Gem State Gem
Idaho provides winter enthusiasts with an abundance of ski runs, ice fishing spots, and backcountry powder to enjoy. Teton Valley residents looking to add some variety to their wintry routine will find it in spades sixty miles north at the 11,000-acre Harriman State Park, historically known as the Railroad Ranch.
Perched on the floor of an ancient caldera and cradled alongside the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, Caribou- Targhee National Forest, and the Island Park Reservoir, the state park manages twenty-four miles of groomed trails winding through forests of lodgepole pine and into wide open meadows holding abundant lake and river habitat. “It’s here,” says interpretive ranger Morgan Smith, “that you can still find solitude with a historical twist.”
Ranch history dates back hundreds of years to a time when Native Americans traveled along the Henry’s Fork on what was known as the Great Bannock Trail. Following early nineteenth-century visits by natives and fur trappers to the area, more permanent settlement occurred in conjunction with Yellowstone National Park’s designation in 1872. Starting in 1902, business investors, some with connections to the Oregon Short Line Railroad, a subsidiary of the Union Pacific, formed the Island Park Land and Cattle Company and developed the property into a working cattle outfit they called—due to their business ties—the Railroad Ranch. These early landowners included notable families like the Guggenheims, the Eccles, and the park’s namesake Harrimans. Edward H. Harriman, Union Pacific Railroad’s chairman at the time, bought his shares in the ranch in 1908 but never saw the property; he passed away in 1909. It was his son, Roland, and Roland’s wife Gladys, who made the trek west each summer from New York with their family and friends well into the 1960s. Primarily a private retreat for families with business ties in the West, the ranch stayed busy in the summers but emptied out in the winters due to the severe weather. In 1977, seventy- five years into the acreage’s tenure as a working ranch and summer get- away, the Harriman family gifted it to the State of Idaho with specific condi- tions, primarily that it be managed as a wildlife refuge and provide a sanctuary for waterfowl on its lakes and along its eight-mile stretch of the Henry’s Fork.
Harriman State Park, one of some two dozen Idaho state parks, distinguishes itself by its accessibility: “We are the only one in this area that’s open year-round,” Smith says. The park remains open to the public every day of the year, with its office closing only on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The park’s weekend programming from January to March has included events such as win- er stargazing, ranger-led snowshoeing (for animal tracking), and moonlight serenades (check out their Facebook page for more information). Overnight lodging accommodations at Harriman include yurt rentals as well as more spacious historic cabins on the old ranch property. Overnighting here is a very popular activity, so it’s best to reserve well in advance.
Whether visiting for a day or longer, it’s out on the trails where one gets a sense of this sprawling refuge. All trails in the park, except the Brim-stone, remain open to multiple use and are groomed twice weekly in the winter, usually on Fridays and Mondays. Choose your mode of travel— snowshoes, fat bike, skate or classic skis—and have at it. Skiers looking to be alone with their Nordic brethren can kick and glide along the Brimstone Trail’s classic track all the way to the Island Park Dam and back. This trail is open to skiers only. (Note that pets are not allowed on the trails, with one exception: the groomed Harriman Hounds Trail, which heads south from the visitor center into the national forest.)
Besides coyotes, deer, elk, moose, and sandhill cranes, loud-bugling trumpeter swans make up the majority of the wildlife population in the park. But this was not always the case. In the 1930s, as hunting and loss of habitat took their toll on the species, the trumpeter swan population in the United States is believed to have numbered fewer than one hundred. Today, hundreds of swans live in the park year-round, while others venture south from Canada in the winter to nest on the unfrozen lakes and feed along the Henry’s Fork.
For those wondering where to begin, the park recommends starting from the visitor center and exploring along the River Trail in the early morning. From there, you can take in the riverside views before arriving at the Jones House to warm up and enjoy a hot beverage. A spotting scope will allow you to check out the waterfowl activity on the Henry’s Fork before heading out for a longer tour to the Becker Yurt. You’ll find maps at the trail junctions, and trained volunteers from the Idaho Falls Nordic Ski Patrol are often present on the trails to help provide directions or suggest routes. For the most current grooming report and trail conditions, inquire at the visitor center.
