IDAHO STATE PARKS And Recreation
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0065
208/334-4199
Fax: 208/334-3741; TDD 800/377-3529
IDAHO CITY TRAIL AND YURT SYSTEM
Idaho City Ranger District
P.O. Box 129
Idaho City ID 83631
208/392-6681
The ranger district manages the land and the Beaver Creek Cabin for the Idaho City Yurt System.
Reservations: At a yurt contact Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
Non-Motorized Trail Coordinator
P.O. Box 83720, 5657 Warm Springs Blvd., Boise ID 83720-0065
at 208/334-4199, or 208/334-4180 Ext. 228.
Nordic Voice
1718 N. 17th St., Boise ID 83702
208/344-7371
Over 150 volunteers work to maintain the yurt system. Help them support new yurts in the system.
Southwest Bicycling Association
SWIMBA, P.O. Box 1443
Boise ID 83701
They promote responsible mountain biking in Idaho.
Numerous state parks, US Forest, municipal and private ski operators in Idaho provide cross-country skiing opportunities.
Idaho has a Park N’Ski permit program that finances much of the cross-country skiing development. Purchasing a pass provides funding sources for ski-clubs and agencies interested in maintaining skiing facilities. When you purchase a $20 annual permit, or a 3-day temporary permit ($7.50) for improving skiing. Display your permit decal on the front driver’s side of your vehicle window or a temporary hang tag from the rearview mirror. Contact the Idaho Parks Department for their skiing brochure that includes all areas that do not offer shelter.
Group rates: $60 nightly for Idaho residents and $80 nightly for non-resident groups. An additional $10 fee per night per person is charged for groups over 6. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Holidays and weekends are usually reserved weeks in advance. Yurts are reserved from 11 am to 11 am for the last day of rental. The maximum length of stay is 5 days.
Equipment: Yurts are equipped with propane stoves, pots and pans, an a full assortment of eating and serving utensils.
BANNER RIDGE YURT
The 22 miles of marked trails at Banner Ridge are located on State Highway 21, about 23.5 miles N of Idaho City, Idaho. Various trails are suitable for intermediate to expert cross-country skiers. The area’s greatest attraction is the view from the ridge top and open bowls for off-trail skiing.
This is the first yurt constructed in the system (1996), and is located at 6,500 feet on a high scenic ridge overlooking the South Fork of the Payette River drainage and the Sawtooth Mountains. This is a favorite for telemark skiers because of the great powder and long, open slopes afforded by its location. In the winter, the yurt is a 2.0 mile, 680 foot climb form the Banner Ridge parking lot. In the summer you can drive within 300 yards of the yurt on a high-clearance vehicle on a Forest Service Road. Rents year around.
A plowed parking area and restrooms are available, and the trails are groomed weekly to 10 feet wide for traditional and skate skiing. Two fully-stocked, 20-foot diameter yurts are available for rent through the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. Call 208/334-4199.
ELKHORN Yurt
Located about halfway around the Elkhorn Loop Trail, this yurt is the most remote of the three yurts, the place to get away from everyone. It provides access to untouched telemark slopes in the winter, and is good, single-track mountain bike trails in the summer. The yurt is accessible from the Banner Ridge parking lot; in the winter, visitors must ski or snowshoe in 3.0 miles and climb 800 feet to get to the yurt. In the summer you can drive within one mile of the yurt with a high-clearance vehicle, and then hike or bike on rolling terrain with little elevation gain.
GOLD FORK (Skyline Yurt)
Generally, the 21.4 miles of trails around Gold Fork are a little easier than those at Banner Ridge. A practiced beginner would be comfortable with much of the trail system. However, steep downhill runs will challenge the experts. Gold Fork is located on State Highway 21, 20 miles North of Idaho City. There is a plowed parking area, and a restroom, and the trail are groomed weekly to 10 feet wide for traditional and skate skiing. One fully-stocked, 20-foot diameter yurt is available for rent. The skyline yurt is accessible from the Gold Fork parking lot and is situated just off the Skyline Trail. It has a spectacular setting and view of the Boise Mountains, and is popular in the winter and during big-game season, but is open year around. The yurt is a two-mile, 600-foot climb. During non-winter months, you can drive within a half-mile of the yurt and then pack in about 300 feet in elevation.
