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Idaho
More About Idaho State
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Pages: Boise | | |
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where lava once poured forth and congealed in fantastic formations; and the roadless, nearly uninhabited, 2.3-million-acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness, where grizzly bear, moose, and bighorn sheep still run wild.
Stretching southward from Canada for nearly 500 miles and varying dramatically in terrain, altitude, and climate, Idaho has the deepest canyon in North America (Hell's Canyon, 7,913 feet), the largest stand of white pine in the world (in Idaho Panhandle National Forests), the finest big game area in the country (Chamberlain Basin and Selway), the largest wilderness area in the United States (the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness), and the largest contiguous irrigated area in the United States (created by American Falls and several lesser dams). Idaho's largest county, named after the state itself, would hold the entire state of Massachusetts; its second-largest county, Owyhee, would hold New Jersey.
In addition to superlative scenery, fishing, and hunting, visitors find such diversions as buried bandit treasure, lost gold mines, hair-raising boat trips down the turbulent Salmon River (the "River of No Return"), and ghost mining towns. For those who prefer less strenuous activities, Sun Valley and Coeur d'Alene have luxurious accommodations.
Millions of years ago herds of mammoth, mastodon, camels, and a species of enormous musk ox roamed the Idaho area. When Lewis and Clark entered the region in 1805, they found fur-bearing animals in such great numbers that they got in each other's way. The promise of riches in furs brought trappers, who fought the animals, the Native Americans, the country, and each other with equal gusto. They were aided and abetted by the great fur companies, including the legendary Hudson's Bay Company. The first gold strike in the Clearwater country in 1860, followed by rich strikes in the Salmon River and Florence areas, the Boise Basin, and Coeur d'Alene (still an important mining area in the state) brought hordes of miners who were perfectly willing to continue the no-holds-barred way of life initiated by fur trappers. Soon afterward the shots of warring sheepmen and cattlemen mingled with those of miners.
Mining, once Idaho's most productive and colorful industry, has yielded its economic reign, but the state still produces large amounts of silver, zinc, pumice, antimony, and lead. It holds great reserves (268,000 acres) of phosphate rock. Copper, thorium, limestone, asbestos, graphite, talc, tungsten, cobalt, nickel, cinnabar, bentonite, and a wealth of other important minerals are found here. Gems, some of the finest quality, include agate, jasper, garnets, opals, onyx, sapphires, and rubies.
Today, Idaho's single largest industry is farming. On more than 3.5 million irrigated acres, the state produces an abundance of potatoes, beets, hay, vegetables, fruit, and livestock. The upper reaches of the Snake River Valley, once a wasteland of sagebrush and greasewood, are now among the West's most fertile farmlands. Manufacturing and processing of farm products, timber, and minerals is an important part of the state's economic base. Tourism is also important to the economy.
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Idaho
Statistics & Vital Data |  |
| Population: | 1293593 |
| Area: | 83,557 square miles |
| Timezone: | Mountain and Pacific |
| Elevation: | 710-12,662 feet |
| High
point: | Borah Peak (Custer County) |
| Joined
Union: | July 3, 1890 (43rd state) |
| State
Capital: | Boise |
| State
Motto: | "Let it be perpetual" |
| State
Flower: | Syringa |
| State
Bird: | Mountain Bluebird |
| State
Tree: | White Pine |
| State
Fair: | Eastern, August in Blackfoot; Western, August Western, August |
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Idaho Attractions >> |
Idaho Parks, Recreation Areas, & Historical Landmarks:
State Parks - Water-related activities, hiking, riding, various other sports, picnicking, visitor centers, and camping are available in most of Idaho's state parks. Camping: $16/site per night with all hookups; $12/site per night with water; $10/site per night for primitive site. Extra vehicle $7/night. 15-day maximum stay at most parks. Reservations available only at Bear Lake, Farragut, Hell's Gate, Ponderosa and Priest Lake parks ($8 fee). Motorized vehicle entrance fee (included in camping fee), $3/day or $35 annual pass; no entrance fee for persons walking, riding a bicycle, or horseback riding. All camping parks in the Idaho system feature at least one site designed for use by the disabled. Most visitor centers and restrooms also accommodate the disabled. For further information, contact the Idaho Dept of Parks & Recreation, PO Box 83720, Boise 83720-0065; 208/334-4199 or 800/VISIT-ID.
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list of all parks in Idaho >> | |
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Idaho
Weather and Climate:
Summer and fall are usually pleasant times to visit Idaho, although it can snow at almost any time of year here. The state's varied topography makes for a wide range of weather conditions. Winter temperatures are cold but not so cold as to make outdoor activities uncomfortable. | |
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Fishing/Hunting
Opportunities in Idaho:
Nowhere in Idaho is the outdoor enthusiast more than an hour's drive from a clearwater fly-fishing stream. From 2,000 lakes, 90 reservoirs, and 16,000 miles of rivers and streams, anglers take several million fish each year. Kokanee, trout (steelhead, rainbow, Kamloops, cutthroat, brown, brook, Dolly Varden, and Mackinaw), bass, perch, channel catfish, and sunfish are the most common varieties, with trout the most widespread and certainly among the scrappiest. Big game includes whitetail and mule deer, elk, antelope, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and black bear. There are 12 kinds of upland game birds, plus ducks, Canada geese, and doves in season. Nonresident fishing license: season $53; 1-day $10; each additional day $4/day; 3-day salmon/steelhead $31.50. Nonresident hunting license: game $110; turkey tag $40; deer tag $240; elk tag $340; other tag fees required for some game. There are nonresident quotas for deer and elk; apply mid-Dec. State permit validation is required for hunting waterfowl and some upland bird species, $6.50; archery and muzzleloader permits, $16.50. Prices may vary; for full information contact the Idaho Dept of Fish and Game, 600 S Walnut St, Box 25, Boise 83707; 208/334-3700 or 800/635-7820. | |
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| | Additional Idaho Visitor Information:
Idaho Travel Council, PO Box 83720, 700 W State St, Boise 83720-0093, publishes a number of attractive and helpful pamphlets, among them an Idaho Travel Guide. Phone 208/334-2470 or 800/71-IDAHO.
Visitor centers in Idaho are located in or near the Oregon/Idaho, Washington/Idaho, and Utah/Idaho borders, as well as throughout the state. Visitors who stop by will find information and brochures helpful in planning stops at points of interest. |
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