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Farragut Snapshot
Once a WWII era naval training station, this 4,000-acre park now provides camping opportunities with 223 individual sites, 7 group camps, and 10 camping cabins.
Next Events
Sunrise Day Use Shelters
Welcome to Farragut State Park
Located on the southern tip of Lake Pend Oreille in the Coeur d' Alene Mountains of northern Idaho, Farragut State Park offers unique scenery, history and an abundance of recreational opportunities, including disc golf, radio-controlled airplane field, fishing, hiking, biking, equestrian facilities and even World War II history - don't miss the Museum at the Brig during your visit.
Plan your visit to Farragut
Hike or bike a trail. The park has over 40 miles of trails for you to explore. For those who like a challenge, take the Highpoint Trail to the Scout Trail and hike up Bernard Peak and look back across the lake at Farragut State Park. A map is available for download that shows trails within Farragut State Park, accessible during the summer months.
Meet "Mack", the nickname given to the "Rite of Passage" artwork located in the Farragut Memorial Plaza, next to the Museum at the Brig. He represents the 293,381 sailors who trained on these grounds for duty in World War II. Their stories are told in the museum, which is open from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day.
The Museum at the Brig houses the world's largest collection of United States Farragut Naval Training Station (1942-1946) memorabilia. It includes two restored vehicles on display in the courtyard of the brig building. A 1938 Ford 2-ton work truck and a 1942 Pirsch open cab fire engine, were used when the Farragut Naval Training Station was in operation. Films on area history and geology are shown daily in the Museum at the Brig's Pacific Theater. The museum is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, 10 am to 5 pm.
Play disc golf. Farragut has three 18-hole disc golf courses. The Wreckreator, Northstar, and A.W.O.L. courses offer a world class disc golfing experience. The Little Black Bear, a 9-hole short course offering an encouraging and fun introduction to disc golf, is perfect for beginners and those with children. A large selection of golf discs can be found at the Farragut Gift Shop.
Picnic at the Willow Day Use Area, which offers great views of Bernard Peak across Lake Pend Oreille's Idlewilde Bay. Look for the mountain goats that live on this peak or take the terraced trail down to the shoreline to get to the water's edge.
Swim at Beaver Bay Beach; this horseshoe shaped sand beach is one of the few places on the lake where the water warms enough in the summer for a swim. Remember that pets, glass containers, or hard sided boats (canoes, kayaks, etc) are not allowed in the beach area.
Have horses? Over 20 miles of trails can be accessed on the north side of the park from the Corral day use and camping area; horses are not allowed south of Highway 54 in the park.
Eagle Boat Launch provides the only major access for boaters on the south end of Lake Pend Oreille, the largest lake in Idaho.
Camping? Farragut State Park offers 217 individual campsites and 6 equestrian sites, 10 camping cabins, 7 group camps, and multiple large group use areas including an outdoor amphitheater. The majority of the sites have central water, while many have water and electric at the site. All major campgrounds have a shower house with modern restrooms. A Recreational Vehicle sanitation dump station is available in the park.
A park naturalist is on staff during the summer providing trail hikes, Junior Ranger and evening campfire programs. For those who like to go at their own pace, wayside exhibits are placed around the park, with information on area wildlife and park features.
Farragut State Park
Download Farragut Maps
History of Farragut State Park
Farragut State Park was the former site of Farragut Naval Training Station, a major training base of the U.S. Navy during World War II. The base was named after David Farragut, the first admiral in the U.S. Navy, the leading naval officer during the Civil War.
Knowing that President Roosevelt was seeking a location for a secure inland naval training center, Eleanor Roosevelt allegedly noticed the lake on a flight to Seattle. Ground was broken in March 1942, and by September the base had a population of 55,000, making it the largest city in Idaho. Liberty trains to Spokane ran three times daily. At the time Farragut was the second-largest naval training center in the world.
Over 293,000 sailors received basic training at Farragut during its 30 months of existence. The last recruit graduated in March 1945 and the facility was decommissioned in June 1946. It was also used as a prisoner of war camp; nearly 900 Germans worked as gardeners and maintenance men. In 1942, Lt. Commander Henry T. McMaster, supervisor of support services at the station, contracted photographer Ross Hall to produce group and portrait photos of all recruits and companies. Operator of a studio in nearby Sandpoint, Hall employed up to 15 workers in creating a photographic archive of more than 300,000 images.
