Idaho unveils new state park in Salmon area

Valentin Termite

(Idaho Capital Sun) Idaho will welcome a new state park, the Twin Peaks Ranch State Park, to its statewide network on Saturday to connect recreation and conservation areas in central Idaho.

The park, located 20 miles outside Salmon, covers 677 acres of camping grounds, trails, rental units and access to public lands for visitors. Its proximity to the Salmon River and Salmon-Challis National Forest make it what a June 18 press release called a “gateway to endless outdoor recreation opportunities.”

“It’s going to be a destination for people with all sorts of outdoor recreation backgrounds, from off-highway vehicle enthusiasts to hikers, disc golfers, fishermen, bicyclists, so on and so forth,” Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Communications Manager William Armbruster said in an interview with the Idaho Capital Sun. “It’s really a one-stop shop and a gateway to an incredible opportunity for recreation in the Salmon-Challis area.”

Idaho Parks and Recreation will host an opening ceremony for the park on Saturday, giving visitors a chance to meet park staff and learn about the region. The event will also include food trucks, local vendors and musician Muzzie Braun from the Braun Brothers Reunion.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on the Twin Peaks Ranch State Park, or its opening celebration, visit parksandrecreation.idaho.gov.

Establishing a state park in Idaho

Idaho law requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to find suitable areas for state parks that can foster natural preservation and recreation activities, according to Idaho Parks and Recreation Director Susan Buxton. The process, usually including discussions with community members and an assessment of land offers, can take multiple years to complete.

The Twin Peaks Ranch park started as a functional — then guest — ranch in the 1990s, but Buxton said community input led Parks and Recreation to consider establishing a formal state park in the area. After talks with legislators, the county commissioners and previous owners, Parks and Recreation began the process for acquiring and setting up the park at the end of 2024.

“This property had already been built out, it had a bridge over the Salmon River that had been recently updated,” Buxton said. “It seemed like it was a good opportunity to take a look at something that would not be a huge build out for the state.”

Park acquisition funding comes from department’s capital development budget

The park acquisition, filed around October 2025, cost the agency $4.75 million including property and assets in the area, according to Armbruster.

The funds for acquisitions come from the department’s capital development budget, a dedicated sum distributed by the Idaho Legislature every fiscal year. In 2025, the department counted on close to $37 million for capital outlay destined to acquisitions.

This fiscal year, which ends June 30, the capital development budget dropped to $4.4 million, according to House Bill 419. Now, and through the passing of Senate Bill 1417 in March, the capital development budget once again was up to $12.8 million for the 2027 fiscal year.

Buxton also said the acquisition included a payment in-lieu of taxes ordinance agreed upon with Lemhi County. Payments in-lieu of taxes compensate local governments for lost tax revenues on the property. The lump sum in-lieu payment totaled $105,838.50, based on a previously assessed value, according to the minutes for a Department of Parks and Recreation quarterly board meeting held Nov. 4, 2025.

Throughout the park establishment process, Buxton said Parks and Recreation kept a close eye at the needs of the community.

“You have to do a lot of due diligence looking at the needs of the state,” she said. “You do a lot of looking and analyzing: ‘Where would we need (a park)? Could it be someplace that would have the most opportunity or ability to be a good addition to the park system?’”

Buxton said the Twin Peaks Ranch fit that criteria, as it included facilities well-suited to recreation, such as lodges, equestrian zones and trails.

“If you look at trying to hit as many opportunities as possible for public outdoor recreation, this facility really does,” she said.