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. In light of spring’s approach, we’re letting you in on one particularly enchanting secret garden worth seeking out–one which is no secret to its community residents, but is an overlooked gem for visitors: the Rock and Japanese Friendship Gardens in Idaho Falls.
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.
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.
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.
Most recently, the additions of the Japanese Friendship Garden and Rock Garden into the park setting are uniquely beautiful additions that that no one should miss.
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.
The Japanese garden is set slightly aside from the main park area, designed with the input of representatives from Idaho Falls' sister city: Tokai.
But while this beautiful garden and its idyllic park setting may be Japanese-inspired, you'l no doubt find some Idaho wildlife to remind you where you are.
