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. Big Springs is the headwaters of Henry’s Fork of the
Snake River. In the evening, moose can often be spotted grazing in the stream, and trout and muskrats like to show off at the bridge. The trout are monsters! Bring bread to feed the ducks and geese, and quarters for trout food. The interpretive walk along the river is beautiful, and is about a mile long.
Sawtelle
Peak:
This is a great drive and has fabulous views. From the top of Sawtelle you can see into 3 states and into the border of
Yellowstone. Great place for a picnic. Take a left at the Subway (about 11 miles north of the start of
Island
Park in Last Chance) and continue 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 made it that far, but we have hiked in a mile or so and it's absolutely beautiful - I counted 28 different wildflower species! Take bear spray and make noise...it's all bear country here!
Biking, ATV'ing and Snowmobiling
Island Park has over 500 miles of maintained trails for fun any season. Maps are provided at the cabins, or can be found at the gas stations.
Island
Park Reservoir:
This lake makes for great skiing and boating, and is never very 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. Check out our fishing guides and outfitters:
http://www.islandparklodging.com/local-area-guide.asp?cat=426
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 couple of different boat launches here. One is the state park at the south end, and another is a park at the north end. A few miles south of the lake is
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.
http://www.stateparks.com/henrys_lake.html
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 sometimes you literally have to paddle to go downstream, and occasionally you hit low spots you have to pull the boat over. My favorite float puts in at the fisherman's boat launch just below Island Park Reservoir Dam. It's a 45 minute float, about, very scenic, just fast enough in places to get the inexperienced rafter's adrenaline going a bit. When you start to see the cabins on the left side of the river, you know the float is almost over. After the cluster of houses, you will see a clearing, and a boat ramp on the left-hand side . Tell your party 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 Golf Course. The clubhouse has a swimming pool, raquetball court, ping-pong table, tennis court, and water aerobics, and they have just started offering a reduced rate for non-members.
http://calderacabincare.com/clubhouse_rates.htm
Quake
Lake:
An earthquake hit here, buried the campground and formed 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 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 sits the prettiest spot for a rodeo ever. The rodeo runs from June through August – check out their site for pricing and dates!
http://www.yellowstonerodeo.com/
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 fudge, at the Rustic Candy Shop on
Canyon Street.
The Playmill Theatre offers live theatre, and they do a great job!
http://www.grizzlydiscoveryctr.com/
http://www.playmill.com/
Favorite Places in
Yellowstone:
I don’t think I could ever get enough
Yellowstone in a lifetime. If you have the time, hiking in
Yellowstone can’t be beat – it’s a scary but magical experience (I have grizzly-phobia). But these spots are right along the main routes. 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.
Canyon: Artist point is a must, but most people don't check out the falls from some of the alternative views. One of my favorites is Uncle Tom's Trail -- a whole lot of steps (300, I think) going down to a great view. There is also a fun trail right around Grand View and Lookout point that takes you to the very top of the falls – amazing.
http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/mapcanyon.htm
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.
http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/mapmammoth.htm
Tower
Falls:
To see bears and wolves: Take the
Tower Route on your way home from Mammoth if you have time. It should be evening by then, the best time to spot bears. Usually 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 actually 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.
http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/maptower.htm
Norris
Geyser
Basin and Artist’s Paint Pots are great walking tours.
http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/madisonnorris.htm
Old Faithful:
What would a trip to Yellowstone be without
Old Faithful? But actually, my favorite part of
Old Faithful is actually the 3 mile hike around the other, smaller geysers. The map only shows a couple of them, but there are actually a lot. One of my favorites is the "Grotto Geyser"
http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/mapoldfaithful.htm
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 careful – the current is strong!
http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/mapmadison.htm
Check our website often for links to activities, guides, and restaurants!
