Four Itchy Feet

June 15, 2025. Athol, Idaho. Day 25 of 170

Today, we spent the day at Farragut State Park in Idaho. The park is located on the southernmost part of Lake Pend Oreille, the largest lake in Idaho.

In 1942, the United States Navy constructed a large training facility here to serve as a boot camp for incoming sailors. This inland location was selected after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, as the Navy sought a secure place to train new recruits. During its short operational span, the base also served as a submarine testing ground. Given the lake’s depth, it was ideal for testing sonar equipment and other related underwater tactics.

The base was named after Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, the first Admiral in the U.S. Navy. He is most famously known for his words at the naval battle of Mobile Bay: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.”

The park has a very well-curated museum housed in the only surviving building, “The Brig.” Constructed heavily to prevent prisoner escapes, it is the only building that has withstood the test of time. After spending a couple of hours at the museum, we headed to the beach area of the park. The boys swam for a while, and we enjoyed the area under the watchful eyes of nesting Bald Eagles.

We only explored a fraction of what this great park has to offer. There is a comprehensive disc golf course, RV and tent sites, all sorts of water activities, and water toy rentals. The park also offers a number of hiking trails, ranging from easy to moderate difficulties. We encourage everyone to visit Farragut State Park and stay a while!