Explore a destination located in Idaho, United States
Idaho State is in the upper northwestern part of the United States and is quite varied in both its geography and climate—which sees all four seasons. It has many forested and mountainous regions among its abundance of state and national parks and wilderness reserves.[12] Some of the more prominent among these protected nature areas are the Boise National Forest, Bear Lake State Park, parts of Yellowstone National Park, the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Idaho is known for its extensive white water river rafting and lakes that permeate its nature parks and reserves.[8] Other well-known attractions the state has include The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, the only International Dark Sky Reserve in the U.S.[11], and Lava Hot Springs, foremost of the state's 130+ natural hot springs.[9] Idaho is called "The Gem State" due to its production of precious stones and rare gems, though it is known by most as "The Potato State" as it produces most of the nation's potato crop.[6] Idaho was inaugurated into the United States of America in the mid-1800s and became the 43rd state in 1890. It was historically inhabited by Native Indian tribes and is the home of Sacagewea, a Shoshone Indian. Today there are many names of cities, counties, and festivals that recognize this historical heritage, as well as several Native American Reservations [1]
Idaho state is located in the upper western area of the United States. Known by many as "The Potato State" because of the abundance of potato crops produced there each year, Idaho's true nickname is "The Gem State." This nickname is derived because of the 72 types of gems and precious stones Idaho produces, some of which can only be found in the state.[6] Idaho has a population size of 1,839,106 people who live throughout a mixture of metropolitan cities and small-town farming communities. [7]
Idaho has more miles of rivers than any other state in the lower 48 and more than 3,100 miles of "navigable whitewater" rivers—a length that would be able to hypothetically span from the East Coast to the West Coast of the U.S. Because of this, whitewater rafting is something the region is well known for, drawing thousands of people each year. Known as one of the best whitewater rafting excursions in the world, many visitors go on multi-day river trips along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Snake River rapids run through Hell's Canyon, the deepest river gorge in America with a depth of over 7,000 feet. The Main Payette River is more family-friendly. All of these excursions and more offer views of carved canyons, trees, waterfalls, wildlife, and wildflowers. [8]
State parks are abundant in Idaho as well, many of which have rivers, lakes, and mountains, and as such offer views, hiking trails, fishing, boating, and other activities. Prominent among these is the Bear Lake State Park, nicknamed the "Caribbean of the Rockies." It has four distinct species of fish found nowhere else in the world, and freezes over each winter making ice fishing available. The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness is the largest "unbroken wilderness in the lower 48."[8]
Idaho also is also known for having an abundance of natural hot springs that fill with heated mineral water. Chief among these are the Lava Hot Springs in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. Idaho state gained the deeds to the area in 1902 and formed the Lava Hot Springs Foundation. They built the first official hot pools there in 1918. Now there are five pools there naturally heated from 102 degrees to 112 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike most hot springs the mineral water here doesn't smell like sulfur. More than 2,500,000 gallons of water flow through the hot springs each day. There is also a large swimming pool with slides, diving boards, a playground, and a high-dive with 5, 7, and 10-meter platforms. [9]
Boise is the state capital of Idaho and the most densely populated metropolitan area. Meridian, Nampa, Idaho Falls, Caldwell, Pocatello, Coeur d'Alene, and Twin Falls are also larger city areas in the state. In these more populated areas, the largest industry is in science and technology. Idaho is also known for its family-owned businesses. Outside city areas Idaho produces a significant amount of the nation's potatoes and other crops, as well as many metals and precious stones. Visitors can either stay in the larger cities or the more small-town countryside communities. Religion in Idaho varies but is mostly made up of various Christian faiths, such as Protestants, Catholics, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [7]
Idaho is known as one of the leading states when it comes to gender equality. It became the fourth U.S. state to allow women the right to vote in 1896. It was also the first state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972. [2] Idaho's state seal is the only one in the U.S. designed by a woman. Emma Green, who had attended a New York art school, entered and won the competition the first state legislature put on to design the state seal. It depicted a minor, Idaho natural resources, and "a woman signifying justice."[4]
Rigby, Idaho, is where the creator of the television, Philo Farnsworth, reportedly first sketched out the principle behind the technology for a school project in high school. It's known today as the "birthplace of television."[4] Speaking of TV, the cult classic film Napoleon Dynamite was filmed in Preston, Idaho, a place many fans of the movie still go to today. In the town, they can do self-guided tours to visit the high school, Napoleon's house, Uncle Rico's van, and other locations and items from the movie. The creators of Napoleon Dynamite, Jared and Jerusha Hess, grew up in Preston and received a resolution from the state legislature commending them for their film.[5]
