Unique digital nomad travel adventures from around the U.S.
If you love rock climbing, you are probably already very familiar with City of Rocks National Reserve. If you are not a rock climber, City of Rocks still has a lot to offer for those who love to explore and hike. State Park Overview City …
Off the beaten path in southern Idaho is a playground of rock formations. Castle Rocks State Park is weird and wonderful. Go here to explore Idaho geology at its finest. State Park Overview In addition to very cool geology, you can see remnants of Native …
Utah and Idaho share a lot in common, one thing being the beautiful turquoise blue waters of Bear Lake. Bear Lake State Park is on Idaho’s side of the lake and boasts one of the finest beaches in the admittedly land-locked Idaho.
Bear Lake State Park consists of two recreational areas and a whole lot of water. The North beach is a long stretch of soft, white sand that lowers in elevation so slowly you feel like you are halfway to Utah before your waist is under water. East beach is about seven miles down the road and is a bigger area than North beach.
Bear Lake is twenty miles long by eight miles wide. The sand is very light in color, which helps turn the water the super pretty blue color.
Overall, we give this state park five stars.
The water and beach make this one of our favorite parks in the state park system.
Amenities are pretty rustic. There are a few non flushing restrooms along the North Beach, but probably not enough for the number of people there.
There’s a lot of people. The most we’ve seen at any state park yet.
This park is the only park that is shared with another state. The water is also super blue…have I mentioned this? Well it is. We also learned that there are four species of fish that are only found in this here lake.
Bear Lake used to be used by the Native Americans, long before the settlers arrived here in the 1850s. There is a hot springs nearby and it must have been delightful to have a nice bath there, pre-indoor plumbing. Bear Lake State Park came into effect in 1969.
I had been to the Utah side of Bear Lake several times and enjoyed boating and exploring the little town of Garden City. Before the Idaho State Parks Challenge, I didn’t even realize there was an Idaho side. I was missing out, though, because the North Beach was so nice!
When we arrived we had to wait for about 15 cars/truck boat combos to enter the little strip of beach. We were lucky enough to find a parking spot (which B parallel parked like a boss) and then only had to find a spot in the sand to set up shop. There were lots and lots of people there; it looked like they were all the way down the full length of the beach, which was quite a distance. Most folks had elaborate setups with sunshades and tables, etc. They were clearly here for the long haul. We spread out our blankets on the second row behind the prime-time spots.
After sun screening up, we waded into the water. And waded some more. And waded some more. We had to walk about a hundred yards (maybe? I’m terrible at estimating distance) before I was waist deep in the water and could start paddling around. We visited Bear Lake State Park in mid-August and the day was warm. The water felt pretty chilly. Not nearly as cold as Box Canyon Springs, but I had to stay swimming to stay comfortable.
One other thing to note: there are fish in this lake. B saw one buzzing past us and was a little alarmed.
Bear Lake State Park is a beautiful state park in a remote corner of Idaho. Go there if you have a hankering for the ocean life and are limited in your beach-front dreams to Idaho.
We visited Bear Lake State Park as part of our Idaho State Parks Challenge. The challenge consists of visiting all of Idaho’s state parks in one year. We made up this challenge to see a bit more of our beautiful state and help alleviate the restlessness caused by Covid-19 travel restrictions. Feel free to join the challenge!
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If you like camping in a campground and lake fishing, Henrys Lake State Park is the park for you. State Park Overview There is a lot to recommend Henrys Lake State Park. However, if I am being perfectly honest, this park was not my exact …
In between two small towns in Eastern Idaho, a no-longer-needed path has a new lease on life. Ride/bike/walk between two towns and enjoy epic scenery consisting of farms, creeks and the impressive Teton Mountain Range. The Ashton to Tetonia Trail covers the 30 miles between, …
Head to Land of the Yankee Fork State Park for a taste of Idaho’s mining history and a chance to explore some cool ghost towns.
If you enjoy history, mining, the great outdoors, or all of the above, this is the park for you. Land of the Yankee Fork State Park focuses on central Idaho’s mining history. There are three ghost towns you can explore: Custer, Bonanza and Bayhorse. You can also see the Yankee Fork Dredge. On top of that, the countryside is beautiful.
This park also has the best name of any state park. It’s really fun to say.
The interpretive center had some of the nicest restrooms of any state park we visited. For all of the specifics, check out the parks and rec’s website for Land of the Yankee Fork State Park.
You will run into a few people at some of the ghosts towns, but this is a remote area and the crowds will be sparse. In other words, we love the crowd situation at this park.
Pan for gold! This was actually closed while we were there, but it would have been something unique and fun to do. They let you keep two flecks of gold…assuming you can find those flecks amidst all of the sand and gravel.
The interpretive center has a nice gift shop and I was able to purchase a cute pair of earrings with some gold flecks in the design. I would have preferred to pan for my own gold, but a cute pair of earrings was a nice consolation prize.
Land of the Yankee Fork State Park was selected as Idaho’s Centennial Park in 1990, with the purchase of twenty acres two miles south of Challis, Idaho. The interpretive center is located on those twenty acres.
