Island Park, Idaho - Tourist Information fly-fishing snowmobiling

Island Park Idaho

Lower Mesa Falls

Island Park is a city in Fremont County, Idaho, United States. The city's population was 215 at the 2000 census. The city was incorporated by owners of the many lodges and resorts along U.S. Route 20 in 1947 to circumvent Idaho's liquor laws that prohibited the sale of liquor outside of city limits. It is only 500 feet wide in most locations and, at 33 miles claims to have the longest "Main Street" in the world.

From the northern area of Island Park, where Henry’s Lake awaits the trophy trout angler, to the southern area, where there’s Blue Ribbon fly fishing on the Henry’s Fork, Island Park is a rear-round recreation paradise. The Island Park Caldera (volcano cone) is one of the largest calderas in the world. It has a nearly level 20-mile wide circular floor that slopes slightly towards the southeast. The caldera floor is at about 6,000 feet of elevation with the rim generally being several hundred feet higher. The Henry's Lake Flat area, north of the caldera, is a little higher. Henry's Lake is at 6,500 feet with the flats sloping slightly southward towards the caldera.

Upper Mesa Falls, Island Park Idaho

The area sports two Idaho state parks — Henry’s Lake and Harriman, and is surrounded by the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, where you can hike, mountain bike, ride ATV’s, fish, boat, bird watch, do nature photography, and much more.

Island Park Idaho is In the heart of Targhee National Forest, whether you are interested in historical landmarks, fly fishing, hiking, camping horseback riding, hunting, snowmobiling or just on your way through to Yellowstone National Park, Island Park’s natural splendor will captivate you.

Harriman State Park, 4,330 acres of pristine forest land and high-country meadows. Located in the center of a 16,000-acre wildlife refuge, the park is a haven to rare trumpeter swans, numerous waterfowl and elk, deer and other wildlife.

Fly-fisherman, Henry's Fork River, Last Chance Idaho

The world famous fly-fishing stream, the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, winds through the meadows at the park. The Henry's Fork is one of the most famous trout streams in all of the United States. It's legendary hatches and abundant large wild rainbow trout make the Henry's Fork one of America's top fly-fishing destinations. The river flows for approximately 150 miles and within its journey passes some of the more classic dry fly water in the United States. Gentle flowing meadowland, pocket water, and spring creek like sections make up much of this legendary fishery made popular by Avril Harriman the railroad man. The Henry's Fork of the Snake is a spectacular river and fishery. Anglers come from all over the world to this river to fish its diverse and productive waters.

Snowmobiling is big business and big fun in Island Park in Winter.

Snowmobiling is big business and big fun in Island Park in Winter and it’s a snowmobiler’s winter wonderland where you can escape to prodigious hordes of powder and hundreds of miles of groomed trail; horizons of snow-capped peaks beckon, powder blanketed valleys of white entice you off your groomed trail, and breathtaking scenery stops you in your tracks. Each Winter Island Park is the beneficiary of average of 229 inches of snow. Hundreds of thousands of acres of public land are open to snowmobiling and exploring.

Island Park maintains over six hundred miles of groomed snowmobile trails with four full time groomers operating daily to insure smooth riding for the Island Park snowmobiler await both novices and experienced riders alike. Snowmobile in our back yard with fewer restrictions, ride in the shadow of the majestic Tetons Mountains, or play in the hills and meadows within an hour’s drive of our front door. An additional 400 miles of snowmobile trails abut the Island Park snowmobile trail system. Abundant off-trail opportunities exist to challenge all riding experience. Island Park is one of Idaho's least restricted snowmobiling areas.

Most people think of an island as something belonging in an ocean. But deep within the boundaries of the Targhee National Forest lies an almost magical island that offers all of this and more. The same natural forces that made Yellowstone so scenic have made Island Park similarly beautiful - country just made for relaxation and recreation! To fully capture the spirit of the Island Park region, stay in on of the numerous ranches and guest lodges. You can fish in the summer and nordic ski or snowmobile in the winter. And it's just a short jaunt to Yellowstone National Park!

snowmobiling Island Park

Yellowstone News

Greater Yellowstone ~ Window on the Wilderness 2011
The Movie

Winter Bison

64 Yellowstone bison headed for Montana tribal land

He stalled plan to repopulate the Plains with bison moved forward today, as 64 American icons from Yellowstone National Park were being transported to the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana, the Associated Press reports.................Tribal and state officials approved the transfer late Friday, but to avoid a court injunction the date was not revealed, said Robert Magnan, a tribal official with the Fort Peck Fish and Game Department................The genetically pure Yellowstone animals have been quarantined for several years since crossing over the park's northern boundary during their natural winter migration. All are free of brucellosis, which can cause the females to abort fetuses. Though the disease is rare in the United States, ranchers fear bison could transmit it to cattle. (It can also infect goats, pigs, dogs, camels and people.) Ranchers also worry that the bison will compete with their livestock and livelihood for range land.......................rest of story

Yellowstone's wildlife is a major attraction for the visiting photographer

Photographing Yellowstone ~ by Daryl L. Hunter

Yellowstone National Park has been a photography destination ever since Henry Jackson took the first photos of Yellowstone in 1872, Yellowstone's plethora of nature demands documentation from all who visit this world treasure. Yellowstone National Park welcomes photographers from across the country and from around the world to photograph its embarrassment of riches of natural wonders. Photographers come to document its pristine beauty and seasons of breathtaking contrasts: Scenic photographic opportunities abound, the wide-open grassy valleys, the perpendicular peaks of the Gallatin, Beartooth and Absaroka mountains. Yellowstone has hundreds of waterfalls, rivers that both gently meander through big valleys and writhing thorough whitewater canyons. This high mountain plateau attracts violent weather which makes wonderful accents too our earthly objects. More geysers than anywhere else on earth are here in Yellowstone waiting for the creative photographer capture eruptions of water at sunset. Colorful red and ocher mud pots, hot springs the deepest of blue outlined in orange and odd fumaroles dot the landscape of Yellowstone beaconing photographers from the other side of the world to take their story home......................... rest of story

Superlative Yellowstone by Daryl L. Hunter

Fountain Geyser, Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park

OK let me dig deep into my reservoir of superlatives to adequately describe Yellowstone National Park, it is big, wild stunningly beautiful, and dynamic. Any description of Yellowstone will be filled with superlatives, yet words can never do it justice, but I will elaborate anyway; Yellowstone has the greatest concentration of thermal features in the world, up until 1,978 Yellowstone was the largest National Park in the country, One of the world's most spectacular canyons, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and its two majestic waterfalls cut 1,600 feet deep into the golden rhyolite laid down by the last major eruption 600 thousand years ago; as Yellowstone is one of the six super volcanoes of the world. It is home of the world's second largest high altitude lake nestled in the pit of the Yellowstone caldera; Magnificent mountain scenery rings the unique terrain of the Yellowstone volcanic plateaus. It is home to one of the largest concentrations of wildlife on the planet. And of course, it is home to, perhaps, the most famous geyser in the world, Old Faithful.............................................rest of story

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