USFS National Forest System Trails · Caribou-Targhee National Forest · Idaho · Updated June 2026
Calamity Cutoff (USFS trail 4278) is a 1.6 mi trail in Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Idaho. Mountain-bike use here is accepted but discouraged in USFS data, with Class 1 e-bikes also designated.
Can I bike Calamity Cutoff?
| Use | Status | Season on record |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain bike | Accepted but discouraged | — |
| Class 1 e-bike (pedal-assist, 20 mph) | Allowed | year-round |
| Class 2 e-bike (throttle, 20 mph) | Allowed | year-round |
| Class 3 e-bike (pedal-assist, 28 mph) | Allowed | year-round |
Zooming out: across Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 98% of rideable trail miles are open to mountain bikes — a Bike Access Grade of A.
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About this trail
In Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Idaho, Calamity Cutoff (USFS trail 4278) covers 1.6 mi of National Forest System trail. Everything below comes straight from the US Forest Service National Forest System Trails dataset — length, surface, slope-derived difficulty, and the specific bike and e-bike designations on record — so you can check legality before you load up. USFS records list its surface as native material. Its grade-based difficulty is Intermediate (grade band +10-12%) — a moderate steepness profile derived from USFS slope data, not a technical mountain-bike rating. For traditional mountain bikes, use is discouraged according to USFS data. On the electric side, Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bikes are also designated — Class 1 being pedal-assist only, Classes 2 and 3 adding a throttle and higher assisted speed. The route is mapped as USFS Trail Class 3 on the agency's 1-to-5 development scale, where 1 is the most primitive, minimally maintained tread and 5 is the most developed. Because conditions, closures, and local orders change between data refreshes, confirm the current status with the managing ranger district before you ride.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you mountain bike on Calamity Cutoff?
- Mountain-bike use on Calamity Cutoff is discouraged in USFS records, though Class 1 e-bike use is designated. Confirm current rules with the managing ranger district.
- Are e-bikes allowed on Calamity Cutoff?
- Class 1, Class 2, Class 3 e-bikes are designated on Calamity Cutoff in the USFS data.
- How long is Calamity Cutoff?
- Calamity Cutoff measures about 1.6 mi in total, summed across its mapped National Forest System segments.
- What is the surface of Calamity Cutoff?
- USFS data records the tread surface of Calamity Cutoff as native material.
- How difficult is Calamity Cutoff?
- Its grade-based difficulty is Intermediate (grade band +10-12%), derived from USFS slope data. This reflects steepness, not technical mountain-bike difficulty.
How we read this data
Grade-based difficulty above is the USFS grade (route steepness), not a technical mountain-bike rating — a gentle-grade trail can still be rocky or technical, and vice versa. Bike and e-bike status come verbatim from the USFS managed-use fields for this trail; we never infer access we can't cite. See our methodology for how the dataset is built and what each field means.
Where it is
Approximate location of Caribou-Targhee National Forest (USFS trail geometry isn't mapped).
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