From 1946-49 it was the site of the Farragut College and Technical Institute, which did not re-open in late 1949 due to financial difficulties. The park adjoins the deepwater Lake Pend Oreille, where the Navy maintains a submarine research center at Bayview, the Acoustic Research Detachment. The land was transferred to the state of Idaho in 1949 and became a state park in 1965.
Tour the The Museum at the Brig during your Farragut State Park visit.
Within Farragut State Park, over 100 years of fire suppression have eliminated the periodic fires which thinned forests, maintained habitat types and diversity, and recycled nutrients. Major developments from towns and homesteads, the WWII Farragut Naval Training Station, large Girl and Boy Scout encampments, and formation of a Wildlife Management Area and recreation based State Park have also affected the landscape. The park is currently using natural resource prescriptions to thin stands and control noxious weeds, to reestablish a more traditional (pre fire suppression/historical) forest makeup. These actions also allow for enhanced use of the lands for recreation by the public, reduce the risks of catastrophic fires, and minimize the impacts of insect and disease outbreaks in the forests.
Resource work in the park continues to achieve 8 goals:
1) restore most forest stands to historically occurring conditions,
2) provide for wildfire protection for our users and neighbors, and defense zones for firefighters,
3) provide for wildlife habitat, such as for whitetail deer, mountain and western bluebirds,
4) hazard tree management,
5) protect historically significant trees, such as ones from the naval training station and scout encampments,
6) provide for recreational enhancements, such as screening and buffer zones as well as view sheds,
7) reduce the risk of epidemic insect and disease outbreaks,
8) reintroduce species such as blister rust resistant White pine into the forests.
In the fall of 2014 the Idaho Fish and Game Department will continue ponderosa pine habitat restoration work on their land ownership around the Eagle Boat launch. The work will follow the demonstration project completed in 2011 that can be seen on 8 acres to the west of the South Road Viewpoint. The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation will continue both resource work and road edge thinning projects this fall along North Road to the west of Hill Road.
Disc Golf at Farragut
Farragut has three 18-hole disc golf courses. The Wreckreator, Northstar, and A.W.O.L. courses offer a world class disc golfing experience. The Little Black Bear, a 9-hole short course offering an encouraging and fun introduction to disc golf, is perfect for beginners and those with children. A large selection of golf discs can be found at the Farragut Gift Shop.
Downloads
(Course maps available soon)
Wreckreator Course Map
Northstar Course Map
A.W.O.L. Course Map
The Idaho State Parks Passport: Your State Park Saving Option!
The Idaho State Parks Passport allows Idaho motorists to support Idaho State Parks by agreeing to pay an additional $10 in conjunction with renewing their license plates through the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and County Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) Offices. The Passport sticker allows participating Idahoans unlimited daytime entry to Idaho state parks, IDPR operated recreation areas and boating access sites. The Passport will also provide nightly discounts on camping.
When you pay the additional $10 for your passport, you'll receive a sticker that will adhere to your motor vehicle. The sticker will provide unlimited access to all 30 state parks for the entire registration year.
Out-of-state guests will have a savings option too, with the purchase of an Idaho State Park Motor Vehicle Entry Fee (MVEF) Annual.
What Will $10 Buy You and Your Family?
- Admittance to all 30 Idaho State Parks for a year
- Hundreds of miles of hiking, cycling, mountain biking and Nordic trails
- Your favorite boat launches
- Countless historical and cultural sites within your state parks
Good for Idaho, Good for Idahoans!
Idaho‘s State Park Passport is simply a sustainable way to pay for the maintenance and management of Idaho’s 30 cherished state parks. For those Idahoans who choose to participate in the program, the Idaho State Parks Passport sticker will replace the $5 per motor vehicle entry fee currently in place at state parks while also providing nightly discounts on camping.
Out of State Guests
Our out-of-state guests have savings options too! You can purchase a $40 Motor Vehicle Entry Fee (MVEF) Annual and receive access to all of Idaho's State Parks and nightly discounts on camping. MVEF Annuals can be purchased at any Idaho State Park and online.
