Favorite Activities in Island Park Idaho, West Yellowstone Montana, and Yellowstone National Park
The Island Park Idaho and Yellowstone area is a magical place full of adventures to captivate everyone. Check out some of my favorite things to do in the area:
Mesa Falls
Don’t miss this one! There are two waterfalls — the upper and the lower , and the upper falls are the ones you have to visit ! There is a $3 fee for entrance. The visitor’s center is very interesting and has a room that children love with lots of animal pelts! I never tire of these beautiful waterfalls , no matter how many times I see them. Turn east on the Mesa Falls Scenic Loop Drive off of Hwy 20 in Island Park Idaho, near mile marker 380.
Macks Inn Dinner Theatre:
This summer stock theatre puts on a great show and you can choose to attend the dinner or just the play. The cast is made up mostly of college students, and dinner is served before the play. Dinner is normally your choice of prime rib or chicken. The plays for 2010 are: “Robin Hood – Tales of Rotting Ham” and “Pirates of the Car-rib-eee-an Yo ho ho and a bottle of fun”. Plays usually run Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day.
Johnny Sack Cabin at Big Springs:
Johnny Sack Cabin is a very interesting historical spot– be sure to tour the cabin . Turn east on S. Big Springs Loop Rd at Macks Inn, near mile marker 392 on Hwy 20 in Island Park Idaho. Big Springs is the headwaters of Henry’s Fork of the Snake River. In the evening, moose can quite often be seen walking in the stream , and trout and muskrats like to play at the bridge. The trout are monsters! Bring bread to feed the ducks and geese , and quarters for trout pellets. The interpretive walk along the river is beautiful
Sawtelle Peak:
This is a great drive and has sweeping views. From the peak of Sawtelle you can see into Wyoming, Idaho and Montana and into the border of Yellowstone. Great place for a picnic. Take a left at the Subway Sandwich Shop (about 11 miles north of the start of Island Park in Last Chance) and proceed all the way up to the top of the peak! If you like hiking, there is a trail to Marie Lake that starts near the top of Sawtelle peak. The lake is 5 miles away, and I have never gone that far , but we did hike in a mile or so and it’s perfectly beautiful - I noticed 28 different wildflower species! Take bear spray and be noisy …it’s all bear country here!
Biking, ATV’ing and Snowmobiling
Island Park contains over 500 miles of maintained trails for fun year-round Maps are provided at the cabins, or can be found at the gas stations or Forest Stations. Sled in the winter up to Two Top to see the celebrated snow ghosts, continue from Two Top over to West Yellowstone and then to Yellowstone National Park (you have to pick up an approved snowmobile and a guide at that point), or do some serious “marking” up Mt. Jefferson! The trail riding is awe-inspiringin the winter in Island Park! These same trails are available in the summer for ATV’s.
Cross Country Skiing:
There are plenty of locations in Island Park to back-country ski but for those of you who love a nice groomed trail, some great options exist. Harriman State Park has several picturesque trails that pass by the river or lakes and are variable in length and ability.
Island Park Reservoir:
Island Park Reservoir is a good place to water ski and boat and is seldom if ever crowded. You can launch your boat at the Island Park Reservoir boat launch, or Buttermilk Campground. The boat launch is located on Island Park Dam Road, which is just a little ways north of Pond’s Lodge, on the west side of the highway. Look for the brown sign. This area has nice sandy beaches (okay, not like Bermuda sands, but pretty good considering this whole area is one big volcano waiting to erupt….). Shallower water to the sides of the boat docks makes for good swimming for the kids. There is also a restroom, albeit the “campground” variety.
Henry’s Fork Fishing:
Fishermen come from all over the globe to fly-fish this part of the Snake River. Island Park has fishing guides for all the major rivers and still waters of the area, including the Snake River, the Madison River, the Gallatin River, Henry’s Lake, and Hebgen Lake.
Henry’s Lake:
This is the place to land the trophy trout. People come from all over to fish this famous lake, but if you plan on eating them, the fish taste best here in the spring, before mid-June. Still fun to catch a big one in the summer and have it mounted! There are a few different boat launches here. One is the state park at the south end, and another is a park at the north end. If you go south of the lake a few miles you’ll find Redrock Road, which winds around the lake. A dirt road just to the west of the RV park along this road takes you down to a public, unmaintained boat launch, which is free.
River Float Trips:
Macks Inn has a float trip that starts about 3 miles upriver, and they rent rafts, but the current is so slow that often you well-nigh have to paddle to go downstream, and sometimes you may hit low spots you have to pull the boat over. My favorite float launches at the fisherman’s boat launch just below Island Park Reservoir Dam. It’s approximately a 45 minute boat ride , about, very scenic, just fast enough in a few spots to get the inexperienced rafter’s adrenaline going a bit . When you start to see the houses on the left side of the river, you will know the float is almost over . After the cluster of cabins , you will see a clearing, and a boat ramp on the left-hand side . Tell your group to stay to the left. We always park a car down here (The parking lot field just northwest of Angler’s Lodge in Last Chance)..
Golfing:
It’s a little swampy at times, and certainly not an Arnold Palmer course, but the price is right and the views are great at Island Park Village Resort Golf Course. The clubhouse sports a swimming pool, raquetball court, ping-pong table, tennis court, and water aerobics, and they now offer a reduced rate for non-members.
