Ritter Island State Park

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Idaho — Hidden oasis in the Thousand Springs area — a lush island surrounded by massive spring-fed waterfalls flowing from the Snake River Canyon walls! The island was a 1900s dairy farm that used the spring water, and the historic buildings remain. Accessible only on foot.

Visitor Information

About Ritter Island

Ritter Island State Park in Gooding County is a 350-acre island surrounded by spring-fed channels in the Thousand Springs area of the Snake River Canyon. The island preserves a 1920s ranch homestead along with some of Idaho’s most spectacular spring formations. The Thousand Springs region — where the Lost River and Big Wood River aquifers discharge — contains the highest concentration of large springs in North America.

Things to Do

Touring the historic ranch buildings, viewing the surrounding spring-fed channels, fishing for trout, hiking the island trails, wildlife watching, and exploring the unique spring-island landscape of the Snake River Canyon.

Plan Your Visit

Ritter Island is accessible by car via a gravel road from Highway 30. The ranch buildings are open for self-guided tours. The Thousand Springs Scenic Byway (Highway 30) connects Box Canyon, Niagara Springs, and Ritter Island in a dramatic 30-mile corridor. Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (ancient horse fossils) is nearby. The springs maintain a constant 58°F year-round — ideal for trout. Open year-round; fall colors in the canyon are spectacular.

Nature & Wildlife

The island’s spring-fed channels maintain constant temperatures year-round, creating a microclimate that supports cottonwood galleries, willows, and lush riparian vegetation in the otherwise arid Snake River Plain. Bald eagles, osprey, and great blue herons fish the channels. The springs support a significant population of the Shoshone sculpin — a fish found only in a few springs along this stretch of the Snake River.

Insider Tips

Snake River Canyon: Ritter Island sits in the Snake River Canyon — a 500-foot-deep gorge carved through volcanic basalt. Pro tip: Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon on a rocket-powered motorcycle in 1974 — the parachute deployed early and he landed in the canyon. Hagerman: The nearby Hagerman Fossil Beds contain the world’s finest collection of Hagerman horses — ancestors of the modern horse.

Best Time to Visit

Summer: Canyon access and springs. Fall: Canyon foliage. Spring: High water flows. Year-round: Springs flow constantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Evel Knievel jump the Snake River?

On September 8, 1974, Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon in a steam-powered “Skycycle X-2” — essentially a rocket with wings. The parachute deployed prematurely during launch, and Knievel drifted down to the canyon floor instead of across. He survived with minor injuries. The event was a cultural phenomenon — 15,000 spectators paid up to $25 each, and millions watched on closed-circuit TV. The launch ramp is still visible on the canyon rim.