Idaho:
Published: Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Idaho is definitely one big American state, so big that it is believed that if one gets to flatten all its mountains, Idaho would have the same size as that of Texas. Bolstering this belief is the fact that the state falls under two different time zones, one running from Canada up to Nevada, and the other one, covering the Rocky Mountains side of the great continental division.Fondly called the "Gem State" owing to its production of about 72 rare kinds of precious stones, Idaho is dominated by imposing mountains and green hills complemented by elegant rivers and charming lakes, making it the perfect haven for many prospective campers, including RVers. With tourism as its third most important industry, it does not really come as a surprise that the natural wonders of the "Gem State" gets in the limelight when it comes to showcasing the best of Idaho.
Idaho and Its Regions
The 13th biggest American state is divided into seven diverse areas. These include the Northern Region, the North Central Region, the Southwest Region, the Central Region, the South Central Region, the Eastern Region, and the Southeast Region.
The Northern Region
Northern Idaho features an amazing line-up of natural attractions that includes thick forests, serene lakes, and exotic wildlife. Ably lending added color to these is the many theme parks found in the region, with two of them located in Coeur d'Alene city. These are the Silverwood Theme Park and the Triple Play Family Fun Park.
Other significant cities found within the region are Cataldo, Wallace, Sandpoint, and Kellogg. Each of these cities has its own share of natural and man-made wonders that RV-boarded visitors will find interesting. For example, Wallace city boasts of two attractions, namely, the Wallace District Mining Museum and the Route of the Hiawatha, the last being the showcase of the "Rail-to-trail" program of the US government where miles and miles of original railroad tracks have been transformed into awesome hiking paths for the enjoyment of outdoor enthusiasts.
For RV camping sites, there is the Alpine Country Store and RV Park located north of Coeur d'Alene city where tourists can reach Silverwood Theme Park via a seven-mile drive. The park, regarded as the biggest in the region, offers several attractions, including over 50 recreational rides. Magical ice shows along with fun games and fine restaurants can be enjoyed here, topped by the newly opened Boulder Beach Water Park where an enormous wave pool awaits prospective swimmers.
The North Central Region
The region boasts of charming rivers and deep gorges where outdoor activities like white-water rafting and hiking can be thoroughly enjoyed respectively. There are also state parks and history museums for RV travelers who want a more laid-back tour.
Lewiston, Spalding, and Weippe are three prominent cities in the region that RV travelers have to remember when visiting Northern Central Idaho. These areas host three significant landmarks where various outdoor activities can be explored. Lewiston, in particular, plays host to Hells Gate State Park where tourists have easy access to several other Idaho attractions including the Nez Perce National Historic Park and Hells Canyon, acknowledged as the deepest North American river gorge.
RV riders cruising through the region can check out Angel's Nook RV Park nestled in White Bird approximately a mile away from majestic Salmon River where picnic areas can be availed of. Near the river is the Skooumchuck Recreation Site where one can pull over the RV for a brief rest especially during hot days.
The Southwest Region
The main attraction of this particular Idaho region has to be Boise, the state capital, with its offerings of a diverse range of cultural experiences as seen in the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, the Basque Block, and the Boise Art Museum. For outdoor fun, the city offers the Bogus Basin Mountain Resort, a skiing area covering 2,600 acres where night skiing is a unique and delightful activity.
For a place to stay, RV travelers can head off to the Ambassador RV Resort in Caldwell from where they can start a tour of Boise city, which is only about 25 miles away. The RV park itself is near several interesting places that might prove appealing to many tourists, and these include the nine-hole Fairview Golf Course and the 18-hole Purple Sage Golf Course. Other nearby places that are worth exploring include wineries and museums led by the Koenig Distillery and Winery where a picnic site has been set aside for prospective wine tasters, and the Our Memories Museum, which houses artifacts showcasing early Caldwell history.