WHOOP-UM-UP
This is a park and ski area with no yurts, but it is part of the above system. The site is 18 miles north of Idaho City on State Highway 21. Some sections of the 6.6 mile trail are complex, particularly the downhill sections of the creek trail, which are relatively challenging and require advanced skiing skills. Other areas are suitable for beginner to intermediate skiers. A restroom and plowed parking area is shared with snowmobilers. The trails are marked but not groomed.
OTHER YURTS WITHIN IDAHO WILDERNESS AREAS
There are numerous private and public yurt and cabins available for rent in Idaho. Take advantage of winter guides and outfitters mentioned below to increase your awareness and fun with a base-camp yurt.
GREYLOCK MOUNTAIN GUIDES
P.O. Box 7844
Boise ID 8370
208/376-4106.
Offers guided trips to three yurts in the Idaho City area as mentioned above. They also offer instruction in telemark skiing and winter outdoor mountain living skills.
BEAR VALLEY TREKKING COMPANY
P.O. Box 220
Sun Valley ID 83353
208/788-9585.
The company has five yurts/huts available for rent in the Sawtooth Mountains, Boulders, and Smoky Mountains. They also offer guided trips and backcountry ski instruction.
VENTURE OUTDOORS
P.O. Box 2251
Hailey Id 83333
208/788-5049
Provides full-service guided trips to Sun valley Trekking company’s hurts/huts. They also offer back country ski instruction.
SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN GUIDES
P.O. Box 18
Stanley, Idaho 83276;
208/774-3324.
They rent one yurt located high in the Sawtooth Range near Stanley and guides to Sun Valley Trekking yurts/huts. They also provide custom guided trips and telemark ski and avalanche safety instruction.
GALENA LODGE
HC 64, P.O. Box 8326
Ketchum ID 83340
208/726-4010.
Galena Lodge is the base for the North Valley Trails and the Harriman Trail, all open year around with great skiing. Stretching from Galena at 7,300 feet to Bellevue at 5,200 feet, the trails include smooth and flat stretches near the cities, long glides through thick aspen groves, winding tracks beside the river and climbs in spectacular hilltop views. The North Valley Trail allows dogs on the trails. A Doggie Ski Pass is sold for $10. The Boulder Mountain ski Tour is held each year in February. The North Valley Ski Hotline is 208/726-6662.
Snowshoeing: Marked and packed trails are located at Galena Lodge and at Billy’s Bridge. There are 20 kilometers of total trail. Nominal fee.
Galena offers trails for everyone’s interest. There are extensive snow shoe trails that were recently expanded. There is over 50 kilometers of freshly groomed Nordic trails for both classic and skate techniques. The Galena ski shop features top of the line Fischer and Solomon rental equipment. Daily ski clinics are offered to all level of skiers.
The Lodge:
Galena has a colorful history dating back to the late 1870s, when the first mining claims were made in the area. The name Galena refers to the basic ore, largely made of led mixed with silver, found here in the Senate and Gladiator mines. By 1878, Galena was a thriving community of 700 persons, with mines, mills and smelters. By 1890, Galena was a ghost town. The lodge was remodeled and renovated to its present state in 1987. The property was property was put up for sale, and two years later a volunteer group save the Lodge from demolition.
Yurts:: Reservations 208/726-4019. Choose among three yurts situated along the Galena Alpine Glow Ridge, all with spectacular views of Galena Peak, Senate Mead, The Boulder Range, and the Upper Big Wood drainage area. Accessible by a five kilometer ski or a two kilometer snowshoe trail, the yurts sleep 6, with either a meal delivery program or great cooking available. The yurts are open year around, and in the summer they make for great mountain biking or hiking bases in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
Provided: Firewood, futons, bunkbeds, and furniture, cooking stove, pans, dishes, cups, lantern and accessories. Bring a sleeping bag and adventurous spirit.
Rates: $100 per yurt on Weekend and holiday nights, $75 mid-week nights. Dinners $15 per person, $5 children. Equipment portage is $25 per trip. Maximum of 6 persons per yurt. Special Honeymoon yurts are $100 per night.
The lodge offers four yurt rentals that are located just off the groomed trail system. They provide a Sherpa service that will deliver cooked meals and your equipment to the next yurt.
RENDESVOUS SKI TOURS
Fox Creek Canyon
Victor ID 83455
208/787-2906
The company offers guided trips to three yurts that are located on the E side of the Tetons next to the Jedediah Smith Wilderness area, and also provides special educational trips.
PORTNEUF RANGE YURT SYSTEM
Idaho State University Wilderness Rental Center
P.O. Box 8119, ISU
Pocatello ID 83209
208/236-2945.
