The following information, including the photography, is a guest post courtesy of Bob Canning from RexburgLiving.com. Head on over to their website.
Living in Rexburg makes it possible to do some pretty fun things in the spring and summer. One of them is visiting Big Springs. A visit to Big Springs and Johnny Sack’s Cabin is an adventure you don’t want to pass up. Especially if you want to visit a peaceful mountain oasis. Located in Island Park, the drive from Rexburg takes about an hour on highway 20 East. A few miles before the Big Springs Loop you will pass the Phillips 66 station. Start looking for a sign on the right hand side of the road that says Big Springs 4.5 miles. That is where you turn right. You will then be on the South Big Springs Loop for 4.5 miles. You should arrive at the parking lot in about 13 minutes.
Built in the early 1930’s, Johnny Sack’s cabin sits on the headwaters of the Henry’s fork of the snake river. The river is created by one of the top 40 springs in the United States, pumping out over 120 million gallons a day. The calm, slowly moving water is crystal clear, pristine, and surrounded by beautiful vegetation and evergreen trees in every direction. Walk the trail from the parking lot to the cabin, take a short tour through the cabin, and then have a seat on one of log benches while you listen to the river and enjoy the view. If you want to kick your shoes off and put your feet in the water, head over to the dock and watch the big fish swimming by. And don’t forget to bring some bread so you can feed the seagulls and fish. The kids love it. Before you leave, remember to take a picture on the bridge with the river in the background. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. There is also a trail on the left hand of the road just before the bridge that many people miss. This trail will take you on a 45 minute stroll along the river.
Johnny Sack’s Cabin is usually open from mid-June to mid-September, depending on winter conditions. They do not charge a fee to tour the cabin, but are happy to take preservation donations. There are no park entrance fees.
While you are in Island Park, don’t forget to visit Mesa Falls too. If you are lucky you will see an osprey in its nest high above the falls.
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