The Park Today
Our snow season is just over a month away here in Island Park. Until then, guided horse rides are available through the fall and the river through the ranch is open to fly-fishing until November 30th. To find infomation on or to make reservations in our overnight facilities you can call 1-888-9-CampID or through our website.
Haunts of Harriman will be on October 31st this year and the theme is Wild, Wild, West. A great event for young children; hay wagon rides, trick-r-treats, Halloween scenes, an event not to be missed! It is grown so popular that 800 people have been attending this event for the past few years. Addmission this year is a food bank item that will be going to the Ashton food bank. If you would like to volunteer or help sponsor the event we would love to hear from you, call 208-558-7368 and ask for Jodi.
Park Conditions
November 19th, 2009
Harriman State Park has been loving the extended fall season this year. The trails are still passible, expect some mud and snow patches. The visitor center is open Wednesday to Saturday for the month of November. The swans are returning for the winter and they can be seen on both lakes and the river. It is very peaceful at Harriman right now.
Our renovations are getting closer to completion and the new facilities will be reservable after December 15th. Reservations for the Bunkhouse, a small dorm sleeping 9 people will be made through our call center at 1-888-9-CampID, and reservations for our Scovel Education Group Center will be made through Harriman State Park.
Harriman State Park has a Facebook page - check it out.
Trail Maps
Ski/Snowshoe Rental: Henry's Fork Anglers in Last Chance (5 miles north of Harriman) $12/day, $65/week. 558-7525.
Fees assessed in addition to $4 Day Use Vehicle Entrance Fee.
Winter Use Fee - $4.00/person, per day
(assessed during winter season in addition to all other fees)
Winter Use Fee Season Pass - $35.00 individual/family
Fees go to support our winter program that includes plowing roads/parking lots, and packing and grooming trails for snowshoeing and skiing.
Travel Planning Links
Island Park Weather
Idaho Road Conditions
About the Ranch
Owned by Union Pacific Railroad investors from 1902 to 1977, the park acreage served as a cattle ranch and private retreat of the Harriman and Guggenheim families. Today, Harriman State Park provides the perfect setting to enjoy the park's unique history in a beautiful natural setting.
During the summer there are regular tours of the Railroad Ranch buildings, offered Saturdays at 10:30am and 2:30pm and Sundays at 2:30pm. Tours will take place until August 31st. Fishing, hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking are other ways to experience the beauty of the area. Don’t forget to bring your camera. There are breathtaking wild flower displays in the sage meadows and pasture land which dominate the landscape. Visitors often see elk, deer and moose, particularly in the morning and evening. The views of the Teton Mountain Range are spectacular.
During winter months guests can enjoy Nordic skiing and the Jones House warming hut—open on weekends, offering views of the Henrys Fork, bald eagles and trumpeter swans.
Park Restrictions:
Harriman State Park is a Wildlife Refuge and has the following rules concerning pets:
For overnight visitors - NO PETS ARE ALLOWED!
For Day Use Visitors – PETS MUST BE LEASHED AND ARE ALLOWED IN THE DAY USE PARKING LOTS ONLY.
Harriman Trails are non-motorized
Mesa Falls Recreation Area
Mesa Falls Recreation Area is owned by the US Forest Service and is co-managed with Harriman State Park, Idaho State Parks and Recreation. Big Falls Inn, an interpretive building and resale store, is open from Memorial weekend to mid-September from 9:30am to 5:30pm. In the winter, Scenic Byway 47 does not remain open to vehicles but is groomed for snowmobile traffic. The falls are only accessible by snowmobile or cross-country skies and visitors can park at Bear Gulch on Scenic Hwy 47 east of Ashton and ski or snowmobile the packed road 5 miles to Mesa Falls. Snowmobilers can also reach Mesa Falls from Hwy 20 via Scenic Byway 47, which is a 14-mile scenic ride. The Big Falls Inn is open on weekends from 10:00am to 3:00pm from the first week in January to the second week in March and you can go in and warm up by the fire. The trail down to the falls is very snow packed and icy and visitors should use extreme caution if attempting this scenic view.
For more information on Mesa Falls click here.