Continuing on with our one day tour of Thousand Springs State Park, we stopped at Ritter Island which is the best place to see several springs forming waterfalls out of the canyon walls. We followed a curvy, narrow but paved road down to the island in the Snake River. There is a small parking lot and a bridge to walk across to the island.

The water we see here came on a two-hundred year journey from the Big Lost River near Arco, where we were just days ago, and other rivers in the middle of Idaho. These rivers’ surface water gets “lost” in the lava fields of Craters of the Moon and travels in an aquifer to the canyon walls of the Middle Snake River where they become surface water again. The area here is considered high desert and only gets 10 inches of precipitation each year. The farming we have seen all around here is dependent on irrigation from the Snake River Aquifer.

This island was purchased by Minnie Miller who wanted to make it a state-of-the-art dairy farm to breed the world’s best Guernsey cattle. According to our guide who met us at the end of the bridge, she was very successful. He explained her story and the property, and told us he had just spoken to a couple from Iowa. We noticed that they had signed the guest book in the barn before us, but we didn’t meet them. The three houses on the island are for rent, with the Rock House often reserved for weddings.

It’s called Ritter Island because Minnie sold it to Judge Ritter in 1954 who then sold it to The Nature Conservancy. His name came along with the property. The Nature Conservancy donated it to the Idaho State Parks and Recreation in 2006.

Our final park unit today is the Hagerman Fossil Beds which are just overlooks of places where the fossils have been found. The actual fossils are on display at the visitors center near the town of Hagerman. The rangers there suggested we take the scenic route, Highway 30 and stop at the Snake River Overlook and the Oregon Trail Overlook. The OTO had a good-sized parking lot, a well-marked trail and awesome views.

Forty-five species of fossils have been found here, including fossil beavers, horses, mastodons, dogs, camels, ancient peccaries and a wolverine-like badger. These fossils show that this area was a wetter place in the past with much more rainfall.

After seeing four of the six units in this state park, it was time to head back to Twin Falls for some groceries and then rest at the KOA.