Island Park History
The Island Park area sits on one of the largest calderas in the world, the Henry’s Fork Caldera, and is about 23 miles in diameter. The level floor created by this caldera creates large expanses of dense woods broken up by meadows, grasslands, marshes, rivers and lakes. The city of Island Park was incorporated in 1947 for a very interesting reason. At the time, a requirement in the state law of Idaho was that businesses could only sell and serve alcohol in incorporated towns. The city of Island Park was created and the city’s main street, Highway 20, became the “longest main street in America”. Island Park gets it’s name from the many natural clearings with water, where a traveler could stop at one of these clearings, an “Island”, and “Park” to rest.
The Island Park Lodge is the ideal travel location for tourists looking to experience outdoor activities and the beautiful state and national parks nearby. Just a sampling of activities include fishing, wildlife, horseback riding, mountain biking, snowmobiling and ATV’s, and rock hounding. Destinations surrounding Island Park include Yellowstone National Park, Targhee National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Harriman State Park, Henry’s Lake State Park, Mesa Falls, Quake Lake, Island Park Reservoir, and the Continental Divide. For a traveler looking to stay away from the heavy crowds in nearby West Yellowstone, Island Park Lodge is an exceptional option.