a two-track. I ride a recumbent trike which meant I always had a tire in the overgrown median. We turned around after we were overwhelmed by the thistles which hit us in the face and shoulders. On our return to Tetonia we met two groups. One was a family with 3 under 8 years. I thought how unfriendly the trail is to someone with a child trailer.
Today we rode towards Ashton to the 15-mile marker. This side is incredibly beautiful with the Tetons constantly looming in the background and the straw yellow fields making perfect contrast for pictures.
We rode from Ashton toward Tetonia to the 15-mile marker. It was a beautiful fairly flat rail trail. There was only one spot that diverted around private land. This diversion takes you on a few hilly spots for a couple of miles but all doable. There are two bridges on this stretch that cross lovely river gorges! And you have the backdrop of the Teton range in front of you on the way out. It’s ever so slightly climbing toward Tetonia so it was much faster on the way back to our van.
This was a fantastic trail. My husband and I completed on June 27 2023 from Ashton to Tetonia. The Tetons were in view the entire ride and the rolling fields and old homesteads felt like a trip back in time. I highly recommend this trail.
We started this trail on the south end by Tetonia. The trail going north from this point is very rough. After a short distance we retreated to the car and drove to the parking area on road W14250N and Reece road which had a very clean restroom.
The trail going north from this point is in better shape than from the southern trailhead. A trestle is a short ride north. The views of the Tetons are stunning causing many stops for photos.
The next morning we started the trail from the north end near Ashton. There is a nice parking area with a restroom just east of Ashton on highway 47 where the trail crosses Hwy 47. This parking area is not noted on the Trail Link map or description. This is an easy ride through farmland and rolling hills. The trestle crossings are awesome.
If you are in need of eats there is a small town restaurant on the main street in Ashton called “Five 11 Main Fountain & Pizzeria”. What a treat this place is, great food, old style ice cream/soda fountain and very good service. Highly recommend this place.
This trail is absolutely worth your time.
Rode this trail from Ashton to Tetonia to enjoy the view of the Tetons in front of me much of the way. The slight incline wasn't that noticeable, only when the trail turned from the small cinder-type surface to larger rocks. Surrounded by golden fields of wheat made the ride extra beautiful mid-August. Pre-ride, my SAG driver and I decided on a few little towns we saw on the map for checkpoints with each other. Turns out each of those "little towns" was now only the remaining, abandoned grain elevator. Remember when every little town had a grain elevator?
The Ashton-Tetonia is a trail of the Idaho State Park sytem. As a rail-trail, it makes for a nice level cut through the bountiful and hilly Teton Valley. Beauty abounds while riding in the shadows of the majestic Teton Mountains. I rode the lower half of this trail very recently, beginning at the southern trailhead in Tetonia and going about 15 miles or so to just north of Lamont before heading back. This section takes you across an impressive trestle! It starts off a bit rocky but after about 2 miles the unpaved surface improves quite a bit making for a great ride!
Only did 8 miles of this starting in Ashton, but it was phenomenal!! You’re right smack dab in the middle of the rolling hills. Went over an amazing bridge!! The gravel is nicely packed. I rode a fat bike, but we also took kids trailers with suspension and that did great! Someone else rode a cross country bike and did great. So amazing!!
Rode from Felt to Lamont and from Ashton to Drummond. Nice trail with great views. The only problem were the cross trail ruts caused by the moles digging into the trail in the winter (and leaving mounds of dirt that are uncovered when the snow melts) and the larger mammals who burrow into the trail surface and leave either big holes or mounds. It seems that since this trail is a state park, the state needs to put a little more maintenance on the trail surface and get rid of these frequent holes. The trail surface is rough in areas. Maybe the state left it like this for authenticity? The trestles are stunning. The state is making more parking areas to spread out the use as the 5 THs were crowded on the nice Saturday we rode.
My dad and I rode this trail starting at Ashton. He rides a comfort bike and I'm on a hybrid. I loved the views, but I pretty much hated the trail surface. I'm not a fan of mountain biking and that was part of my problem! It was widely variable with lots of softs spots, rocks, ruts, and other things I wasn't a fan of riding over! Also, there is no shade!
