ATTENTION: Harriman State Park of Idaho is a waterfowl and wildlife refuge. Dogs must be on a leash at all times and are not permitted beyond the parking lots at the main trails. The Harriman Hounds Trail, going out into the National Forest and outside the Wildlife Refuge, is groomed during the winter and is the only trail available for dogs. Please clean up after your dogs and put pet refuse in available Dog Waste Station at the start/end of the trail system.
Winter 2022/2023:
There is a $7 Motor Vehicle Entrance Fee (MVEF) per vehicle to visit the Park and a $6 per day per person Winter Access Fee. You can purchase a 2022-2023 Winter Season Pass at the Visitor Center.
Conditions Report: 03/16/2023
Recent Snowfall (24 hour): 2″
Total Snowpack: 63″
Trail Conditions: Skate lanes were groomed on 3/15. John Muir, Hounds, and Thurman Loop trails were groomed on 3/14. There is 2″ of new snow on the trails. With the wind yesterday, the trails could have drifted snow. The trails around Silver Lake are not in good condition. Staff is still working to remove large drifts and tree wells. Do not fat bike on trails if you are leaving a rut deeper than 1″.
REMINDER: Dogs are only allowed on the Harriman Hounds Trail. The Harriman Hounds Trail begins behind the Visitor Center.
The Brimstone Connector Trail won’t be groomed for the rest of the 2022-2023 Winter Season due to nesting eagles.
Suggested Equipment: snowshoes, classic skis, skate skis, fat bikes with low psi
**Please remember to “Know Your Groom” and stay in your lane**
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REMINDER: Dogs are only allowed on the Harriman Hounds Trail. The Harriman Hounds Trail begins behind the Visitor Center.
The Brimstone Connector Trail won’t be groomed for the rest of the 2022-2023 Winter Season due to nesting eagles.
Suggested Equipment: Snowshoes, classic skis, fat bike, skate skis
**Please remember to “Know Your Groom” and stay in your lane**
Follow us on Facebook for current trail conditions, events, and link to local weather.
**Note: If you do not have a Facebook account, please use your phone or Google Chrome browser and scroll to the very bottom of this page. There you can see the latest Harriman State Park posts, including conditions updates.
Please note: Harriman State Park is a waterfowl and wildlife refuge, therefore dogs are not permitted beyond the parking lots at the main trails.
Harriman State Park’s history is a lengthy one–reaching far back into the 1800s, when it was incorporated as the Island Park Land and Cattle Company. This land was purchased by James Anderson, Silas Eccles, and William Bancroft, of the Oregon Short Line Railroad. The Guggenheim family (Daniel, Murray, and Solomon) also purchased shares in the ranch early on. Because of the owners’ heavy involvement in the railroad industry, Island Park Land and Cattle was given the nickname “Railroad Ranch.” In 1908, Murray Guggenheim decided to sell his shares to Edward H. Harriman of New York. Harriman was the Chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad and purchased the shares, sight unseen, after receiving a letter from Eccles, who boasted of the land’s beauty and refuge.
Harriman himself passed away before making it out to Railroad Ranch, but his honor and legacy lived on through his family. Harriman’s wife, Mary, visited the property with their three children: Carol, Averell, and Roland and shortly afterward, purchased another Guggenheim share. For decades, they used the ranch as something of a getaway. While predominantly for cattle, the land was expansive and beautiful, filled with wildlife, trails, and excellent fishing. Roland Harriman and his wife Gladys were frequent patrons and spent most of their time hiking and fishing.
Conservationist John Muir, was a family friend of the Harrimans and held heavy influence on the Harrimans’ decision to donate the land to the state of Idaho. They wanted the land and wildlife to be protected, so the gift came with stipulations. The land was to be managed as “man being in harmony with nature,” thus forming a 16,000-acre wildlife refuge around the land that was managed in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service. What’s more, is that to further the land deed also required that the people who managed the land would be professionally chosen rather than politically. This regulation aided in the formation of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.
The land was a fully operational cattle ranch up until the day it was turned over to the state. “On April 1, 1977, Railroad Ranch became Harriman State Park of Idaho (used to distinguish from the Harriman State Park in New York, which was also donated by the Harrimans). In 1982, the park officially opened to the public” (100 Years of Idaho and Its Parks).
Watch More Historic Harriman Videos
Current Conditions
Address: 3489 Green Canyon Rd
Island Park, ID 83429
Phone: (208) 558-7368
Hours of Operation: Day-use locations within state parks are open from 7 am to 10 pm, per Idaho state code 26.01.20 (5). Day-use hours may change based on park manager discretion.
