God's Beauty in Idaho
Derek and I love finding hidden gems in nature. The joy of seeing something that few others have seen. The more popular sites are wonderful but finding a place where we can enjoy the creations of God with few others around is solace to our souls. We found such a location in October 2019 called Thousand Springs State Park.
Derek and I were missing the fall. This was our second fall in Utah after leaving North Carolina and we wanted to see the trees turning. Utah had been without rain for months leaving everything brown and with little color. Life was also heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic at the time, so we hadn’t been able to travel much and wanted a little weekend getaway. We started looking around to states that were “open” to visitors. Idaho seemed like a logical choice.
Lodging
We searched for an Airbnb outside of Hagerman, Idaho, and found this jewel. Scenic & Peaceful Billingsley Creek Guest House. It was a one bedroom guest house with a huge bath and perfect for our needs. My favorite part was the backyard. The house sat right by a river, and the river flowed in such a way to settle next to the house creating an ever-moving pond. I had to get up early the next morning and take pictures. It was so lovely. If I ever had to move to Idaho, I would want to buy a house right here.
Thousand Springs State Park
Derek and I had found a place called Thousand Springs State Park along the Snake River. It is called Thousand Springs because there are thousands of springs pouring out of the cliffs next to the Snake River. It looked like paradise. I read all I could about it and my favorite place to find information was the blog rv-dreams.com. Howard and his wife visited and gave great information on what to do and where to go. You can click here to go to his Thousand Springs page.
Thousand Springs State Park is centered around Ritter Island, an island in the Snake River that is continually fed by waterfalls leaking out of the cliffs. It creates crystal clear water and the ability to paddle completely around the island because the waterfalls push the water to flow in the opposite direction as the Snake River. We had decided to rent a canoe from UVU Outdoor Adventure Center. They let us keep it from Thursday to Monday and only charged us for a 2 day rental. We choose a canoe over a kayak so that we would be higher off the water and hopefully take better photos.
We had planned on following Howard's advice and launching into the river right by the bridge that leads to Ritter Island. As we approached the State Park there were signs all around telling us that the bridge was closed. I had known this but I didn’t want to go onto the island, I just wanted to go around the island. Upon approaching the island, we pulled over and were stunned by the view and the sound of waterfalls all around us.
By now I was even more determined to float this beautiful river. My husband suggested we continue to drive down the road and see if we could find someone to talk to about floating the river; however, there was not a soul in sight. We pulled off the main road onto a dirt road and decided to go ahead and begin our adventure.
The River
As we let the canoe into the water, one of our paddles slid out of the boat and started floating away with the fast current. All we could do was quickly and carefully get into our canoe and take off. Luckily the water was strong enough to easily carry us with only Derek having one paddle. After prayer and lots of faith, we were able to find the missing paddle stuck in some weeds. We were so grateful.
With that crisis now averted, we were able to turn our attention to the beauty around us.
It was breathtaking. The view made me echo the Psalm:
"To Behold the Beauty of the Lord"
Psalm 27:4
Click the picture above to print a copy for you
When there is such beauty I cannot deny the hands of the Lord. Throughout this whole experience I could feel God’s peace, the rejuvenating energy from being in His nature.
As we floated, there was only the noise of the running river, the waterfalls and the birds around. We could look down into the water and easily see the bottom. I had never seen water this clear. It was so cool and clean that I probably would have jumped in if it were summertime and the water was a little warmer. The amazing thing about canoeing around the island is that because of the waterfalls pushing the water you can actually float around half of the island going opposite the current of the Snake River. So if you launch heading South, or to the left of the bridge, you will go with the current then join the Snake River current that heads back North. This lends to spending most of your time floating and enjoying the scenery rather than paddling. The only paddling we had to do against the current was when we looped the North end of the island and were on our way back to the bridge.
As we floated around the Southern end of the island, we intersected with the Snake River. Here the water was a little murkier but we could see fish and lots of water plants. The river was relatively calm and flat, creating perfect reflections with vibrant fall colors. We didn’t have to paddle as we floated with the current; we just sat in silence enjoying God’s beauty and marvelous creations. This beautiful place filled me with joyful peace and appreciation.
