Thousand Springs State Park | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
Location | Gooding County, Idaho, United States |
Nearest city | Hagerman, Idaho |
Coordinates |
42°51′28″N 114°52′35″W / 42.85778°N 114.87639°W Headquarters, Malad Gorge |
Area | 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) [1] |
Elevation | 2,800 ft (850 m) [1] |
Designation | Idaho state park |
Established | 2005 |
Administrator | Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation |
Website | Thousand Springs State Park |
Thousand Springs State Park is a public recreation and nature preservation area consisting of multiple units — Billingsley Creek, Earl M. Hardy Box Canyon Springs Nature Preserve, Malad Gorge, Niagara Springs, and Ritter Island — in Gooding County, Idaho. [1]
The state park was created in 2005, when four existing state parks in the Hagerman Valley were merged into a single entity, [2] with an additional unit subsequently added to the complex.
This former ranch was purchased by the state in 2001. [1] One feature is the homesite of western author Vardis Fisher. [2] Billingsley Creek Unit totals 286 acres (116 ha). [3]
This 350-acre (140 ha) box canyon has 250-foot-high (76 m) walls. At its head is the eleventh-largest spring in North America, gushing 180,000 US gallons (680,000 L) per minute. [3] There is a 20-foot (6.1 m) waterfall. [1] The 350-acre (140 ha) property was developed by the Nature Conservancy which purchased the site in 1999, then completed its transfer to the state in 2016. [4] (Does this include Priestly's Hydraulic Ram, listed on the National Register of Historic Places?)
Malad Gorge is a 250-foot-deep (76 m) canyon formed by the Malad River, downstream from a 60-foot (18 m) waterfall. This 652-acre (264 ha) day-use unit is off Interstate 84 and offers hiking and picnicking. A section of the Oregon Trail is visible. [1] Rock pigeons, red-tailed hawks and golden eagles nest in the canyon. Yellow-bellied marmots are found on the canyon floor.
Proclaimed a National Natural Landmark, [5] this area borders the Snake River and features sheer basalt cliffs 350 feet (110 m) high. [3] There are 179 acres (72 ha) in two parcels, acquired in 1971 and 1976. [3]
This unit lies along the Snake River between two large springs. [1]