The Central Region
For a taste of Idaho history coupled by a wide range of outdoor recreations, RV-boarded tourists should definitely explore the Central Region. Among the things to look out for in these parts are the Sun Valley Resort, the Ketchum/Sun Valley Heritage and Ski Museum, and the Ernest Hemingway Memorial, all based in Sun Valley; the Land of the Yankee Fort State Park in Challis; and the Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural, and Educational Center in Salmon.
For RV travelers who find golf a fun outdoor activity, Challis Golf Course RV Park is the perfect place to be since it is situated adjacent to the famed Challis Golf Course. Somewhere nearby, along the Salmon River banks lies Challis Hot Springs where the pools carry hot water set at 90-127 degrees. The place also features a campground for visitors who intend on staying for a longer period.
The South Central Region
The South Central Region is replete with natural wonders scattered across its many villages and communities like Castleford, Twin Falls, Hagerman, Oakley, Bliss, Albion, Almo, and Shoshone. Twin Falls, however, is distinctive as it carries two natural attractions and one man-made wonder that should be worth seeing. These are the Shoshone Falls, the Snake River Canyon, and the Herrett Center for Arts and Science, with the latter being housed inside the College of Southern Idaho where ancient items like Peruvian potteries and Mayan jades can be observed during guided tours. The center also plays host to the Faulkner Planetarium, an ultra-modern theater having a 144 seating capacity where special events like Mingle in the Jungle and Star Parties are regularly held. For RVers who happen to be lovers of the arts, this should prove to be an awesome indoor adventure.
As for RV parks found in the region, Banbury Hot Springs RV Park should be ideal as it is near Banbury Hot Springs where an outdoor pool is available for use apart from campground areas and picnic sites. Boat ramps are likewise available for those who prefer to take on the waters.
The Eastern Region
The region is regarded by many as the Idaho paradise for fishermen owing to the numerous lakes and rivers existing here where varied species of fish are quite abundant. Yet, Eastern Idaho has other outdoor attractions that should be quite enticing to most RV riders. A good example of this is its rare collection of wildlife as reflected in the wild animals found in the Rexburg-based Yellowstone Bear World that include gray wolves, grizzly bears, and black bears. The wildlife preserve is a drive-through shelter and the only one of its kind built on the very highway where another Eastern Idaho attraction stands, the Yellowstone National Park. RVers who plan to visit the area for a possible tour, however, should ideally do so under close guidance from the center staff.
Another regional attraction that should suit RVers quite well is the St. Anthony Sand Dunes that features a wilderness observation center founded on 1,000 acres of sandy quartz. The chief attraction of the area are the sand dunes that grow up to approximately 400 feet in height and move around eight feet annually.
RV-boarded tourists can view the unique attraction along developed camping sites set at the southern central area of the St. Anthony Sand Dunes within the Egin Lakes Access Recreation Site premises. Additionally, there are primitive campgrounds available at the eastern corner, along the vicinity of Red Road.
The Southeast Region
Highlighting the region is the Lava Hot Springs Pools, a resort complex set in Lava Hot Springs town whose naturally hot waters have remained at 110 degrees for around 50 million years now. RVers can try relaxing in these waters on their visit to the region, or opt for other outdoor activities commonly engaged in at Lava Hot Springs like horseback riding, biking, camping, fishing, and biking.
For a more extensive view of other attractions in Southeastern Idaho with a comfortable RV campground to settle at, the best place for most RVers is the Bear Lake North RV Park and Campground located in St. Charles. Among its many benefits is a five-minute drive time to the Bear Lake complex that houses a national wildlife center for waterfowls and where one can observe Canadian geese, Sandhill cranes, white-faced ibises, and various species of songbirds. Another area of Bear Lake is devoted to snowmobile trails covering about 350 miles in groomed tracks and an extra few miles of ungroomed areas principally intended for those who adore the snow.
The Cities of the Gem State
Apart from the more prominent cities that offer traditional attractions, there are also several other Idaho cities that showcase rare but natural wonders, contributing significantly to the diversity of the "Gem State" as a vital link in the American landscape. These are cities that RV riders should likewise consider exploring.