For the past 15 years, I have made the trek to Challis, Idaho, to attend a music festival in August. I feel like I have done everything Challis has to offer at least a dozen times. Ironically though, I had never visited the Land of Yankee Fork State Park interpretive center. So it was fun to find something new to do in Challis.
The center is nice and has very clean restrooms. It is a really good spot to stop, stretch your legs and learn a bit about the area. However, I will warn you that they have a museum and video that cost extra. Not a lot, but it is something to be aware of. The interpretive center also has a fun little gift shop.
I’m not going to lie, this site is not the most impressive thing you will see in the Land of the Yankee Fork State Park. There also seems to be some debate as to how often it was used. If you stop at the interpretive center, it is worth a look. There is a short path to the site and if you are really lucky, you may spot a bighorn sheep or two.
This road is beautiful. It is also rough. If you have a high-clearance vehicle, I recommend you take it and enjoy the views. If you are in your car, I recommend you think twice. I was very glad to be driving it in my truck. If you do drive the whole Custer Motorway, I recommend you have a copy of the Challis-Yankee Fork Ranger District – Custer Motorway Guide handy. The history and descriptions are great. The map is a little rough, but still helpful.
You can reach Custer and Bonanza using the Custer Motorway via Highway 75 near Sunbeam, or via Challis. These ghost towns are awesome! They are in great shape (for a ghost town) and provide a good look into mining life during that time. I believe they do reenactments sometimes, but that was not happening when we visited. We walked around and peaked into old buildings. It was all so fascinating.
The dredge is located between Custer and Bonanza. It is massive and quite a site to see in the middle of the mountains. You can tour the dredge, but I have not had a chance to do that yet.
Bayhorse is an old mining town located about 20 minutes from the interpretive center in Challis. The road is also a little rough, but you can get there in a car if you drive slowly. There is a nice parking lot and a ranger on duty. So you can ask questions or simply wander about and look at the old mining infrastructure. It is all rather fascinating.
Land of the Yankee Fork State Park is a unique park full of history and beautiful scenery. It is remote and requires a lot of driving, but the views and experiences are worth it. Just make sure to take your trip when the weather is warm. Most of the park is inaccessible when the snow flies.
Note: we visited Land of the Yankee Fork State Park as part of our Idaho State Parks Challenge. The challenge consists of visiting all of Idaho’s state parks in one year. We made up this challenge to see a bit more of our beautiful state and help alleviate the restlessness caused by Covid-19 travel restrictions. Feel free to join the challenge!
Related posts you might like:
Or if you want to see all of our posts, visit Past Posts.
Did you know that the tallest free standing sand dunes in North America can be found in southwestern Idaho? Well if you make a stop at Bruneau Dunes State Park and try to hike to the top of one of them, you sure would. Bruneau …
Thousand Springs State Park is big and geological in nature. That makes for some fun exploring and interesting photos. State Park Overview Overall, we give this park five stars (mostly because there is so much to do and it is so gosh darn beautiful). There …
Boiseans have a wonderful resource for fun almost at their fingertips. Eagle Island State Park is located just a few miles outside of Boise. Activities here are plentiful: fishing, swimming, horseback riding, disc golf, hiking, zip-lining, or what we did on a recent Sunday afternoon…picnicking.
Overall, we give this state park four stars.
I’m not sure how they crammed so many things into one park, but there really is a little something for everyone at Eagle Island State Park.
The park has all the usual amenities like restrooms, picnic tables, etc. There’s also features a life jacket and junior ranger program for kids. For all of the specifics, check out the parks and rec’s website for Eagle Island State Park.
This park is busy in the summertime. Expect lots of people. Finding a place to park may be difficult on the weekends. I recommend you start early or choose late afternoon/evening to avoid the crowds. There is a huge parking lot, but I suspect it gets full on busy days.
In winter this park is still used, but is much less frequented. So maybe 4 stars in the cooler months.
Where else can horseback ride, zip line, and go on a waterslide all in one location? It’s a weird conglommeration of activities.
The park is quite large, around 550 acres. With that much room, you can fit in a lot of different ways to recreate.
This place has a fascinating history. In 1929, the land was purchased by the Idaho State Board of Prisons. For the next 50 years or so, prisoners lived here and worked on a farm/dairy/slaughterhouse (Crazy, right?!)
In 1983, Eagle Island State Park was dedicated as a state park. The prisoners had moved out several years before.
We stopped at a grocery store close to the park and picked up some food for a picnic before entering the park. We weren’t dressed for swimming so instead we just put out a blanket and watched as families set up barbecues and splashed around in the beach area.
For $5 per car load (zip line not included), Eagle Island is a great option for families in Boise to get outside. With the plentiful activities available, there really should be something to entertain everyone.
We visited Eagle Island State Park as part of our Idaho State Parks Challenge. The challenge consists of visiting all of Idaho’s state parks in one year. We made up this challenge to see a bit more of our beautiful state and help alleviate the restlessness caused by Covid-19 travel restrictions. Feel free to join the challenge!
Related posts you might like:
Or if you want to see all of our posts, visit Past Posts.
When summer rolls around, head to Lucky Peak State Park for biking and kayaking and a plethora of other outdoor activities. This Idaho state park is ideal for hot summer days and getting out of the city. State Park Overview Overall, we give this state park …