| Contacts: | Bill Boggs | , 208-524-7527 |
Big Southern Butte Road Opens for Season
IDAHO FALLS, ID – The Bureau of Land Management, Upper Snake Field Office is now opening the Big Southern Butte Road for the season. The road is a popular access to hang gliders and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts looking for a challenge.
As of last week, the road was not passable most of the way up the mountain, blocked by snowdrifts. However, hikers may park at the saddle near the top below the lookout where you will see a commanding view of the Upper Snake River Plain.
BLM maintains the five and a half mile road, which is on a 29% grade, within the ability of 4x4 vehicles only. The agency closes the road during the winter at the base of the mountain to minimize vandalism to its lookout tower at the summit and natural resources along the road.
The road has had any maintenance so far this season, so BLM officials advise caution and to take it slow when traveling to the top. The road was upgraded in 1999, after floods damaged it the year before.
Big Southern Butte, besides being popular as a viewpoint for hikers and hang gliders, is also a National Natural Landmark. Geologists estimate that the large butte immediately west of Atomic City, is approximately 300,000 years old. The butte is made mostly of rhyolite, and is older than most of the lava flows of the Upper Snake River Plain surrounding it.
For more information on Big Southern Butte, contact the Eastern Idaho Visitor Information Center at the Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce at 208-523-1012 or visit http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/upper_snake/recreation_sites_/Big_Butte.html.
The BLM manages more land - 253 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.