Summer 2025
- The Visitor Center is open daily from 8 AM to 8 PM until Labor Day.
- The Museum at the Brig is open from 10 AM to 4 PM daily until Labor Day Weekend.
Please note that the park currently has only one phone at the Visitor Center. You may need to leave a voicemail, and they will return your call as soon as possible. During normal business hours, you can reach the call center at 888-922-6743 for questions about a reservation.
Events and Closures
- June 14th – 20th: 4H Equine Retreat – Arena and all equestrian camping areas closed for the event
- June 20th – 29th: Equus Echoes 4H Horse camp – Arena and all equestrian camping areas closed for the event
- August 29th – 31st: Inland Empire Quite Flyer – Flyers Field closed for the event
- September 5th – 7th: Timberlake High School Cross Country Invite – Scott Group Area and some north side trails will be closed
- September 20th – 40 Something Cowgirls, Athol 1st Annual Prize ride – expect extra activity on the north side trails
- October 11th and 12th: Parelli Horsemanship Clinic – Arena closed
- October 15th – Timberlake Middle School Cross Country meet – Scott Group Area and some north side trails will be closed.
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
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.
