Minnetonka Cave, Cache National Forest, Montpellier Ranger District in Idaho A scenic drive is afforded the driver when leaving Bannock County and heading south out of Pocatello, Idaho. You travel south on I 15 until you reach the Lava Hot Springs exit. There you turn east and drive through a picturesque canyon of tree covered sloping hills, grazing cattle and the meandering Portneuf River. On our trip, construction started about a ¼ mile from the exit ramp and we were limited to one lane and 45 mph, which provided us a leisurely drive to take in the scenery. Once you pass Lava Hot Springs you are heading up, a climb to about 6000 feet. After the summit it’s downhill into a wide and flat agricultural valley. Again we encountered road construction. They were widening the two
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