Farragut State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Farragut State Park |
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Lake Pend Oreille from Farragut State Park
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| Location | Kootenai County, Idaho, United States |
| Nearest city | Athol, Idaho |
| Area | 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) |
| Elevation | 2,054 ft (626 m) |
| Established | 1966 |
| Administered by | Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation |
Farragut State Park is a super cool place for outdoor fun in Idaho. It's located in the northern part of the state, right at the southern tip of Lake Pend Oreille. This huge park covers about 4,000 acres (that's like 3,000 football fields!).
You can find Farragut State Park about 5 miles east of a town called Athol. It's also about 30 miles northeast of Coeur d'Alene. People love coming here for all sorts of activities. You can go camping, have picnics, hike, or ride your mountain bike. There's also fishing, boating, swimming, and even disc golf!
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Farragut State Park has a really interesting past. It wasn't always a park for playing and relaxing.
Before it was a park, this area was a huge training base for the U.S. Navy. It was called the Farragut Naval Training Station. During World War II, many sailors came here to train. Over 293,000 sailors learned important skills at Farragut. The base was open for about 30 months during the war. The last group of recruits finished their training in March 1945. The Navy officially closed the base in June 1946.
A Short-Lived College
After the Navy base closed, the site became a college. From 1946 to 1949, it was home to the Farragut College and Technical Institute. This college had lots of sports facilities. However, it closed down before the fall school year in 1949. This happened because fewer students enrolled, and the college had money problems.
Becoming a State Park
In 1950, the federal government gave about 3,854 acres of the old Navy base to Idaho. This land became the Farragut Wildlife Management Area. Later, in 1964, some of this land was given back to the federal government. Then, it was given to the state's parks department. Finally, in 1966, the state of Idaho officially made it Farragut State Park.
A Special Place for Scouting Events
Farragut State Park is very important in the history of Scouting in Idaho. It has hosted many big Scouting events!
- In 1965, the Girl Scout Senior Roundup took place here.
- The World Scout Jamboree was held at Farragut in 1967. This was the only time this worldwide event happened in the United States until 2019!
- The National Scout Jamboree for Boy Scouts happened here twice. It was held in 1969 and again in 1973.
- In 2002, the Star Northwest event for the Boy Scouts of America was also at the park.
Some very famous people have visited the Scouts at Farragut. On July 18, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong sent a special message. He was traveling to the moon on Apollo 11 and greeted the Scouts at the national jamboree in Idaho. Neil Armstrong was an Eagle Scout himself!
Other important guests included Frank Borman, who commanded Apollo 8. Lady Baden-Powell, whose husband founded Scouting, also spoke to the Scouts. In 1973, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt and astronaut Gene Cernan (from Apollo 17) addressed the Scouts.
Wildlife in the Park
Farragut State Park is home to many different animals. When you visit, you might spot some of these creatures:
- Fish like bass and trout swim in the waters.
- You could see white-tailed deer walking through the trees.
- Larger animals like moose and elk also live here.
- Sometimes, even mountain goats, cougars, and black bears are seen in the park.
Fun Activities and Things to See
The park offers lots of ways to have fun and explore.
- You can enjoy classic outdoor activities like picnicking, boating, swimming, hiking, and camping.
- Try out disc golf on one of the courses.
- There's a special field for flying model airplanes.
- Don't miss the Museum at the Brig. This museum is located in the old confinement facility (like a jail) from the naval training station. It has cool displays about boot camp, naval history, and war items. You can even see historic prison cells!
See also
- List of Idaho state parks
- National Parks in Idaho
