Local/State Parks

a walk in the park

Friendship Garden

The Japanese Friendship Garden is a located on rugged island splitting the Snake River in Idaho Falls. Idaho Falls has a Japanese sister city, Tokai-Mura, and this park was built to celebrate 30 years of international friendship. Phenomenal photography opportunities are waiting to be discovered throughout the garden. Entering into the garden, you are greeted with a traditional Japanese garden gate, a viewing platform, and an authentic Japanese lantern donated by Tokai-Mura. Rock gardens, numerous water features, and hundreds of plants and shrubbery are strategically placed to provide a sense of seclusion, even in the heart of Idaho Falls. The garden is a great place for visitors and locals to reset, take in the scenery, and explore in a tranquil environment.

St. Anthony Sand Dunes

St. Anthony is one of the biggest sand dune areas in the country sitting at 10,600 acres. White quarts sand is blown into over 400ft tall drifts, making this one the premiere destinations for offroad vehicles during the summer. The shape of many of these sand dunes is constantly changing from season to season due to the wind, which provides an excellent variety of terrain for offroad enthusiasts every year.

The area has 48 campsites including the popular Egin Lakes campground, where you can park your RV and toys overnight. This area also hosts one of the largest herds of elk during the winter season, and a large portion is reserved for wildlife research. If you’d like an off-roading experience for yourself, but don’t have any toys to use, there’s a few company’s that offer rentals in the nearby town of St. Anthony,

Harriman State Park

Harriman State Park is situated in a scenic valley surrounded by the Teton and Snake River Ranges, and it is home to a diverse range of wildlife such as moose, elk, and an incredible bird population.The park offers a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and mountain biking.

Visitors can explore over 20 miles of trails that wind through the park’s forests, meadows, and wetlands, and there are several stretches of water that are renowned for their excellent fly fishing. If you’re interested in staying longer than a day trip in the park, you can reserve western-rustic yurts or “The Ranch manager’s House”.

Redfish Lake State Park

Redfish lake is the largest lake in the Sawtooth Recreation Area. Surrounded by rugged peaks, this lake is a popular destination for a variety of activities such as fishing, boating, kayaking, and paddleboarding. In addition, there is also an overwhelming abundance of hiking near and around the lake.

Even though Redfish feels like a remote mountain lake, there are still plenty of creature comforts for you and your family to enjoy. Redfish lodge has quaint cabin accommodations and lodge suites available to rent, alongside great options for dining. Other activities around the lake include biking, pontoon rentals, horseback riding, and a luxury spa.

City of Rocks Preserve

The City of Rocks is a scenic area located in southern Idaho near the Utah border. This national preserve provides a unique landscape of towering granite spires, rock formations, and cliffs that pioneers described as “the silent city”. The City of Rocks is a popular destination for hiking, camping, horseback riding, hunting, and even star gazing. This being said, the preserve really holds its reputation as a premiere rock climbing paradise. There are over 600 climbing routes in the park, ranging from 5.6 to 5.14 in difficulty, and 30ft to 600ft in ascent height.

The City of Rocks also has a rich cultural heritage for history buffs looking to explore the historic west. Native American tribes traveled, hunted, and gathered in this area, and it was a prominent landmark for emigrations to California in the 1800s. Overall, the City of Rocks is a fascinating destination offering something for everyone, from outdoor enthusiasts to history-lovers to those simply seeking a peaceful and scenic retreat.

Thousand Springs State Park

Thousand Springs is a state park located outside Twin Falls, ID. This state park is unique because of its rather large collection of natural phenomenon dispersed amongst 2,000 acres. The park is separated into 6 destinations that are all within a short drive from each other. The most popular units include Minnie Miller Springs, Malad Gorge, and Niagara Springs. There’s a wide variety of scenery and desert wildlife that rely on these destinations, making for incredibly good photography opportunities.

The Lost River in south central Idaho eventually runs over a lava rock field where it slowly sleeps through the porous rock into an aquifer. After sitting for nearly 200 hundred years, it erupts out of the canyon walls found at Minnie Miller Springs and other springs in the park. These springs create pockets of lush green oasis in an otherwise rugged desert landscape. Hiking, biking, camping, fishing, disc golfing, canoeing and other paddlesports are all available in the park.