Farragut Snapshot
Once a WWII era naval training station, this 4,000-acre park now provides camping opportunities with 223 individual sites, 7 group camps, and 10 camping cabins.
Next Events
Sunrise Day Use Shelters
Welcome to Farragut State Park
Located on the southern tip of Lake Pend Oreille in the Coeur d' Alene Mountains of northern Idaho, Farragut State Park offers unique scenery, history and an abundance of recreational opportunities, including disc golf, radio-controlled airplane field, fishing, hiking, biking, equestrian facilities and even World War II history - don't miss the Museum at the Brig during your visit.
Plan your visit to Farragut
Hike or bike a trail. The park has over 40 miles of trails for you to explore. For those who like a challenge, take the Highpoint Trail to the Scout Trail and hike up Bernard Peak and look back across the lake at Farragut State Park. A map is available for download that shows trails within Farragut State Park, accessible during the summer months.
Meet "Mack", the nickname given to the "Rite of Passage" artwork located in the Farragut Memorial Plaza, next to the Museum at the Brig. He represents the 293,381 sailors who trained on these grounds for duty in World War II. Their stories are told in the museum, which is open from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day.
The Museum at the Brig houses the world's largest collection of United States Farragut Naval Training Station (1942-1946) memorabilia. It includes two restored vehicles on display in the courtyard of the brig building. A 1938 Ford 2-ton work truck and a 1942 Pirsch open cab fire engine, were used when the Farragut Naval Training Station was in operation. Films on area history and geology are shown daily in the Museum at the Brig's Pacific Theater. The museum is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, 10 am to 5 pm.
Play disc golf. Farragut has three 18-hole disc golf courses. The Wreckreator, Northstar, and A.W.O.L. courses offer a world class disc golfing experience. The Little Black Bear, a 9-hole short course offering an encouraging and fun introduction to disc golf, is perfect for beginners and those with children. A large selection of golf discs can be found at the Farragut Gift Shop.
Picnic at the Willow Day Use Area, which offers great views of Bernard Peak across Lake Pend Oreille's Idlewilde Bay. Look for the mountain goats that live on this peak or take the terraced trail down to the shoreline to get to the water's edge.
Swim at Beaver Bay Beach; this horseshoe shaped sand beach is one of the few places on the lake where the water warms enough in the summer for a swim. Remember that pets, glass containers, or hard sided boats (canoes, kayaks, etc) are not allowed in the beach area.
Have horses? Over 20 miles of trails can be accessed on the north side of the park from the Corral day use and camping area; horses are not allowed south of Highway 54 in the park.
Eagle Boat Launch provides the only major access for boaters on the south end of Lake Pend Oreille, the largest lake in Idaho.
Camping? Farragut State Park offers 217 individual campsites and 6 equestrian sites, 10 camping cabins, 7 group camps, and multiple large group use areas including an outdoor amphitheater. The majority of the sites have central water, while many have water and electric at the site. All major campgrounds have a shower house with modern restrooms. A Recreational Vehicle sanitation dump station is available in the park.
A park naturalist is on staff during the summer providing trail hikes, Junior Ranger and evening campfire programs. For those who like to go at their own pace, wayside exhibits are placed around the park, with information on area wildlife and park features.
Farragut State Park
Download Farragut Maps
History of Farragut State Park
Farragut State Park was the former site of Farragut Naval Training Station, a major training base of the U.S. Navy during World War II. The base was named after David Farragut, the first admiral in the U.S. Navy, the leading naval officer during the Civil War.
Knowing that President Roosevelt was seeking a location for a secure inland naval training center, Eleanor Roosevelt allegedly noticed the lake on a flight to Seattle. Ground was broken in March 1942, and by September the base had a population of 55,000, making it the largest city in Idaho. Liberty trains to Spokane ran three times daily. At the time Farragut was the second-largest naval training center in the world.
Over 293,000 sailors received basic training at Farragut during its 30 months of existence. The last recruit graduated in March 1945 and the facility was decommissioned in June 1946. It was also used as a prisoner of war camp; nearly 900 Germans worked as gardeners and maintenance men. In 1942, Lt. Commander Henry T. McMaster, supervisor of support services at the station, contracted photographer Ross Hall to produce group and portrait photos of all recruits and companies. Operator of a studio in nearby Sandpoint, Hall employed up to 15 workers in creating a photographic archive of more than 300,000 images.
