Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, The Nature Conservancy has helped protect a variety of species and habitats in the United States and around the world since 1951. Hagerman, Idaho, is just one of those areas, renowned for its beauty, offering the outdoor enthusiast a broad range of activities embedded within natural environments. Whether sightseeing, watching or studying wildlife, tackling raging rivers, or hiking along challenging trails, the Nature Conservancy in Hagerman, Idaho, provides ample opportunity to commune with Mother Nature.
Northwest of Hagerman sitting on 350 acres, visitors will find the Box Canyon Springs Nature Preserve where sightseers can enjoy a number of Mother Nature's spectacles to include one of the largest springs on the North American continent. The spring pumps more than 180,000 gallons of water into the Snake River every minute. Native to Idaho and a rare species, visitors can also get a glimpse of the Shoshone Sculpin, among other rare fish species. Visitors can also enjoy activities such as kayaking on the Snake River, hiking through the preserve or take a fishing trip.
Moving along the Snake River, just south of Hagerman, visitors will run into the Thousand Springs Reserve, covering an area of two and a half miles. A geological wonder, here visitors can examine the geological record, soak in one of the thousands of springs dating back more than two centuries or just learn about the history of the area by visiting Ritter Island, located within the confounds of the preserve.
For those intrigued by wildlife, if you don't have time for a safari to the Serengeti Plains, Hagerman, Idaho, offers a rival spectacle into wildlife migration. Visitors can enjoy the migrations of several bird species to include waterfowl and raptors in both the Box Canyon Springs Nature Preserve and the Thousand Springs Nature Preserve.
The Hagerman, Idaho, area is most famous for the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, going back the the Pliocene Epoch era more than 3.5 million years ago. Visitors can examine detailed fossils and fossilized remains of more than 200 different plant and animal species from the era.
For those looking for challenges and thrills on the water, the Hagerman, Idaho, area serves up plenty of opportunity for whitewater rafting and kayaking. Many enthusiasts head to Big Wood River, a tributary of the Snake River, to begin their aquatic adventures. That is only a recommendation, however, as the Snake River itself offers challenging rapids. If you just want to see the towering imposition of nature, head over to the Malad Gorge in the Thousand Springs Nature Preserve and launch your kayak or raft. Beware of waterfalls; they are along the rivers in and around Hagerman.
