16Oct
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Farragut Area Event Closures - Scott Group Area/North Side Trails
Wednesday
PARK UPDATE:
Summer 2024 Update:
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE: Great news! The Museum at the Brig, the last standing building at Farragut from the Naval training days, is getting a new roof. Unfortunately that means we have to CLOSE it to the public for the remainder of the summer. This is a great opportunity for us to do a deep clean and maybe open a new exhibit – stay tuned for summer 2025!
The Jr Ranger Station will be on the MOVE all summer. Be On the Lookout for signs and directions throughout the park for fun activities. Check with the Visitor Center about loaner backpack availability.
Temporary Disc Golf course closures due to tournament play:
- August 10 – AWOL will be closed
- August 31-September 1 – multiple courses will be closed
- September 7 – multiple courses will be closed
- September 13-15 – Farragut Open – all courses will be closed.
Temporary trail closures in the Scott Field area:
- September 6-8 trails utilized by Cross Country race participants
Park Reservations
By phone: 1-888-9-CAMPID or 1-888-922-6743
Farragut State Park was the former site of Farragut Naval Training Station, a major training base of the U.S. Navy during World War II. The base was named after David Farragut, the first admiral in the U.S. Navy, the leading naval officer during the Civil War.
Ground was broken in March 1942, and by September the base had a population of 55,000, making it the largest city in Idaho. Liberty trains to Spokane ran three times daily. At the time Farragut was the second-largest naval training center in the world.
During the 30 months the base was open, 293,381 sailors received basic training at Farragut. The last recruit graduated in March 1945 and the facility was decommissioned in June 1946.
It was also used as a prisoner of war camp; nearly 900 Germans worked as gardeners and maintenance men. In 1942, Lt. Commander Henry T. McMaster, supervisor of support services at the station, contracted photographer Ross Hall to produce group and portrait photos of all recruits and companies. Operator of a studio in nearby Sandpoint, Hall employed up to 15 workers in creating a photographic archive of more than 300,000 images.
From 1946-49 it was the site of the Farragut College and Technical Institute, which did not re-open in late 1949 due to financial difficulties. The park adjoins the deep water Lake Pend Oreille, where the Navy maintains a submarine research center at Bayview, the Acoustic Research Detachment. The land was transferred to the state of Idaho in 1949 and became a state park in 1965.
Tour the Museum at the Brig during your Farragut State Park visit!
Current Conditions
Contact the Park
Address: 13550 E. Hwy 54
Athol, ID 83801
Phone: (208) 683-2425
Hours of Operation: Winter VC Hours: 9am - 4pm. Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm. Day-use hours may change based on park manager discretion. Museum opens Memorial day and closes Labor day each year.
