Big Springs - Idaho
Posted by: 
Lord Mot
N 44° 30.038 W 111° 15.297
12T E 479732 N 4927511
Located on Big Springs Road near Island Park, Idaho
Waymark Code: WMBKZR
Location: Idaho, United States
Date Posted: 05/31/2011
Views: 15
Big Springs is a National Natural Landmark and one of my most favorite places on Earth. Every year as a kid, my family and I would go to Yellowstone with my Grandparents and every year we would stop at Big Springs to feed the fish. We would always make sure to bring a loaf of bread and when we arrived, we would run to the bridge to see all of the huge Rainbow and Brown trout in the water below the bridge. We would break off pieces of bread and try to toss it in front of the nose of one of the monster trout to watch it rise and gulp the bread from the surface. After all of these years, the crystal clear water, gravely bottom and waving moss has not changed. There seems to be fewer trout though and rumor has it that one Winter a number of years back, some snowmobilers came over from West Yellowstone and poached a lot of the trout from the springs. They have slowly made their way back and there are some really nice fish under that bridge.
About five miles from Henry's Lake is Big Springs. Big Springs is located on the Western edge of a lava flow eruption from vents on the Yellowstone Plateau to the East. Here, waters from the Yellowstone Plateau have percolated down through the highly fractured basalt and come out, thousands of gallons a minute. One hundred and twenty million gallons of pure water a day to forming the headwaters of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River. Enough water to meet the needs of a million people surge out of the ground here.
A short distance from the glassy pool is a bridge. From it, you'll see the constant flow and the clean gravel bottom which make for perfect trout habitat. With a year-round temperature of 52 degrees, Big Spring’s trout get BIG. No fishing is allowed until below the outlet to Henry's Lake, several miles away.
Take the short walking trail around the pond where the springs bubble from beneath to reach Johnny Sack's cabin. From 1929 until 1953, Johnny Sack lived in this little cabin he built himself. Johnny was a German immigrant who built his cozy cabin and its furnishings by hand out of local trees. He also built a water wheel turned by spring water tumbling out of the hillside. The wheel provided electricity and brought water uphill to the cabin. Johnny's old place is now a visitor center and an attraction in its own right and run by the Forest Service.
(Source: My Earthcache GC1H7AW)
Public or Private Land?: Public
Public Land Fees?: 0
Private Land access?: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the springs no GPS necessary along with your observations of the spring. What wildlife you saw if any and the condition of the springs. Water level was high, low. The area was clean, trashy ect. Any other knowledge or experiences you have had with this paticular spring that would help document it's history.