ISU rents five yurts located in the Portneuf Mountains, S of Pocatello. They are open to the public. They also rent outdoor equipment.
BEAVER CREEK CABIN
The Idaho Ranger District rents a backcountry two bedroom cabin for $30 a night, open year around. The two-bedroom cabin is accessed by a one-mile ski trail from the Whoop-Up-Up parking area in the winter, and a 0.5 mile drive off Highway 21 in the summer. A wood stove heats the cabin. Firewood, cooking equipment, and propane cooking stove are provided. To reserve the cabin contact the Ranger District at 208/392-6681.
SQUAW BAY at PRIEST LAKE STATE PARK
For groups of up to 50, you can’t beat Squaw Bay. This rustic, isolated retreat offers 1,000 feet of white-sand beach on the lake, kitchen and shower facilities, fire pit and a chance to see nature close-up. Reservations for the coming year are accepted beginning October 1.
Priest Lake is at about 2,400 feet above sea level, and has an abundance of beautiful scenery and recreational opportunities. Visitors enjoy dense cedar-hemlock forests for hiking to view wildlife such as whitetail deer, black bear, moose and bald eagles. The stately Selkirk Mountain Range towers nearby and numerous streams tumble down the slopes.
Noted for its pristine water, Priest Lake extends 19 miles and is connected to the smaller Upper Priest Lake by a placid, two-mile-long water thoroughfare. Steeped in a history of Jesuit priests, Indian villages, homesteaders and logging camps, Priest Lake offers a range of boating, fishing, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing activities.
Use of the group area is $175 per day, with the first night’s fee accompanying the reservation request. You get kitchen and sleeping quarters for the group at these rates. A cleaning deposit of $50 may be required. This must be paid with the balance of the rental fee no later than 15 days prior to your visit. The cleaning deposit is fully refunded if the building is left in the same conditions in which it was accepted.
Cross-Country Skiing: The Indian Creek unit of the park offers a plowed parking lot and vault toilets. There are 12 miles of groomed trails. The Soaring Eagle trail provides scenic views of the lake and is rate for skiers who have intermediate to advanced abilities. The Old Flume Loop offers beautiful scenery, and is rated for beginners and intermediate skiers.
DWORSHAK STATE PARK and Three Meadows Group Camp
Dworshak State Park is located among trees and open meadows along the Dworshak Reservoir. The area is known for moderate summer nights and mild winter temperatures. Camping, boating, fishing, swimming, hiking and water-skiing are just some of the activities that await you. A boat ramp and handling dock provide easy launching most of the year. A fish-cleaning station is nearby to help with day’s catch.
Dworshak is about one hour by car from Lewiston or Moscow Idaho and 45 minutes from Orofino. Roads are a combination of two-lane asphalt and maintained gravel. The final two miles of the road is paved, twisting, narrow, with a 10-percent downgrade. While in the area, visit the Nes Perce National Historic Park at Spalding. See the Dworshak National Fish Hatchery and the Clearwater State Fish Hatchery at Ahsahka.
Three Meadows Group Camp is nestled in a lush forest setting (3-1/2 miles form the lake), perfect for quiet retreats. It offers a spacious lodge with modern kitchen facilities and eight bunk-style group cabins. Each cabin sleeps up to 12 . There is a common restroom/shower, facilities located nearby. Additional cabins rent for $50 per night. Five RV and 10 tent sites are also available. A headquarters cabin for four is also available for rent, and it has it’s own bathroom.
The group daily rate is $225, which includes full use of the lodge and full furnished restaurant-style kitchen, two 12-person cabins, both shower house/restroom buildings and all recreation areas and equipment. A $150 cleaning deposit is required, refundable upon condition of the cabin after rental.
HARRIMAN STATE PARK
Call 208/558-7368 for renting historic buildings at Harriman.
Harriman State Park lies in the heart of a 16,000 acre wildlife reserve in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. This sanctuary protects a diversity of birds and mammals similar to those living in Yellowstone National Park.
The Railroad Ranch
In 1902, several officials of the Oregon Shoreline Railroad and other investors purchased what is now Harriman State Park. Called "The Railroad Ranch", the property was the private retreat of the Harrimans of the Union Pacific Railroad, and the Guggenheims, then prominent in copper.
The rich wildlife habitat has been preserved since the turn of the century, when the owners established a private hunting reserve and working cattle ranch. For 75 years, the ranch maintained healthy game, waterfowl, and fish populations, allowing today’s park visitors to observe a rare concentration of wildlife in its scenic, natural surroundings.