Minnie Miller settled on Ritter Island in 1918. I couldn’t help but picture her looking out and seeing this beauty every day.
Waterfalls
Everywhere I looked there were waterfalls. Derek was very obliging and took me past the island to two large waterfalls further downstream on the river. The first one was so picturesque and I couldn’t stop taking pictures of it.
The waterfall got further and further away. Turning around I was transported to a jungle cliff, complete with a decaying building and vines draping the rocks.
Unfortunately, several of nature's original waterfalls no longer exist. Idaho uses the natural resources of the springs for electricity production. I totally get that by harnessing the power of the springs they are able to provide power and water to their citizens, but it was sad to see it obstructing so much of the view. It made me want to step back in time to see how Thousand Springs looked when Millie lived here. You could see where springs used to flow out of the cliffs but no longer do. But I get it, we must have power and water. I just wish there had been a better way so that the beauty of this place could look untouched.
Heading Upstream
We then turned the boat and headed upriver towards the island. We pulled into what we thought was the east entrance of the island. Now I truly felt that I was in the Amazon Jungle. I had the thought that I was probably getting full on my SD card and should switch it out but was too busy looking around and snapping pictures to pay any attention. Then up ahead, we saw birds, birds, and more birds like on a National Geographic.
They heard us and started to take off flying all around us. Wings and calls surrounded us. It was truly mesmerizing. I began to snap pictures when I got the “card full” notice. So I put the camera down and enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime experience. Birds swooped over and around us. Their calls were deafening and delightful all at the same time. After the majority of the birds had gone I took the chance to change my SD card and took more pictures as the birds continued to fly above us. They seemed to follow us the rest of the afternoon, checking to see if we were going to disrupt them again.
Realizing, a few minutes later that the island was not down this canal, we paddled back to the river. The island was a few more feet South of where we were. We paddled up and found a picnic table on the North end of the island and pulled over for lunch. By this time we noticed that the sky was getting hazier and hazier. Forest fires must have been going on somewhere and the wind carried the smoke here. We had the same problem in Utah during this time. Most of the smoke came from the terrible wildfires in California.
After lunch, it was time to paddle upstream. Before Derek was able to paddle on his own but now he needed my help. It was still wonderful. The water had become clear again and the largest collection of falls were in front of us. We got to wind through rocks and hanging branches, around a small island. It was very shallow in some places but still floatable. Continuing past the large falls we found ourselves looking straight at Millie’s barn.
After that we came up to the bridge, passed over onto the down current, and headed towards the truck. Unfortunately, because we didn’t launch at the bridge it was harder to get out of the water. Derek jumped out of the canoe but caused it to flip. Luckily it was slow and I was able to get waist-deep in the water while still keeping the camera gear and leftover lunch above the water. All we could do was laugh at ourselves. We were a wet happy mess.
End of the Day
Being already wet, we headed to Miracle Hot Springs and took a dip in the warm water. It was truly a delight. There are 3 pools with mild, warm, and hot temperatures. The water felt so good. My back and neck had been bothering me for weeks, but finally I was able to move without pain. I wanted to take this place and put it in my backyard. We were so busy enjoying ourselves that we didn’t take any pictures. But it was very clean and very comfortable.
Heading into Hagerman to find some dinner we saw the stadium lights at the High School Football Stadium. Most of the town was there. There wasn't many restaurants in town open that night, but we did find Snake River Grill. We loved it! The service was amazing and they were so kind. The fresh baked Idaho potato was our favorite dish. I never would have thought that a potato could taste so good. It was obvious why Idaho Potatoes are so famous.
It had been a delightful day. We would recommend anyone who wants to see some stunning beauty and sweet serenity to visit this beautiful hidden gem and enjoy the sweet town of Hagerman. I truly feel that Thousand Springs is a true example of God’s beauty.
