Everything But The Weed

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Linda Maze, a Wedding photography Gainesville FL in Gainesville Florida

Macks Inn Island Park Idaho  makes a wonderful   destination for anyone   visiting   the Yellowstone area or eastern Idaho. An hour and a half from Idaho Falls on Hwy 20, the Macks Inn area includes  Macks Inn Resort , a private cabin group called The North Fork Club , a  gas station  , Edit this text  ï»¿ churches, a post office, a fire department, and various Island Park lodging on both sides  of  Hwy 20. 

 Only   22 miles from Yellowstone National Park , Macks Inn is part of the Henry’s Fork caldera, one of the largest in the world, and part of the greater Yellowstone caldera system.   The  proximity to Yellowstone’s west entrance makes this area  a  practical   lodging choice   for Yellowstone  travelers , although Macks Inn has  also become its own destination spot.   

Numerous  recreational opportunities  abound   here   at Macks Inn, from snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing in the winter,  to  summer and autumn fishing and ATV riding.  . Grizzlies, wolves, and moose frequent the area , and it’s not unusual at all  to spot moose grazing in the shallow waters of Henry’s Fork at Macks Inn.

Henry’s Fork of the Snake River  meanders   right through the Macks Inn area,  with headwaters just 5 miles east of the highway at Big Springs.  Here   this river begins  , as the water bubbles up from natural springs in the ground  and the mountainside.  Johnny Sack Cabin, a historical spot  offering   tours, is located  here.    An interpretive walk along  the river  begins   at the bridge at Big Springs, and  there is also a campground here. 

 This pristine river   provides plenty  of summer  fun.  Macks Inn Resort offers float trips from just below Big Springs to the resort itself,  which sits on the river at Hwy 20.   You can also   bring your own tubes and canoes. The river is slow, shallow and calm  — perfect  for a lazy summer afternoon float.   The river provides great trout fishing.  From the boat launch near Big Springs all the way to and including  Island Park Reservoir you are  allowed   to keep your catch. 

Macks Inn Resort has  a  a great pizza shop  , an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, and various  gift shops.   There is live dinner theatre just down South Big Springs Loop Rd a block or so,   which  is open   all summer  with the option to see just the shows  or come  beforehand   and be served  a  delicious   western dinner. The productions are all family-oriented, and children are welcome.

Macks Inn Resort offers  a few   riverfront   hotel units, and cabins also.    If you prefer Island Park lodging that offers seclusion away from the  business of   the resort, there are many privately owned vacation rentals in Macks Inn and the surrounding area.    There are also  three   campgrounds right near Hwy 20 in the Macks Inn area…one on South Big Springs Loop Rd right off the highway, one on the west side of the highway along the river, and another just south of Macks Inn Resort at the Coffe Pot Rapids trailhead, also along the river.

Lodging choices are plentiful, adventures are numerous, and the scenery is spectacular.  With so much to do and see, the Macks Inn area is a perfect, family-friendly vacation spot any season.