From 1946-49 it was the site of the Farragut College and Technical Institute, which did not re-open in late 1949 due to financial difficulties. The park adjoins the deepwater Lake Pend Oreille, where the Navy maintains a submarine research center at Bayview, the Acoustic Research Detachment. The land was transferred to the state of Idaho in 1949 and became a state park in 1965.
Tour the The Museum at the Brig during your Farragut State Park visit.
Within Farragut State Park, over 100 years of fire suppression have eliminated the periodic fires which thinned forests, maintained habitat types and diversity, and recycled nutrients. Major developments from towns and homesteads, the WWII Farragut Naval Training Station, large Girl and Boy Scout encampments, and formation of a Wildlife Management Area and recreation based State Park have also affected the landscape. The park is currently using natural resource prescriptions to thin stands and control noxious weeds, to reestablish a more traditional (pre fire suppression/historical) forest makeup. These actions also allow for enhanced use of the lands for recreation by the public, reduce the risks of catastrophic fires, and minimize the impacts of insect and disease outbreaks in the forests.
Resource work in the park continues to achieve 8 goals:
1) restore most forest stands to historically occurring conditions,
2) provide for wildfire protection for our users and neighbors, and defense zones for firefighters,
3) provide for wildlife habitat, such as for whitetail deer, mountain and western bluebirds,
4) hazard tree management,
5) protect historically significant trees, such as ones from the naval training station and scout encampments,
6) provide for recreational enhancements, such as screening and buffer zones as well as view sheds,
7) reduce the risk of epidemic insect and disease outbreaks,
8) reintroduce species such as blister rust resistant White pine into the forests.
In the fall of 2014 the Idaho Fish and Game Department will continue ponderosa pine habitat restoration work on their land ownership around the Eagle Boat launch. The work will follow the demonstration project completed in 2011 that can be seen on 8 acres to the west of the South Road Viewpoint. The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation will continue both resource work and road edge thinning projects this fall along North Road to the west of Hill Road.
Disc Golf at Farragut
Farragut has three 18-hole disc golf courses. The Wreckreator, Northstar, and A.W.O.L. courses offer a world class disc golfing experience. The Little Black Bear, a 9-hole short course offering an encouraging and fun introduction to disc golf, is perfect for beginners and those with children. A large selection of golf discs can be found at the Farragut Gift Shop.
Downloads
(Course maps available soon)
Wreckreator Course Map
Northstar Course Map
A.W.O.L. Course Map
The Idaho State Parks Passport: Your State Park Saving Option!
The Idaho State Parks Passport allows Idaho motorists to support Idaho State Parks by agreeing to pay an additional $10 in conjunction with renewing their license plates through the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and County Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) Offices. The Passport sticker allows participating Idahoans unlimited daytime entry to Idaho state parks, IDPR operated recreation areas and boating access sites. The Passport will also provide nightly discounts on camping.
When you pay the additional $10 for your passport, you'll receive a sticker that will adhere to your motor vehicle. The sticker will provide unlimited access to all 30 state parks for the entire registration year.
Out-of-state guests will have a savings option too, with the purchase of an Idaho State Park Motor Vehicle Entry Fee (MVEF) Annual.
What Will $10 Buy You and Your Family?
- Admittance to all 30 Idaho State Parks for a year
- Hundreds of miles of hiking, cycling, mountain biking and Nordic trails
- Your favorite boat launches
- Countless historical and cultural sites within your state parks
Good for Idaho, Good for Idahoans!
Idaho‘s State Park Passport is simply a sustainable way to pay for the maintenance and management of Idaho’s 30 cherished state parks. For those Idahoans who choose to participate in the program, the Idaho State Parks Passport sticker will replace the $5 per motor vehicle entry fee currently in place at state parks while also providing nightly discounts on camping.
Out of State Guests
Our out-of-state guests have savings options too! You can purchase a $40 Motor Vehicle Entry Fee (MVEF) Annual and receive access to all of Idaho's State Parks and nightly discounts on camping. MVEF Annuals can be purchased at any Idaho State Park and online.