Went with my wife and 14yr son from Tetonia to Ashton. Took about 5 hours. Started about 130p and finished before 7p. It was fun and will do it again. We choose the Tetonia to Ashton direction because it's had a net downhill grade. Glad we did because this is the first bike ride for my wife and 30 miles is a long way to go for a beginner. She was a real trooper and finished in first place.
Overall it was a great ride. Beautiful scenery, easy ride and no one else on the trail.
I rode this trail from Ashton towards Tetonia on a HOT July day. Although I started before 9am the temperature was near triple digits by noon. Despite the heat, which necessitated turning around about halfway, this was a lovely ride. You can't beat the views as you bike up to Tetonia. The rivers and streams, the various crops in full bloom, the trestles and not one other person on the trail! I'm not antisocial but I do like having a trail to myself! ¿¿ A couple things to take into consideration if riding this trail: there's no water so pack plenty; use the potties when you see them as they ate few and far between; take a mountain bike as parts of the trail are rough; start in Ashton if you're planning an out and back as then on your way back when you're tired it's a downhill coast.
we rode from Tetonia to Ashton and back on a hot afternoon. The trail is wonderful and the bridges spectacular. The views of the Tetons on the way back are indeed well worth it. We did not find too many soft spots (except in the detour) and rode on our cross bikes, which worked fine for us.
This ride is definitely worth doing from Ashton to Tetonia so the Tetons are always in your view. Trestle bridges are cool too.
Over the length of the 30 miles, there's variation in the trail bed with some places being smoother/rougher than others. Our family of 5 (youngest was 8 years old) rode it in 6 hours with long lunch break on a hot day (85 degrees+). We didn't have any flat tires. We felt the "detour" section was the most difficult simply because of the hilly roads you had to travel.
I had heard rumors that the AT trail was OK for cross bikes, so I tried my Trek Crossrip Elite with 700x32 tires out this morning. The verdict: Take your mountain bike, preferably with decent suspension. Most betweener-type-bike riders would find the AT a disappointingly slow, bone-jarring slog. And at the 20-mile mark (from Ashton), you cross a tricky rocky causeway with a long drop off on both sides.
The trail was fine, well-marked and in generally good condition, and there's great scenery (only the iconic Teton Mountains in the distance!). Surfaces are wildly variable, ranging from packed dirt to loose rock to gravel to gritty sand to bumpy tufts or widely spread grass. Passing over the bridges is a blast, but make sure you slow for the cattle-gate-type funnel at one end of each. You pass through mostly open country with only occasional stands of trees. Grades are gentle and you won't often find yourself needing to shift. One exception is the diversion south of Drummond, where you (if you start from Ashton) are first sent on a county two-track road between farm fields. There are a few steep pitches, and if the farmers are irrigating, the track can be pretty muddy. Careful there.
Most riders will find a 30-mile, one-way trek (I suggest starting from Tetonia most days) plenty of work. (I took the AT trail from Ashton to Tetonia and then Highway 32 back to Ashton. Just couldn't run my ill-suited bike back again.) There are nice opportunities for out-and-back trips covering part of the trail from both trail heads, but Ashton gets you to the longer bridges sooner, and the Tetons are in front of you.
Nice trail, the trestles were impressive. Just past Drumond some serious erosion is taking place that needs attending and the detour sucks. Otherwise, it was fun.
We did the full ride from Ashton-Tetonia. Totally worth the saddle sores. Mountain poo included.
Took the family out for a fun ride from Drummond to Ashtonm (got ice-cream). The grade is overall downhill heading North from Drummond to Ashton. I felt the burn more on the return ride--I'm not in shape!
Late afternoon-early evening is a fabulous time for great light and photos.
July 11, 2013, I rode 12.4 miles from the Ashton trailhead to the granary just beyond the detour. It's a great trail.
I have more details on the Ashton-Tetonia Trail and also the Yellowstone Branch Line Trail on my blog at:
http://countingpantographs.org/2013/07/12/vacation-photos-rail-trails-and-bear-tracks/
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