Idaho is located in the northwestern area of the United States. It shares borders with Washington and Oregon on its west side, Nevada and Utah to the south, Montana and Wyoming on its east side, and the British Columbia Province of Canada at its northernmost tip. Its geography is varied with an abundance of mountainous and forested regions as well as protected outdoor recreational and wilderness areas. Idaho is also known for having a large quantity of agricultural land. These include Boise National Forest, Payette National Forest, Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, and parts of Yellowstone National Park, among many others. [12]
Due to its geographical location, Idaho experiences all four seasons, each of which offers different reasons to visit. The summer is the hottest season, with temperatures reaching into the 90s (Fahrenheit), but this is in relatively low humidity and cools off in the evening. This is when Idaho sees its biggest influx of river rafters and tourists coming to spend time at any of Idaho's many lakes. The spring and fall are cooler and generally offer the best time for hiking, sightseeing, and scenic drives in the various national parks, wilderness reserves, and byways of Idaho. The winter cools off to freezing temperatures and brings with it an abundance of snow, making it an ideal season for skiing and winter sports. Fishing can be done year-round and consists primarily of ice fishing in the winter months. [13]
There are more than 2,000 lakes and 93,000 miles of rivers in Idaho. Pend Oreille Lake is 43 miles long and is 1,110 feet at its deepest point, making it the fifth deepest lake in the U.S.A. Ponderosa State Park in Southwestern Idaho has a 1,000-acre peninsula that juts out into Payette Lake. [8]
The wildlife in Idaho is quite varied and includes white-tailed deer, moose, elk, and grizzly bears. However, among wildlife, the state is perhaps most known for its diversity of birds. Depending on the season there are flocks upwards of thousands of birds of swans, geese, and cranes. Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge sees some 40,000 birds migrate there each year. The Morely Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area sees the highest concentration of falcons, hawks, eagles, and owls each spring than anywhere else in North America.[8]
Because of its relatively low population and the abundance of its protected wilderness area, Idaho is known for its unpolluted, clear views of the night sky. In fact, it has the nation's only International Dark Sky Reserve—The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve. This 1,400 square mile area encompasses the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and the cities of Ketchum, Sun Valley, and Stanley. In this Dark Sky Reserve, people can see planets, shooting stars, the Milkyway, and even the aurora borealis (northern lights), without the aid of special equipment. The Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, which has a "lunar-like landscape of lava flows" and other volcanic formations, is a popular attraction in this reserve for those looking to view the night sky. [11]
The Idaho state region has been inhabited by tribes of Native Americans for thousands of years. The most prominent of these people are the Nez Perce tribe who lived in the north, and the Shoshone tribe who occupied the south. It wasn't until the early 1800s that the area was explored by Lewis and Clark. Their guide, Sacagawea, was in fact a Shoshone Indian from the Idaho area who they found in the North Dakota region. They met both the Nez Perce and the Shoshone tribes during their travels, who helped feed them and send them on their way to the Pacific Ocean. These people lived by following and hunting buffalo herds, fishing in rivers, and farming various beans and corn. Throughout the 1800s there were wars and disputes between early settlers and the Native American Tribes.[1] Today, many counties in Idaho are reflected from the area's native heritage, including Nez Perce, Shoshone, Bannock, Kootenai, and Benewah. [2]
Andrew Henry, a fur trader, was the first settler in what is now Idaho, building Fort Henry in 1810. Since then many people traveled through the area on the Oregon Trail or settled there themselves. In 1846 it became part of the Oregon Territory before being passed to the Washington Territory in 1853. The first permanent town was Franklin, and following its establishment in 1860, many prospectors came to the area searching for gold that had been discovered to exist there. Following this discovery, it became its own territory in 1863. Nearly thirty years later, on July 3rd, 1890, Idaho became the 43rd state to join the United States. [1]
Today Idaho is one of the leading states in producing various metals, gems, and precious stones, such as silver, lead, antimony, zinc, phosphate rock, garnet, and mercury. It's also a high producer of lumber. Agriculture is one of Idaho's major industries, with the state producing about a quarter of the entire nation's potatoes, along with apples, corn, wheat, barley, hops, and sugar beets. However, due to the rise in popularity of recreational activities and winter sports, Idaho's tourism also supports a significant amount of the state's industry.[3]
Beyond this, there are several historical places people can visit as well such as The National Trail Center, which showcases a "structured educational experience" about the Oregon Trail. There is also the Sacajawea Heritage Days celebrating Sacagawea's assistance to Lewis and Clark. This festival features tribal dancing, Lewis and Clark equipment replicas, food, and the Great Salmon Valley Balloonfest—an annual hot air balloon event.[2]
Idaho's demographic consists primarily of white people who make up nearly 90% of the population. Black, Asian, Latino, American Indian, and other peoples make up the remaining 10%. [3]Though the American Indian population is small, there are several Indian Reservations on several hundred thousand acres of land. [2]
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