Three Island Crossing State Park – Glenns Ferry, Idaho

We departed Ely, Nevada early one morning and headed north on Highway 93 traveling through the remote, beautiful section of Nevada. We continued north to Jackpot, Nevada which sits just south of the Idaho border. It is a perfect location to fuel up and take a lunch break. Shortly thereafter we were in Idaho (ahhh….back home) and into the farm fields of the Magic Valley. South central Idaho is referred to as the Magic Valley due to early settlers who transformed the area into a rich agricultural area by utilizing the water from the Snake River.

The area is also known for its abundance of waterfalls and you can spend weeks here touring the variety of falls located all around the Snake River area. We continued on and crossed the Snake River and caught a few glimpses of waterfalls and more agricultural areas as we continued northwest.

We arrived in Glenns Ferry, Idaho, a small community of approximately 1,300 people. The town is on the Snake River and also is along the Oregon Trail.

Three Island Crossing State Park is located in Glenns Ferry and is aptly named for the Snake River crossing along the Oregon Trail. The crossing consisted of 3 channels via 2 islands to get across the river to prevent taking the more dangerous, perilous southern route. Many humans and animals lost their lives in the crossing and the crossing was known as one of the most difficult along the Oregon Trail.

Campground: Three Island Crossing State Park – Upper Campground – Wagon Wheel
Location: Glenns Ferry, Idaho (about 2 miles from I-84 along the Snake River)
Site: 31 (Back in)
Cost: $42.23
Services: W/E
Comments: A lovely, easily accessible state park campground with lots of trees for shade, hiking trails, and an interpretive center. The campground sits along the Snake River with various trails and access to the Glenns Ferry Recreational Trail which leads into town.

The campground has both an upper and a lower campground. We camped in the lower campground during our last visit. Both have their pros and their cons. The upper campground can be quite windy but on a hot day the breeze can be quite refreshing. I still love site 7 on the upper level which has a large grassy area with views down to the river and the Interpretive Center.

We hiked down to the Snake River and viewed the old ferry. Gustavus Glenn built the ferry in 1869 to help move wagons, goods, and other supplies across the river. At that time the Oregon Trail traffic was quite heavy in both directions. The old ferry is sitting at the park near the Interpretive Center. There are Oregon Trail markers around the area too.

The Interpretive Center has a nice film about the history of the area along with a gift shop and museum. There are covered wagons on display both inside and outside. There is a viewing area where you can see the Oregon Trail wheel tracks in the hills across the river. It was great to finally see the museum as the last time we visited was during the pandemic and the museum displays were closed.