Quake Lake:
An earthquake hit here, buried the campground and settled a natural dam on the river. There is a visitor center at the site and a few lookout points — quite interesting — and further up the river is the “ghost town” — old houses that were swept away at the time of the natural dam creation and flood and deposited on the river banks. To get there, take Hwy 87 toward Ennis, past Henry’s Lake, and turn right (east) on hwy 287 to the lake. You can continue on 287 after the visitors’ center to the ghost town and Hebgen Lake and into West Yellowstone.
Yellowstone Rodeo:
Half -way between Island Park and West Yellowstone is the prettiest location for a rodeo ever. The Wild West Yellowstone Rodeo continues from June through August. From Island Park, head further N/NE on Hwy 20 over Targhee Pass into Montana. The rodeo is merely a couple of miles further up on the south side of the Hwy, just 6 miles from West Yellowstone
West Yellowstone
Shops in West Yellowstone make a fun day, and although I’ve never been, the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center and Imax Theatre in West Yellowstone are favorites of many (I need to get out more…). Of course, my favorite West Yellowstone shop involves candy, at the Rustic Candy Shop on Canyon Street. There are also many wonderful restaurants. The Playmill Theatre in West Yellowstone offers live theatre, and they do a great job!
Favorite Places in Yellowstone:
I don’t think I could ever get enough Yellowstone in a lifetime. If you have time hiking in Yellowstone National Park can’t be beat – it’s a scary but magical experience (I have grizzly-phobia), but if you are brave enough, well worth it. The park has some great info on hiking trails, and the rangers can steer you away from the trails with high grizzly activity. The locations below, however, are right along the main routes and aren’t scary even for those most grizzly-phobic among you. I usually try to stick to one quadrant of the park a day, so I don’t feel hurried. If you don’t have that much time, divide the park into north and south for 2 days of exploring — you’ll be tired but happy!
Canyon:
Artist point is a must, but most people don’t check out the falls from some of the lesser-known vista points. I really like Uncle Tom’s Trail — a whole lot of steps (300, I think) going down to a nice view toward the bottom o the falls. There is also a nice trail right around Grand View and Lookout point that takes you to the very top of the falls which is a bit scary and absolutely wonderful. I could spend a whole day exploring the many trails at these fantastic falls. If you can make it to the falls in the morning, sunrise intensifies the already unbelievable palette of the canyon walls.
Mammoth area: Terrace Falls used to be my absolute favorite place, but recent seismic activity has dried most of it up. Still interesting, and we always go into Mammoth and get ice cream at the cafe and eat it on the lawn area across the street. Mammoth is fun because there are almost always herds of elk hanging out at the village.
Tower Falls:
To see bears and wolves: Take the Tower Route on your way home from Mammoth if you have time. Evening is the best time to spot bears. normally you need a spotting scope to see wolves, but last time I went I saw 5 bears, just right by the road. We were able to get out of our cars from a safe distance and watch. The place to see them is near Tower — not really at Tower, but the drive between Canyon and Mammoth. Wolves can sometimes be spotted in Lamar Valley as well, but they are elusive – be prepared to sit with a scope a long time.
UPDATE: I visited the park about the 4th week in April, 2010, and it was incredible! We were able to view a grizzly up close for about 30 minutes, and then a wolf for about the same amount of time. We stayed mostly in the car, as the grizzly neared us , to the point where he was about 10 feet away and crossed the road in front of us. He was amazing! We watched the wolf from about 30 feet away. He was diggin in some snow for a rodent. Both animals were toward the west entrance of the park, near Madison Junction. We also got to gently pass some Bison in the road that were shedding their winter coat. They were bigger than my minivan! The animal babies weren’t born yet…that’s usually May. So if you ever have an opportunity, consider visiting the park in April or May.
Norris Geyser Basin and Artist’s Paint Pots
These are great walking tours, and the colors of the paint pots are so incredible. It’s hard to believe this pallette exists in nature !
Old Faithful:
What would a trip to Yellowstone be without Old Faithful? But actually, my favorite part of Old Faithful is really  the 3 mile hike around the other, smaller geysers. The map only shows a couple of them, but there are actually many.  One of my favorites is the “Grotto Geyser”. Plan to spend time on this easy hike — it will be well worth your time!
Firehole Drive:
There is actually swimming here. People like to walk along the boulders to the start of a rushing current, fling themselves in the current and float downstream a ways. Or, for the more timid, stay downstream and cool off in the swimming hole. As you drive along Firehole Loop, just follow the crowds of people to the swimming hole! Be heedful – the current is strong! If crowds intimidate you, you may not want to go here on a hot day…crazy with crowds of people!
Where to stay?
There are many hotels in West Yellowstone and in Island Park. West Yellowstone has some cabin rentals for those who like more privacy and a “homey” cabin experience, but the bulk of the vacation rental cabins available for Yellowstone lodging are Island Park Idaho rentals, ranging in size from small cozy cabins to luxury lakefront homes.There are also large cabins for family reunion groups and corporate retreats. Island Park is 15-45 minutes from the west entrance, depending on where you stay. The west entrance to the park affords the most convenient entrance by far, as it is only 14 miles in to the first major junction that spllits off to the most interesting attractions. The west entrance is toward the center of the park in lattitude , which makes it easy to travel in any direction once you get to Madison Junction. This saves a lot of drive time over staying in Jackson or Gardiner. Major airports are in Bozeman and Salt Lake City.
Mail this post