During the summer there are regular tours of the Railroad Ranch buildings. Or, fish, hike, horseback ride or mountain bike nearby. Bring your camera for shots of wildflower displays in the sage meadows and pasturelands. Also view elk, deer, and moose, usually in the morning and evening. Plus you get great views of the Tetons. During the winter, cross-country skiing, with a warming hut, is open on weekends. Ski along Henry’s Fork to watch bald eagles and trumpeter swans.
Henry’s Fork of the Snake River
Meandering nine miles through park meadows and forests, the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River flows gently year around, because of the warm springs in the area. One third of the Rocky Mountain trumpeter swan population winters here. Trumpeter swans are the largest of North American waterfowl, and the world’s heaviest flying bird. The fly fishing on the stream is world famous.
Grizzly Discovery Center – Bear and Wolf Preserve
P.O. Box 996, West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406/646-7001 or 800/257-2570 or email
grizzly@defraz.orgLocated in Grizzly Park at the West entrance to Yellowstone, and not far from Harriman State Park, the center allows visitors to see interactive exhibits, films, presentation and wildlife themed gift shops. Open year around from 8:30 am until 8:30 pm. Also, be sure to visit Upper and Lower Mesa Falls S of Harriman State Park. The local fly shops have the best advice for fishing in the area.
Cross-Country Skiing: There is a total of 21 miles of trails and 10 of these are groomed, providing opportunities for all levels of skiing. Harriman offers a warming shelter and restrooms are provided at trailhead. The $3 entrance fee is waived if you have a Park N’Ski permit.
Dorms: There is no camping available in the park, but there is a better way to enjoy Harriman on overnight trips. Groups of 15-40 can reserve the rustic log dormitory facilities and original Railroad Ranch Cookhouse. Most of the cubicles in the bunkhouse sleep two, with larger cubicles available, each accommodating four to six people. Each cubicle is surround by privacy sections, and has a closing door. Modern restroom and shower facilities are included.
The group facilities at Harriman are available year around. Activities include horseback riding, hiking, photography, fly fishing, cross-country skiing, historic building tours, and special programs.
The reservation deposit is $25 per building, (refundable up to 15 days prior to visit). The dormitory rents for $12 per person, per night, with a 15-person minimum. Dormitory fees include the use of the cookhouse. For meetings, the cookhouse can be rented for $25 a day.
A cleaning despot of $150 will be fully refunded if the buildings are left in the same conditions as accepted.
FARRAGUT STATE PARK
THREE ISLAND CROSSING STATE PARK
Oregon Trail pioneers knew this spot well, it was one of the most famous river crossings on the historic trail. The trail played a significant role in the exploration and settlement of western America. The original course of the Oregon Trail was from Independence, Missouri to Oregon City in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Most pioneers traveled the trail from 1841-1848. However, fur trappers and explorers used the travel corridor as early as 1811. By the mid-1860’s, the trail was used little as an emigration route.
The Oregon Trail entered Idaho in the southeast corner of the state. At Fort Hall, it joined the Snake River, following the south bank until this crossing was reached near Glenns Ferry. The route left Idaho near the site of old Fort Boise, near Parma, after winding through 500 miles of the state.
Upon reaching the Three Island ford, the emigrants had a difficult decision to make. Should they risk the dangerous crossing of the Snake, or endure the dry rocky route along the south bank of the river. About half of the emigrants chose to attempt the crossing by using the gravel bars that extended across the river. Not all were successful, many casualties are recounted in pioneer journals. The rewards of a successful crossing were a shorter route, more potable water and better feed for the livestock. Pioneer travelers used the Three Island ford until 1869, when Gus Glenn constructed a ferry about two miles upstream.
Modern travelers will find a stay at Three Island Crossing much more hospitable than did the pioneers. Located just off Interstate 84 at the Glenns Ferry exit, the park offers a full-service campground, picnic areas, historical interpretive programs and fascinating interpretive center. You can take the self-guided tour, see the replica wagons and dangle your feet in the Snake River where emigrants made their historic crossings.
TEEPEES
Stay in a teepee at Three Island Crossing. They rent for only $25 a night for up to five people. Each additional person pays $5. There is a $25 nonrefundable reservation fee, and a $20 refundable security despot. Bring your own bed rolls. No cooking facilities, but there is a picnic area and public toilets.