Macks Inn Island Park Idaho is a great destination for anyone touring the Yellowstone area or eastern Idaho. An hour and a half from Idaho Falls on Hwy 20, the Macks Inn area includes  Macks Inn Resort , The North Fork Club , a gas station , two  churches, a post office, a fire department, and various Island Park lodging on both the east and west side of the highway.
Only 22 miles from Yellowstone’s west entrance , Macks Inn is part of the Henry’s Fork caldera, one of the largest in the world, and part of the greater Yellowstone caldera system. The proximity to Yellowstone’s west entrance makes this area popular as a lodging choice for Yellowstone travelers , although Macks Inn has also become its own destination spot.
Plentiful outdoor activities abound right at Macks Inn, from wintertime snowmobiling, nordic skiing and snowshoeing, to summer and autumn fishing and ATV riding. . Many varieties of wildlife live here , and it’s quite common to spot moose grazing in the shallow waters of Henry’s Fork at Macks Inn.
Henry’s Fork of the Snake River runs right through the Macks Inn area, with headwaters just 5 miles east of the highway at Big Springs. At Big Springs you’ll find the start of this amazing river , as the water bubbles up from natural springs in the ground and the mountainside. Johnny Sack Cabin, a historical spot with tours, is located here. An interpretive walk along the river begins at the bridge at Big Springs, and a national forest service campground is located here as well.
This pristine river provides plenty of summertime fun. Macks Inn Resort offers float trips from just below Big Springs to the resort itself, which sits on the river at Hwy 20. You can also bring your own tubes and canoes. The river is slow, shallow and calm — perfect for a lazy summer afternoon float. The river provides great trout fishing. From the boat launch near Big Springs all the way to and including Island Park Reservoir you are permitted to keep your catch.
Macks Inn Resort has a cafe with great pizza , an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, and a few gift shops. On South Big Springs road is the Macks Inn Dinner Theatre, which is open Memorial Day to Labor Day with the option to attend just the shows or come beforehand and enjoy a wonderful western dinner. The productions are all family-oriented, and children are welcome.
Macks Inn Resort offers some riverside hotel units, and cabins also. If you prefer Island Park lodging that offers seclusion away from the crowds at the resort, the area has many privately owned vacation rentals. There are also 3 campgrounds right near Hwy 20 in the Macks Inn area…one on South Big Springs Loop Rd right off the highway, one on the west side of the highway along the river, and another just south of Macks Inn Resort at the Coffe Pot Rapids trailhead, also along the river.
Lodging choices are plentiful, adventures are numerous, and the scenery is spectacular. With so much to do and see, the Macks Inn area is a perfect, family-friendly vacation spot any season.
