by steve smede

Looking for an easy solution to keep the whole brood entertained? Idaho Falls has no shortage of wide open spaces that engage and educate. Check out these citywide favorites.

If you’re ranking Idaho Falls parks for families, Tautphaus Park wins before the debate even starts. The city’s largest and oldest park packs more kid-friendly attractions into one place than anywhere else in town. There’s the Idaho Falls Zoo, the restored Funland amusement park (see our July issue for details), multiple playgrounds (including an all-access, ADA-accessible playground) plus open lawns, picnic shelters, tennis courts, a skate park and enough room for kids to burn off energy for hours. It’s the rare park where a family can easily spend an entire day without leaving the grounds.

As the seasons progress, Tautphaus doesn’t hibernate. Late fall and winter have plenty of options here as well. Festivities kick off with Boo at the Zoo in late October. The Halloween fundraiser is presented by the Tautphaus Park Zoological Society. Its annual “merry, not scary” theme transforms the zoo with thousands of lights and themed displays, while costumed kids collect treats from community booths throughout the facility. Costume contests, family activities and the chance to see the animals after hours have made Boo at the Zoo one of eastern Idaho’s signature Halloween events.

When snow conditions cooperate, Parks and Recreation grooms cross-country ski trails that loop through Tautphaus, offering one of the easiest places in town for beginners to get started. An outdoor skating rink is also built near the Joe Marmo/Wayne Lehto Ice Arena, where families can skate for free (weather permitting) and rent skates inside the arena during public skating sessions. The indoor arena keeps the action going all winter with public skating, youth hockey, figure skating and learn-to-skate programs.

Even on days without snow, Tautphaus remains a favorite place for a family walk. The all-access playground stays open year-round, while wide paved paths, open lawns and picnic shelters make the park just as inviting on a crisp fall afternoon as they are in July. Tautphaus also includes Joe Marmo/Wayne Lehto Ice Arena, sports fields and plenty of room to stretch your legs until warmer weather brings the park back to life.

But for all its kid-friendly recreational grandeur, Tautphaus is really only the beginning.

For decades, Idaho Falls had been in dire need of a kid-friendly fishing hole. The river may have monster trout and a growing number of hefty sturgeon, but access can be tricky and, frankly, not that productive without some advanced knowledge and technique.

To answer this conundrum, Ryder Park’s addition of Becker Pond has become one of the city’s best spots to introduce children to fishing. Stocked by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the small community pond is designed with beginners in mind, offering an easy place for youngsters to catch their first fish without hiking into the backcountry. Wide walking paths, grassy areas and picnic tables make it easy to turn a fishing trip into a family outing.

Becker also has one key feature that separates it from most youth-oriented fishing holes: an easy-access pier that makes a perfect casting platform. It’s totally ADA-accessible, and for any youngsters looking to get into fly fishing, there is plenty of room for back-casting and roll-casting right at the water’s edge.

Just a few minutes away, the Idaho Falls River Walk remains one of the community’s signature recreational circuits. More than 5 miles of paved greenbelt follow both sides of the Snake. Supervision is a must when using the path close to the formidable currents, but you’ll also find plenty of adjacent parks, playgrounds, public art and some of the city’s best scenery throughout its course. Families can stroll beneath mature trees or simply spread out a blanket along the river.

On the north end of the River Walk, the greenbelt path opens up to Russ Freeman Park. Many of us know Freeman as the host to the wildly successful Field of Honor display over Memorial Day weekend, but it’s sometimes overlooked for its other offerings. Picnic tables can be found throughout the park. Same for shelters if you’re planning a larger gathering. There’s also a top-notch disc golf course that winds through the property, and thanks to its rolling landscape, Freeman makes a spectacular sledding hill once the snowy season hits.

Another River Walk-connected feature to check out: Heritage Park. It’s a brand new park (still in development, actually) that flanks the river’s west bank.

The 10-acre property is being built in phases to celebrate the area’s natural, cultural and historical heritage. Wide paved paths, open lawns and river access already make it a popular stop for walkers, cyclists and families looking for room to roam.

If you have younger kiddos, the biggest draw is what’s still ahead. The Heritage master plan includes a nature-themed playground, an interactive stream where kids can play in the water, nature trails, surface water gardens, interpretive heritage stops and island exploration areas designed to encourage outdoor discovery.

Recent additions have already made the park more family-friendly. Two new picnic shelters, funded through the Idaho Falls Rotary Club’s annual Duck Race, provide shaded gathering spaces for birthday parties, reunions and weekend outings. (Since 2018, Rotary has contributed more than $800,000 toward Heritage Park improvements, including pathways, irrigation, sod and the new shelters.)

Elsewhere around town, neighborhood parks continue to provide easy escapes close to home. Community Park offers expansive open space, sports fields and playgrounds that stay busy throughout the summer. Kate Curley Park remains a favorite on the west side with mature trees, playground equipment and picnic areas, while Reinhart Park gives nearby families another comfortable place to gather.

When snow arrives, Idaho Falls families have two tubing parks to choose from, and each offers a different experience.

The newest addition is Gateway Parks Idaho Falls at Ryder Park, operated in partnership with Kelly Canyon. The park uses timed 90-minute sessions to keep tubing lanes moving and lines short, making it a good option for families looking to squeeze in some winter fun without committing an entire day. Reservations are recommended, and a Magic Carpet lift carries riders back to the top after each run.

Just east of town, the Idaho Falls Snow Park offers a different approach. The 42-acre facility off of Bone features multiple tubing lanes, a kiddie hill and conveyor lift, with ticket options ranging from half-day sessions to all-day passes.

For families planning to make a full winter outing of it, the longer access windows and generally lower base prices can make it the better value. The park also includes snow-play areas and produces its own snow for the tubing runs to help keep the season going.

Whether your kids are chasing peacocks at the zoo, reeling in their first cutthroat, splashing through a future play stream at Heritage Park or flying down a tubing hill after the season’s first snowfall, Idaho Falls offers plenty of excuses to spend more time outside together. The hardest part may not be finding something to do. It may be deciding where to start.

Source material: City of Idaho Falls Parks & Recreation. For facility details and fees, click on the Recreation and Parks & Facilities tabs at idahofallsidaho.gov.