Road Trip: New adventures await

Island Park, Idaho offers an easy summer getaway from Big Sky with unique outings for day trips and overnights

By Leslie Kilgore EBS CONTRIBUTOR

For those who have traveled from Big Sky to Jackson Hole at any time of year, Island Park is often a spot for snacks, gas or a bathroom break without any true exploration of the area past the gas station. However, it’s worth the visit for the many year-round recreational activities.

Just over an hour’s drive from Big Sky, my daughter and I have visited the Island Park area on multiple occasions in the summer, with out-of-town guests for both day and weekend trips.

For activities, we’ve tried everything from fly fishing on the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, to riding ATVs and Razors throughout the area’s extensive trail system, to renting a ski-boat for wakeboarding, water skiing and tubing, jumping on water trampolines at a local lakefront bar and restaurant, and hiking to the beautiful Mesa Falls. Every time we visit, Island Park delivers.

On overnights, we’ve stayed at the Lakeside Lodge & Resort in both their hotel rooms and rustic cabins. The bar and restaurant is lively on the weekends, they have a great outdoor deck for dining and watching the sunset on the Island Park Reservoir, and everything you’d want for a hot summer lake day is right on the property. The resort rents ski, pontoon and fishing boats, kayaks and paddle boards, wakeboards, skis, pull tubes, and jet skis from the dock right on the property. The resort also offers several trampolines and fun water activities for kids, in view from the restaurant’s deck so parents can watch at cocktail hour.

Another fun spot for families is Mack’s Inn, which includes a laid back pizza restaurant, local homemade ice cream, fishing and swimming during the day and a relaxing, more refined place to stay for the night. Built in 1949, the Mack’s Inn log motel has been an iconic focal point in Island Park for decades. In 2020, a new 111-room Marriott hotel was built near the rustic inn to accommodate more visitors. Nestled along the river, it’s a great spot to wade, fish or float on a hot afternoon.

If staying right on the water near the main thoroughfare is not for you, we also tried Wander Camp last summer. Never having glamped before, we thought it would be a fun overnight for out-of-town guests visiting us in Big Sky. And it was worth the stay. The beds were comfy, the décor was creative and eclectic, and the night skies and mountain views were gorgeous. We even woke up to the sound of nearby grazing cattle at an adjacent ranch that enhanced the experience for our East Coast visitors.

During that trip, we tried the Meadow Vue Ranch rodeo and chuckwagon dinner, offered all summer on Wednesday and Saturday nights. The rodeo, along with live music, dancing and an outdoor buffet dinner, was fun for both our family and our out-of-town guests. In other words, not too touristy, but just enough! With beautiful views of Henry’s Lake, and the rodeo and line dancing performed by young cowgirls and cowboys attending the ranch’s rodeo camp, the night was certainly entertaining, endearing and Western.

As most Big Sky locals know, summer here is short and sweet. With so much to do within the community, it’s often hard to leave town once the idyllic weather sticks around for weeks at a time. But if a quick getaway or a memorable day trip is needed, Island Park is a relaxed and easygoing choice.