Harriman State Park (Idaho)
Encyclopedia
Harriman State Park is a state park
in eastern Idaho
, USA. It is located on an 11000 acres (44.5 km²) wildlife refuge in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
and is home to an abundance of elk, moose, sandhill cranes
, trumpeter swans
, and the occasional black
or grizzly bear
. Two-thirds of the trumpeter swans that winter in the contiguous United States
spend the season in Harriman State Park. The land was deeded to Idaho for free in 1977 by Roland and W. Averell Harriman, whose insistence that the state have a professional park managing service helped prompt the creation of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation in 1965. The park opened to the public in 1982. It is located in Fremont County
, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Island Park, Idaho
. Henry's Fork, a world-famous fly-fishing stream, winds through the meadows of Harriman State Park. In winter, many of its roads and trails are groomed for cross country
skiing.
The park is located within a geological feature called a caldera
, the Henry's Fork Caldera
.
Friends of Harriman State Park, Inc. is a 501c3 organization dedicated to community projects that directly benefit Harriman State Park of Idaho. Friends of Harriman State Park was formed in the winter of 2010 after the announcement by the State of Idaho of the need to cut park funding completely and eventually dissolve the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation into another state agency.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in eastern Idaho
Eastern Idaho
Eastern Idaho is a generic term used to describe areas of Idaho which lie east of the Magic Valley region. It is generally understood to include: Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Caribou, Clark, Custer, Franklin, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, Oneida, Power and Teton...
, USA. It is located on an 11000 acres (44.5 km²) wildlife refuge in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the last remaining large, nearly intact ecosystems in the northern temperate zone of the Earth and is partly located in Yellowstone National Park. Conflict over management has been controversial, and the area is a flagship site among conservation groups...
and is home to an abundance of elk, moose, sandhill cranes
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
, trumpeter swans
Trumpeter Swan
The Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator, is the largest native North American bird, if measured in terms of weight and length, and is the largest living waterfowl species on earth. It is the North American counterpart of the European Whooper Swan.-Description:Males typically measure from and weigh...
, and the occasional black
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
or grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
. Two-thirds of the trumpeter swans that winter in the contiguous United States
Contiguous United States
The contiguous United States are the 48 U.S. states on the continent of North America that are south of Canada and north of Mexico, plus the District of Columbia....
spend the season in Harriman State Park. The land was deeded to Idaho for free in 1977 by Roland and W. Averell Harriman, whose insistence that the state have a professional park managing service helped prompt the creation of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation in 1965. The park opened to the public in 1982. It is located in Fremont County
Fremont County, Idaho
Fremont County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. The county was established in 1893, and was named for the explorer John C. Frémont. As of the 2000 census the county had a population of 11,819 . The county seat and largest city is St. Anthony...
, 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Island Park, Idaho
Island Park, Idaho
Island Park is a city in Fremont County, Idaho, United States. The city's population was 215 at the 2000 census. The city was incorporated by owners of the many lodges and resorts along U.S. Route 20 in 1947, primarily to circumvent Idaho's liquor laws that prohibited the sale of liquor outside of...
. Henry's Fork, a world-famous fly-fishing stream, winds through the meadows of Harriman State Park. In winter, many of its roads and trails are groomed for cross country
skiing.
The park is located within a geological feature called a caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
, the Henry's Fork Caldera
Henry's Fork Caldera
The Henry's Fork Caldera in Idaho is a caldera located an area known as Island Park west of Yellowstone National Park. The caldera was formed by one of the world's supervolcanos in an eruption of more than 280 cubic kilometers 1.3 million years BP, and is the source of the Mesa Falls Tuff.The...
.
Friends of Harriman State Park, Inc. is a 501c3 organization dedicated to community projects that directly benefit Harriman State Park of Idaho. Friends of Harriman State Park was formed in the winter of 2010 after the announcement by the State of Idaho of the need to cut park funding completely and eventually dissolve the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation into another state agency.