island park idaho

Generous amounts of snow combined with the area’s 500 miles of trails and almost endless off-trail riding makes Island Park, Idaho a paradise for snowmobiling and a ‘bucket list’ location for any snowmobiler. Located at an elevation of just over 6,200 feet and on a relatively flat caldera the Island Park area is blessed with an unusually high amount of precipitation. Winter ramps up in late October and brings about 18 feet of snow annually with snow usually falling well into April.

“Growing up near Island Park and snowmobiling there was a privilege I did not take for granted. I have countless fond memories of first learning to trail ride then mountain ride with dad. Island Park is where I learned so many fundamentals of riding such as how to tow an inoperable snowmobile, go too fast on sleds that were too big for me and scare my on-looking mother as I learned to jump a snowmobile,” said Josh Skinner, AmSnow Test Rider and Island Park frequent snowmobiler.

Main Street
At 33 miles long, Island Park claims to have the longest Main Street in the world. The town is connected by US Highway 20 and a large network of trails. Numerous lodges, restaurants and bars are dotted around the area making it ideal for riders looking to ride from location to location stopping along with way for food and refreshments. Both ends of the area feature small towns. On the south end, Last Chance is home to several hotels, restaurants and a couple of sled shops.

No visit to Last Chance is complete without a meal at the Trout Hunter and quick stop to pick up sled oil and a coffee at Mountain Mayhem. A few miles up the road to the North is Ponds Lodge. Ponds has a long history in the area and is looking really nice these days thanks to recent renovations. A little further up the road is The Pines, and lastly Island Park Village. The Village has a few bars, a gas station, rental shop and bunch of cabins and apartments surrounding a golf course.

Close to the adjacent Yellowstone National Park, the Island Park area is rich in geographical sights. The spectacular Mesa Falls are a must see attraction and accessible via snowmobile. Big Springs is another interesting sight worth visiting by snowmobile. While it’s more difficult than in the past, it is still possible to visit Yellowstone National Park via snowmobile through one of the commercial tours or by entering a lottery on the National Parks Service website. A popular time to visit Island Park is during the West Yellowstone EXPO in mid-March, the EXPO hosts a bunch of snowmobile and powersports events during the weekend, and the show is one of the first public showings of following year’s machines.

“With numerous snowmobile rental outfits, eatery’s, rental cabins, lodges, inns and hotels, it is designed for a fun and stress-free winter vacation,” Skinner said.

500 miles of spanning trails
For many riders visiting the Island Park area the main purpose of their trip is to ride the incredible snow the area is known for. Located in a flat caldera with mountains close by, the area has vast terrain ranging from flat meadows to steep vertical ascents. Trail and touring riders will rejoice in the 500 miles of groomed trails spanning all the way from Ashton in the south to West Yellowstone in the north. Crossover riders will love the mix of off-trail riding and large meadows for boondocking. And long track mountain riders will head for the steep mountains in the Jefferson, Sawtelle or Lionshead. Many times we head for the mountains but end up spending the day exploring the steep creek drainages that litter the area. These drainages fill up with snow making them really fun and challenging to ride, but beware as they can become really steep making them hard to get back out of. We have personally spent many a character-building hour digging and pulling sleds out of Island Park drainages.

Like many riders in the West, many of my earliest snowmobiling memories are from the Island Park area. I have vivid memories of being completely stuck on a Yamaha SRX on totally flat ground with absolutely no clue how to get out. Good times, good times.

“This winter wonderland is also where I found out that sometimes prayers for being snowed in do get answered! With its miles of well groomed trails, old (and new) growth forests, powder fields and mountain peaks, there is literally something there for every snowmobiler,” Skinner said.

Thankfully those kinds of snow falls are still common in Island Park. The snow, terrain, lodges and fun people of Island Park always make for an enjoyable trip.