These Idaho State Parks Provide a Peaceful Break from Busy Life

Bear Lake State Park, also known as North Beach State Park, is a state park and public recreation area located near the Cache mountain range in the southeastern corner of Idaho that borders the north and eastern shores of Bear Lake. Situated 15 miles south of Montpelier, the park rests across the lake from St Charles and offers a range of recreational activities such as swimming in the lake, fishing, boating, kayaking, and camping along the shores. There are two beaches in the park and safe swimming in the unique turquoise blue water which gets its color from suspended calcium carbonate (limestone) in the water. Large serviced campsites are available with electricity and water hookups.

Bear Lake State Park, 3rd North 10th East, St. Charles, ID 83272

Bruneau Dunes State Park is a public recreation and geologic preservation area located northeast of Bruneau that features several small lakes and giant dunes, including North America's highest single-structured dune which stands at approximately 470 feet. Situated 15 miles south of Mountain Home, Bruneau Dunes State Park encompasses 4,800 acres and is home to the Bruneau Dunes Observatory, which has a telescope for stargazing that is open to visitors. Other activities in the park include hiking, camping, fishing, non-motorized boating, birdwatching, swimming and horseback riding on two trails. An informative, educational center features natural history displays and a gift shop, and two campgrounds - Eagle Cove Campground and Broken Wheel Campground – have standard and RV sites and an equestrian overnight facility.

Bruneau Dunes State Park, 27608 Bruneau Sand Dunes Rd, Bruneau, ID 83604

Castle Rocks State Park is a state park and public recreation area located in Big Cove at the base of Cache Peak in the Albion Mountains. The 1,692-acre park features challenging landscapes that date back 2.5 million years and attract rock climbers from around the world. Other activities in the park include camping on the east slope of the 7,500-foot Smoky Mountain surrounded by Idaho's largest pinyon pine forest, world-class rock climbing, hiking, fishing, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Winter offers ice-climbing, cross-country, and snowshoeing, and visitors can camp or enjoy overnight stays in a century-old ranch house, a bunkhouse or yurts.

Castle Rocks State Park, 748 E Castle Rock Rd, Almo, ID 83312, Phone: 208-824-5901

Romantic Idaho State Parks

The City of Rocks National Reserve, also known as the Silent City of Rocks, is a national reserve and state park that is renowned for its unusual rock formations and excellent rock climbing. Located two miles north of the south-central border with Utah, the reserve lies next to the Castle Rocks State Park, and both are feature incredible granitic rock formations from the Archean Green Creek Complex and the OligoceneAlmo pluton. The reserve boasts over 1,000 traditional and bolt-protected rock-climbing routes, some of which used to be some of the most challenging courses in the US in the 1980s. The City of Rocks National Reserve is also home to a wide variety of fauna and flora, providing excellent wildlife, bird and wildflower watching.

The City of Rocks National Reserve, Malta, ID 83342, Phone: 208-824-5901

Coeur d' Alene's Old Mission State Park is a heritage-oriented state park in North Idaho that is home to the Mission of the Sacred Heart, or Cataldo Mission, the oldest building in Idaho and a National Historic Landmark. Built between 1850 and 1853, the Cataldo Mission is comprised of the Sacred Heart Mission church, the beautifully restored Parish House, a historic cemetery, and the surrounding property, all of which are based in the park and open to the public as an educational experience. The park is also home to the Trail of the Coeur d'Alene, one of the most spectacular biking trails in the western United States, boasting breathtaking views of the stunning surrounding landscapes.

Coeur d' Alene's Old Mission State Park, 31732 S Mission Rd, Cataldo, ID 83810, Phone: 208-682-3814

Located along the western shore of Dworshak Reservoir in Clearwater County, Dworshak State Park is a state park and public recreation area that offers a variety of outdoor activities, including swimming, fishing, boating, water-skiing, camping, and hiking. Spanning 850 acres, the park is made up three units, namely Freeman Creek, Three Meadows Group Camp, and Big Eddy Lodge and Marina. Freeman Creek has 105 campsites, four camping cabins, and a large picnic shelter, along with restrooms, showers, an archery range, a boat ramps, and several excellent hiking trails. Three Meadows Group Camp has eight bunk-style group cabins, a four-sleeper cabin and a spacious lodge with kitchen facilities, while the Big Eddy Lodge is available to rent for special occasions and group functions. The Big Eddy Marina has 01 boat slips, a fueling station and a shop selling essentials.

Dworshak State Park, Lenore, ID 83541, Phone: 208-476-5994

Idaho State Parks for Families

Spanning 545 acres and bordered by the north and south channels of the Boise River, Eagle Island State Park is a state park and public recreation area on the southwest outskirts of the city of Eagle. The family-friendly park offers a wealth of fun outdoor activities such as a safe swimming beach, picnic areas, a water slide and more than five miles of hiking and equestrian trails. Once used as a penitentiary farm, the parkland now provides the community with a place to enjoy many recreational activities such as non-motorized boating, fishing, swimming, picnicking, horseshoes, volleyball, ziplining, and disc golf on an 18-hole course.

Eagle Island State Park, 165 Eagle Island Parkway, Eagle, ID 83616, Phone: 208-939-0696

Set at the southern tip of Lake Pend Oreille in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains, Farragut State Park is a 4,000-acre state park and public recreation area that offers a wealth of traditional recreational opportunities. Located in the Idaho Panhandle five miles east of Athol in Kootenai County, the park is popular for hiking, mountain biking, camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, swimming, and water sports, as well as archery, flying model aircraft, horseback riding, orienteering, and disc golf. The park is home to a WWII-era naval training station and a military museum called Museum at the Brig which features displays of naval and war memorabilia, boot camp artifacts, and historic prison cells. Farragut State Park has a variety of camping sites for individuals and groups and ten camping cabins.

Farragut State Park, 13550 ID-54, Athol, ID 83801, Phone: 208-683-2425

Located on the 11,000-acre Harriman Wildlife Refuge in Fremont County, Harriman State Park is a state park and recreation area within the geological feature called Henry's Fork Caldera in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Once owned by Union Pacific Railroad investors and used as a cattle ranch and private retreat for the Harriman and Guggenheim families, today the park provides visitors with a spectacular landscape and setting in which to soak up the natural beauty and unique history of the area. Situated three miles south of Island Park in eastern Idaho, the park is home to an abundance of wildlife, including elk, moose, black or grizzly bears, sandhill cranes, and trumpeter swans. The Henrys Fork meanders for eight miles through the park and offers some of the best fly-fishing in the region. Other activities in the park include 24-miles of groomed trails for skate and classic skiing, snowshoeing and fat bike riding.

Harriman State Park, 3489 Green Canyon Rd, Island Park, ID 83429, Phone: 208-558-7368

Hells Gate State Park is a state park based at where the Snake River enters Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest canyon. Situated on the southern edge Lewiston, the park and recreation area was established by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and sits at just 733 feet above sea level. The park offers a variety of activities, and outdoor recreation such as hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, boating, fishing, swimming, kayaking, camping, and jet boat trips into the canyon. Hells Gate State Park features basaltic columns from the Pomona flows 14 million years ago and the site of a Nez Perce village that show the remnants of pit houses used by the Nez Perce near Asotin Creek.

Hells Gate State Park, 5100 Hells Gate Rd, Lewiston, ID 83501, Phone: 208-799-5015, Map