Sandy beach
No
Cliff jumping
No
Hike-in Required
No
Sensitive Habitat
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Farragut State Park's Buttonhook Bay is a quiet, secluded place at the southwest corner of Lake Pend Oreille. It's a short walk from nearby Beaver Bay Beach, a popular swimming and fishing spot.

Buttonhook Bay mostly serves as a dock for boats exploring Idlewilde Bay and the larger Lake Pend Oreille, but visitors can also swim from the docks. The water here is a bit cooler than at Beaver Bay Beach, which is either a plus or minus depending on how warm the day is. No lifeguard sits on duty here, so bring a personal flotation device if you plan to spend much time in the water. Pets and glass containers are not permitted here.

Buttonhook Bay can be reached by parking at Beaver Bay Beach and walking a short trail to the bay or by taking the longer Beaver Bay Shoreline Trail from the Whitetail Campground

Farragut State Park is a large complex with seven campgrounds and trails that link various parts of the park. During the busy summer season youth groups make use of the park, but the facilities remain open to other visitors year round. It was once a World War II naval training facility, where submarines made use of the depths of Lake Pend Oreille. Farragut State Park was named after David Farragut, the first admiral of the U.S. Navy, who was appointed during the Civil War. It became a state park in 1965.

Logistics + Planning

Parking Pass

State Park Day-Use Fee

Pros

Secluded bay. Swimming from dock.

Cons

None.

Location

Comments

10/17/2017
The article states: "It was once a World War II naval training facility, where submarines made use of the depths of Lake Pend Oreille." The "submarines" were 1/4 size scale models, and are still in use there by the Navy.
Suggested rewording: "After the US entered World War II, the park was chosen as the site of Farragut Naval Training Station, which became the second largest such facility in the world and the largest city in Idaho. The Navy discovered that the lake was perfect for testing a submarine's abiltiy to detect or evade an enemy. A test facility was established using one-quarter size submarines and it has been used continuously for those purposes since the War. The Farragut NTS's Hospital remained open for about a year after the War. A German and Austrian POW Camp was opened shortly before the NTS closed and stayed open for a year. Farragut College and Technical Institute operated in other buildings for about 4 years after the War for those using the GI Bill. The Museum at the Brig at Farragut is open in the summer to provide the history of the Navy's presence."

Mention should also be made of Farragut's prominence in scouting. Suggested wording: "Farragut State Park is significant in the history of Scouting in the US and the world. It hosted the National Girl Scout Senior Roundup in 1965, Boy Scouts from over 100 countries at the World Scout Jamboree in 1967, and the National Scout Jamborees in 1969 and 1973."

Presidential visits could also be mentioned.
Suggested wording: "President Franklin Roosevelt visited Farragut NTS in 1942 and Vice President Hubert Humphrey visited the World Scout Jamboree in 1967."
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