Idaho is home to a truly special community. Idahoans are naturally nature and beauty-loving folk, and we take extra joy in finding hidden spaces that create a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of daily life. These are quiet places but they are also communal — secret squares of green and light and flowers tucked into the unexpected hearts of towns. Today, we’re letting you in on one particularly enchanting Idaho Falls secret garden worth seeking out — one which is no secret to its community residents but is an overlooked gem for visitors: the Japanese Friendship Gardens

Idaho Falls is well known for the graceful urban waterfalls that cascade in the middle of the Snake River and for the beautiful greenbelt that meanders alongside the water.
Howard Richter/Flickr
For many in this lovely waterfront city, the beautiful scenes of Sportsman Park are a reminder of how the community has grown up around an island known to early settlers as Taylor’s Crossing.
Japanese Friendship Garden at Sportsman Park, Idaho Falls
Tim Thompson/GoogleMaps
Japanese Friendship Garden at Sportsman Park, Idaho Falls
Wally Schofield/GoogleMAps
But few people realize that this city has won quite a few awards for its beautiful parks and landscaping — a truly special accomplishment for humble Idaho.
Japanese Friendship Garden at Sportsman Park, Idaho Falls
Muhammed Danish/GoogleMaps
Today, Sportsman Park is home to a Japanese-themed Friendship Garden, a respite created by hundreds of local volunteers who came together to work on the project in 2011.
Eduardo Escobar-Gallardo/Google
The Japanese garden is set slightly aside from the main park area, designed with the input of representatives from Idaho Falls' sister city: Tokai-Mura.
Hannah Zimmerman (Hanners)/Google
Here, you'll find meditation stones, benches, waterfalls, and small creeks...
Japanese Friendship Garden at Sportsman Park, Idaho Falls
Cryforyou/GoogleMaps

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Japanese Friendship Garden at Sportsman Park, Idaho Falls
Muhammed Danish/GoogleMaps
And endless lush vegetation.
Japanese Friendship Garden at Sportsman Park, Idaho Falls
orchidpuma/GoogleMaps
In fact, as you walk into the garden-like Sportsman Park, the first thing you'll hear is the soothing sound of the streams flowing and trickling.
Nearby, multiple war and veteran memorials dot the rock walls and pathways, like this Blue Star Memorial.
Japanese Friendship Garden at Sportsman Park, Idaho Falls
City of Idaho Falls/Facebook
Running right alongside the river, the nearby Rock Garden creates a winding maze of relaxing beauty.
Japanese Friendship Garden at Sportsman Park, Idaho Falls
City of Idaho Falls/Facebook
Japanese Friendship Garden at Sportsman Park, Idaho Falls
City of Idaho Falls/Facebook
Tranquil and inspiring, this is one "secret" park garden that is too lovely to pass up any time of the year!
Christian Bjork/Google
It's the perfect place to get away in the warmer months. And, if you're there around dusk, the lighting is gorgeous!
But while this beautiful garden and its idyllic park setting may be Japanese-inspired, you will no doubt find some Idaho wildlife to remind you where you are.
Japanese Friendship Garden at Sportsman Park, Idaho Falls
Dan Ostler/Google Maps

Are you ready to enjoy this idyllic waterfront oasis in southeastern Idaho? Have you ever visited the Japanese Friendship Garden in Idaho Falls? What are some of your favorite gardens in Idaho? Let us know in the comments. You can also learn more about this Idaho Falls secret garden on the City of Idaho Falls website.

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Courtnie Erickson | April 02, 2024

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Japanese Friendship Garden, 600 W Broadway St, Idaho Falls, ID 83402, USA