Wallace
Formerly a mining town, Wallace is also known for having an elite selection of ancient buildings depicting various architectural styles. What should interest most RVers to the area, however, is its many outdoor offerings highlighted by the Route of the Hiawatha Trail, a 15-mile railroad track made into a magnificent mountain biking path composed of ten tunnels with St. Paul Pass being the highlight as it stretches for about 1.7 miles. The bike trail begins at Lookout Pass Ski Area where rentals of mountain bikes, helmets, and gears can be made.
Wallace was the venue of the 1996 film Dante's Peak headlined by actor Pierce Brosnan. The film called for the transformation of the whole city into a disaster area following the supposed eruption of an erstwhile inactive volcano.
Sun Valley
The city is often linked to winter sports like skiing, and in a way, this is accurate since Sun Valley holds many skiing terrains that have been made official venues of many world-class events like the Boulder Mountain Tour which was staged at the Hariman Trail.
Yet, the city offers more than just skiing terrains. There are many other places in Sun Valley that outdoor lovers like RVers will find highly engaging. For example, they can go white-water rafting along Big Wood River or take a backpack and scale the heights of the mountains that make up the Sawtooth Mountain Range.
During summer, the wilderness areas of Sun Valley are perfect spots for any number of summer activities. These include hiking up towards Bald Mountain amidst rows of wildflowers, catching a flyfish on the waters of Silver Creek, and challenging the raging waters of the Salmon River. For a more enjoyable tour, ride a horse and go horseback riding although llamas are also popular companions in these parts especially with hikes done during daytime.
A more exciting alternative is mountain biking with the trails described by many as buttery, which often connotes smoothness, a description that has made Sun Valley land among the top single-bike tracks in America.
The Best Idaho Visiting Time
Visiting the "Gem State" can actually be done at any given time because Idaho experiences fairly moderate weather and nothing really extreme usually takes place. A more specific visiting plan will depend largely on the interests that a traveler has. For example, winter sports are quite common from December to March since these are the periods when Idaho experiences the best winter condition. Meanwhile, mountain sports are best pursued during the summer months which is anywhere from July to September. RV travelers will most likely settle for this period since summer is also a time for camping.
Highly recommended, however, are visits planned in spring and in autumn because these are the shoulder seasons for Idaho. Simply put, these are the times when the state has few vacationers but experiences relatively mild temperatures.
Mountain View Mobile Home and RV Park
Situated in Grangeville, Mountain View Mobile Home and RV Park operates all year through and offers numerous pull-through areas under fully hooked-up settings. The sites are properly shaded trees and founded on large grassy areas with modern amenities like email access, modems, restrooms with showers, and laundromat available nearby.
The very location of Mountain View Mobile Home and RV park is an attraction by itself having been built at the foot of the mighty Bitterroot Mountain overlooking Camas Prairie. It hosts a superb golf course that is publicly accessible and is within walking distance from several restaurants, theaters, and shopping centers. More importantly, the RV park affords easy access to various forest areas and popular Idaho attractions like Hells Canyon from where tourists can embark on any number of outdoor activities, including camping, biking, swimming, fishing, kayaking, white-water rafting, and so many others.
Monroe Creek Campground and RV Park
Operating since 1997, Monroe Creek Campground and RV Park offers 50 fully hooked-up sites that are powered by 50 amp electricity service covering the areas of water, sewer, and even cable. The sites come in shaded and grassy types and designed with brick patios. Basic amenities include hot tubs, bathrooms, and picnic tables set under a fully sheltered picnic area.
Found on the northern side of Weiser town, the campground is the principal gateway to the world-renowned Hells Canyon from where extreme water sports adventures like white-water rafting are quite popular and from where overnight travels to nearby Lewiston town are regularly undertaken. Within the park premises, however, are several outdoor sports that visitors will find pleasurable as well. These include hunting, fishing, boating, and a round of golf at the resident golf course located nearby.
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