Fun Spectator and Other Sports in Pocatello ID
Pocatello-Chubbuck area appeals to adventure-seekers, athletes and fans
Pocatello is known for its outdoor recreation activities, but residents also love the city’s wide range of spectator and other sports.
In This Article
Outdoor Adventures
Mountain bikers can take to more than 50 miles of trails just outside downtown, including the City Creek Trail System. Road cyclists, walkers and joggers prefer the 13-mile Portneuf Greenway and the 10-foot-wide trails that are part of the Portneuf Wellness Complex Trail System. The Mink Creek Trail System has more than 100 miles of trails.
Rock climbers test their skills at Ross Park’s 35-foot-high rock walls. This park also draws swimmers to the Ross Park Aquatic Complex. For boating, jet skiing and water skiing, American Falls Reservoir’s 87 square miles of open water are within a 30-minute drive.
Winter Sports
Pocatello residents can drive just a few hours to ski resorts in Sun Valley, Idaho, Jackson Hole, Wyo. and Park City, Utah. Closer to home is Pebble Creek Ski Area, offering 54 runs on 1,100 acres. Cross-country skiers flock to East Fork Mink Creek Nordic Center, which has more than 12 miles of trails for Nordic skiing as well as snowshoeing trails. Those looking to hit the ice can find hockey opportunities with the Chubbuck Pocatello Hockey Association.
College Sports
Catch the Idaho State University Bengal football team at a home game in the campus’s Holt Arena, or don some black and orange to cheer on ISU’s basketball teams. In 2012, the women’s team once again made it to the NCAA tournament.
Youth and Amateur Sports
Holt Arena also hosts the annual Simplot Games, a track-and-field meet featuring some of North America’s best high school athletes. In June, the arena’s stands are packed for the Western Regionals, a youth tournament for Olympic-style wrestling.
Throughout the summer, baseball enthusiasts head to Halliwell Park to watch American Legion amateur games. The regional youth baseball league, Bannock Baseball, also hosts games in the city’s parks. Softball fans enjoy the Poky Shoot Out Fastpitch Tournament, an ASA-sanctioned event.
Feel like yelling “Yee Haw”? The Idaho High School Rodeo Finals take place every year at the Bannock County Event Complex.
Racing
The Pocatello Raceway roars to life on Saturdays throughout the summer and fall, while motorcycles leap through the air and skid through the dirt at the Pocatello Motocross Park, which holds five races during the summer.