Idaho (ID)

Idaho State Flag

 

"The Gem State"

Why visit Idaho?

Ideal outdoor enthusiasts desiring to backpack, camp, cross-country ski trails, dude ranches, fishing, gorges, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, landscapes, mountains, mountain biking, river rafting, rock climbers, snowboarding, snowmobiling, wild white-water rivers and wilderness.

Sawtooth Range, Idaho. Photo Credit: Alex Bertha/Unsplash 

At a Glance

• Capital: Boise
• State Bird: Mountain Bluebird 
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Syringa
• State Gemstone: Star Garnet
• State Mammal: Appaloosa Horse
• State Rock: None

Fun Facts

• In 1936, the world's first ski chairlift was installed in Central Idaho.
• In 2019, with 130.9 million hundredweight (cwt ) of potatoes, it's no surprise they're our nation's leading producer.
  
• The state offers 72 different types of precious and semiprecious stones.
  
• Heyburn State Park harvest wild rice every fall annually.
•  The world's largest factory for barrel processed cheese is in Gooding.
  
• A Elk Hunter's Paradise considering their local population.
• Features 36 Lakes/Rivers, 13 National Forests and 27 State Parks.
• The Idaho Anne Frank (German-Dutch Diarist) Human Rights Memorial is one of only eleven amongst our nation to receive a sapling from the original Anne Frank Chestnut Tree in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Boise, ID. Photo Credit: Pinpals/Pixabay 

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Anna Marie "Patty" Duke (Actress), Brandon Bair (Athlete), Ernest Hemingway (Author), George Kennedy (Actor) and Kristin Armstrong (Athlete), just to mention a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Bronco Billy (1980), Dante's Peak (1996), Magic Valley (2011), Napoleon Dynamite  (2004), My Own Private Idaho (1991), Pale Rider (1985) and Soda Springs (2012), just to mention a few. 
• Novels Set in Idaho: Daredevils (written by Shawn Vestal), Housekeeping (written by Marilynne Robinson),Idaho (written by Emily Ruskovich) and Travelers Rest (written by Keith Lee Morris), just to mention a few. 

Redfish Lake, ID. Photo Credit: Kim Rollins from Pixabay 

Good to Know

• State sales tax is 6%, however campgrounds, hotel and motel accommodations are taxed at a higher rate, 7% - 11%.
  
• Among our few states that a major freeway does not connect its two largest metropolitan areas, Boise and Coeur d'Alene.

 

Subject to wildfires, snow and wind storms.

• Best Time to Visit: May - September and November - March
• Coldest Month: January
• Hottest Months: July
• Peak Season: June - August

Photo Credit: Jesse Bridgewater/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Chamberlain Ranger Station Historic District, Elephant Hunters Historical Marker, Evel Knievel Jump Monument, Fort Boise & Riverside Ferry Sites, Fort Hall Replica, Guffey Butte & Black Butte Archaeological District, Harriman Wildlife Refuge Historical Marker, Hells Canyon Archeological District, Minidoka National Historic Site, Oregon Trail Memorial Bridge, Rock Creek Station & Stricker Homesite, Ruud Mountain Chairlift, The Big Eddie, Wagon Box Prophecy Monument and Werthheimer Building.
• Museums: Appaloosa Museum & Heritage Center, Art Museum Of Eastern Idaho, Bannock County Historical Museum, Basque Museum & Cultural Center, Bicentennial Historical Museum, Boise Art Museum, Boise Basin Museum, Butch Cassidy Museum, Central Idaho Historical Museum, Collectors Corner Museum, Discovery Center of Idaho, Eagle Stake Family History Center, Farnsworth TV & Pioneer Museum, 
  Gem County Historical Society & Village Museum, Herrett Center, Idaho Black History Museum, Idaho Museum of Mining & Geology, Idaho Museum of Natural History, Idaho Potato Museum, Idaho Science Center, Idaho State Museum, Idaho Military History Museum, Jerome County Historical Museum, Legacy Flight Museum, Lemhi County Historical Museum, McConnell Mansion, Museum of Clean, Museum of Idaho, Museum of North Idaho, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Northern Pacific Railroad Depot Museum, Oasis Bordello Museum, Oneida Pioneer Museum, Our Memories Museum, Owyhee County Museum & Library, Pocatello Model Railroad & Historical Society, 
  Sprag Pole Inn & Museum, Stanley Museum, The National Oregon/California Trail Center, Twin Falls County Museum, 
  Wallace District Mining Museum, Warhawk Air Museum and Yanke Motor Museum.
• Popular Attractions: 17 Mile Cave Lava Tube, Ah Toy Garden, Axel Bohman House, Bayhorse Ghost Town, Bear River Massacre Site, Balanced Rock Park, Black Pine Deer Farm, Boise Depot, Boise National Forest, Boise River, Bruneau Canyon Overlook, Chi-Sandra Garden, Christ Chapel, City of Rocks National Reserve, Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve, Cataldo Mission, Chesterfield Idaho, Clearwater National Forest, East Idaho Aquarium, Elmer's Fountain, Experimental Breeder Reactor II, Farragut State Park, Fort Sherman Chapel, Franklin Relic Hall, Freak Alley Gallery, Galena Summit Overlook, Gold Fork Hot Springs, Gravity Hill, Hells Canyon, Hemingway Memorial, Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, Idaho Botanical Garden, Idaho Falls Zoo, James Castle House, Johnny Sack's Cabin, Julia Davis Park, Kuna Caves, Lake Pend Oreille, Lava Hiking Trail, Massacre Rocks State Park, Minnetonka Cave, Myrtle Falls Trail, National Fiddlers' Hall of Fame, Nez Perce National Historic Park Heart of The Monster, Old Idaho Penitentiary Site, Old Mission State Park, Ponderosa State Park, Priest Lake, Prince Albert Hot Springs, Redfish Lake, Rexburg Rapids, Roaring Springs Water Park, Salmon River, Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Shoshone Falls Park, Shoshone Ice Cave, Sierra Silver Mine, Silent City of Rocks, Silverwood Theme Park, Spirit Lake Historic District, Spokane Valley Land & Water Company Canal, Swan Falls Dam, Syringa Winery, Table Rock, The Butterfly Haven, Whittenberger Planetarium, Williamson Orchards & Vineyards and Wilson Springs Ponds.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit:Boise, Caldwell, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho City, Idaho Falls, Lewiston, Meridian, Nampa, Pocatello, Post Falls, Sun Valley and Twin Falls. 
• Special Events: (February)The Sandpoint Winter Carnival,  U.S. Pacific Coast Championship Sled Dog Races,  (March) K&K Fishing Derby, (May) Lost in the 50's Car Show and Street Party, (June) Borders 3 Jamboree Car Show, Car d’Lane Classic Car Show, National Old Time Fiddlers Contest, Riverfest Music Festival, (July) Antique & Classic Boat Festival, ATV Jamboree, Harrison’s Old Timer’s Picnic,  Jullyamsh Pow Wow, McCall Summerfest, Post Falls Days, Rathdrum Days, Smart on the River, The Wooden & Antique Boat Festival, (August) Art on the Green, Bonner County Fair & Rodeo, Festival at Sandpoint, Huckleberry Festival, Ironman Coeur d’Alene,The Long Bridge Swim, Western Idaho Fair, (September) Art in the Park, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Idaho State Draft Horse & Mule International Show and Northwest Best Alpaca Show.

Soda Springs, ID. Photo Credit: Klaus Stebani/Pixabay 

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All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.