Cub River Guest Ranch

This is a region of mountains, lakes and rivers, straddling the states of Idaho and Utah, including the Bear River Heritage Area, and encompassing grand scenery, Native American and Mormon history and a dazzling array of wildlife. Glendale Reservoir, 20 minutes' drive away, makes a good introduction to the area, for bass fishing in peaceful surrounds as well as walking trails through the wilderness. For bigger hikes around the Bannock Mountain Range, trails start from Davis Basin, about an hour's drive from the Cub River Guest Ranch. It's around an hour and 30 minutes' drive to the vast open spaces and wildlife spotting of Bear Lake State Park, and the same to walk or drive through the rich prairies of the Curlew National Grasslands, dotted with old homesteads and a haven for birds. To discover more of the human history behind this handsome region, it's a 40-minute drive to the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum in Logan, 50 minutes to the American West Heritage Centre in Wellsville, and an hour and 30 minutes to Fort Hall for the Shoshone Bannock Tribal Museum. To soothe tired limbs after all those trails and tours, you could pick up a picnic at the Portneuf Valley Farmers' Market in Pocatello (an hour and a half), then head for the hot pools, waterpark attractions and walks of Lava Hot Springs (one hour, 10 minutes).