Bear Gulch trail closed to hikers, snowmobilers after tunnel fire near Ashton

ASHTON — The Caribou-Targhee National Forest has issued an immediate emergency closure for a portion of the Railroad Grade Trail following a fire inside the historic Bear Gulch railroad tunnel in Fremont County.

The closure affects the Bear Gulch trailhead segment north to the junction with Forest Service Road 154 (Warm River Springs Road), a popular route for snowmobilers and hikers.

Public access is prohibited in the area while crews continue efforts to fully suppress the fire, referred to as the “Tunnel Fire.”

“We really want to emphasize that this area is closed for the public’s safety,” Thomas Pence, a public information officer with the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, told EastIdahoNews.com. “We’re asking visitors to avoid this section of the trail until further notice.”

Forest officials confirmed the fire on Jan. 25 inside the Bear Gulch railroad tunnel, located approximately 0.4 miles from the Bear Gulch parking area along the Railroad Right-of-Way Trail.

According to the Forest Service, a full suppression strategy is being used. Firefighter and public safety remain the top priorities, with crews engaging the fire only where conditions allow.

While snowpack surrounding the area has helped reduce fire behavior, Pence said structural instability inside the historic tunnel has prevented firefighters from accessing internal heat sources.

Pence said the Tunnel Fire is not connected to a planned burn from Thursday, where crews burned slash piles near Big Bend Ridge, roughly eight miles west of the Tunnel Fire, causing visible smoke in the area.

The Bear Gulch fire remains under investigation, as the cause has not yet been determined.

Updates on closures and fire activity will be posted by the Caribou-Targhee National Forest here.

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