National Park Service
A Study of the Park and Recreation Problem of the United States 		NPS Logo

IDAHO

MOST OF THE POPULATION is distributed along the rich river valleys adaptable for agriculture, in settlements ranging from single families to communities of 10,000 inhabitants, following the general pattern of a large fishhook. Boise, which has less than 22,000 people, is the largest city. Over 70 percent of the population is rural.

The State's exceptional recreational resources include superlative mountains, forests, canyons, lakes, and other scenic attractions. Nearly three-fourths of the land is in public ownership, mostly in National and State forests. Ample recreational facilities for summer and winter use have been provided in the mountainous regions by the United States Forest Service. In addition to Heyburn State Park, located some 40 miles from Spokane, Wash., the State owns several partially developed recreation areas which serve a large number of residents. Relatively few communities provide recreational facilities.

Areas of such outstanding scenic grandeur as the Seven Devils region and the Grand Canyon of the Snake should be preserved in public ownership. A State park system should be developed to preserve the many scenic, historic, and archeologic sites and to provide recreational facilities within 25 miles of communities where such facilities are now lacking. Because of the great vacation potentialities, the protection of roadsides and tourist accommodations merit special attention.

map
(click on image for an enlargement in a new window)



FEDERAL

National park:
51. Yellowstone23,040
National monument:
39. Craters of the Moon48,280.24

National forests:
5. Payette814,866
6. Weiser569,383
10. Nezperce1,931,046
13. St. Joe784,569
19. Kaniksu814,866
20. Kootneai48,851
23. Coeur d'Alene689,741
24. Clearwater1,039,704
25. Lolo401,521
26. Bitterroot828,663
27. Idaho1,783,073
28. Challis1,346,188
29. Boise1,289,972
30. Sawtooth1,201,217
38. Salmon1,701,540
41. Minidoka520,545
43. Cache512,357
50. Targhee1,032,644
51. Caribou708,027
     Total
118,018,773


National wildlife areas:
1. Snake River Migratory Waterfowl Refuge336.18
3. Deer Flat Reservation10,252.3
40. Minidoka Wildlife Refuge25,332
47. Camas Migratory Waterfowl Refuge9,171
     Total
45,091.48



STATE

State parks:
9. Payette Lake7,646
14. Heyburn7,838
17. Priest Lake26,820
53. Lava Hot Springs187
     Total
42,491


Proposed State parks:
8. Payette Lakes
7,646
15. Coeur d'Alene Lake
640
16. Hayden Lake
640
18. Priest Lake
1,720
22. Pend Oreille Lake
1,000
31. Three Islands Fork
320
34. Thousand Springs
640
35. Blue Lake
1,000
45. American Falls Reservoir
320
46. Wolverine Canyon
8,000
54. Bear Lake
160
     Total

22,086

Historical monuments:
7. Packer John's Cabin10
12. Spalding Memorial17
     Total
27


Proposed historical monuments:
2. Map Rock
2
21. Kullyspell House
3
     Total

5

Proposed scientific monuments:
32. Bruneau Canyon
2,520
33. Malad River Gorge
640
37. Shoshone Ice Caves
1,280
42. Silent City of Rocks
5,000
48. Sand Dunes
5,000
49. Crystal Falls Ice Caves
640
     Total

15,080

Proposed waysides:
4. Boise River
2
11. Lawyer's Canyon Picnic Grounds
50
     Total

52

Proposed county parks:
36. Twin Falls County
300
44. Bannock
160
     Total

460

1 Area under Federal administration June 1938.


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park-recreation-problem/idaho.htm
Last Updated: 18-May-2016