Amenities

Camping (with fee), parking, restrooms, swimming areas, boat launch, many others.

History

Located at the foot of the Coeur d'Alene Mountains in the Bitterroot Range, these expansive park grounds were formerly a major training base of the US Navy during World War II. At the time, the Farragut Naval Training Station was the largest city in Idaho, with over 55,000 recruits and approximately 850 German prisoners of war, who did the gardening and maintenance services. Over 293,000 sailors received basic training at Farragut during its 30 months of existence. Soon after establishing the facility, the Navy found that thanks to its depth and length, Lake Pend Oreille was the perfect testing ground for submarine acoustics. Although Farragut’s last Navy recruit graduated in March 1945, and the facility was decommissioned in June 1946, submarines are still tested elsewhere in the lake, considering the specific question of how to provide the Navy with the quietest submarine for the least amount of money.

From 1946-49, the campus was the site of the Farragut College and Technical Institute, which had copious athletic facilities. In 1950, the federal government transferred 3,854 acres to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, creating the Farragut Wildlife Management Area. In 1966, some of this became Farragut State Park by an act of the Idaho state legislature.

At 4,000 acres, Farragut is one of Idaho's largest state parks, and it has hosted a wide variety of events since its inception, including the World Scout Jamboree in 1967, the only time prior to 2019 that the worldwide event was held in the United States.

A variety of animals can still be found in the park, and historic residents include bass, trout, white-tailed deer, moose, elk, mountain goat, cougar, and black bear.