Overview

Hype:

Big Springs is the name of a first-magnitude spring located in Island Park, Idaho in Fremont County. The spring produces over 120 million gallons of water each day. It is a primary source of the North Fork or Henrys Fork of the Snake River. The other major source is the Henry's Lake outlet. The Big Springs is also famous for its large rainbow trout which congregate at the foot of the bridge waiting to be fed by the tourists (there are coin-operated feeding dispensers) No fishing is allowed until below the outlet to Henry's Lake, several miles away. Big Springs is the only first-magnitude spring that issues from rhyolite lava flows. It is a National Natural Landmark designated in August 1980. The spring is in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest and the site is managed by the National Forest Service. There is a half mile handicap-accessible trail that offers wildlife viewing of osprey, bald eagles, waterfowl, moose, white-tailed deer, and muskrat.

Time:

Fees: Optional donations

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Features:

Rivers and Streams
Mountains
National Natural Landmark
Interpretive Signs
Road Access is Paved
Access Road is 2WD Accessible
Wildflowers and Vegitation
Wildlife and Birding

Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Springs_(Idaho)

Location

Closest City or Region: Island Park, Idaho

Coordinates: 44.500194, -111.255359

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Brochure

July 14, 2024 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Madilyn Dye, Cooper Dye, Anthony Dye, Arianne Dye, Miller Dye, Kingston Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Killian Wagner, Calliope Wagner,

Story

We had lunch then most of the group kayaked down the Big Springs Water Trail. We stopped at Big Springs and the cabin first, but we were worried about finishing the kayak trip in time, especially with a possible thunderstorm in the evening, so we didn't go inside the cabin.

We got loaded up and headed down the river. Ari's kayak didn't have a flat bottom so she kept dragging in the shallows. We did a lot of waiting. The river was very scenic and fun.

The only downside was that it got kind of cold and windy, but it wasn't too bad. Killian had a rough time of it after he tipped his kayak and got wet. We finished up the float, shuttled vehicles back and went, and went back to camp. Ondy started feeling sick at the end of it.