Farragut State Park, Idaho
An inland sea
This state park offers maritime history and gorgeous scenery
Farragut State Park, located on the south arm of Lake Pend Oreille, is a scenic site complete with idyllic marinas, charming shops and lakeside pubs that serve up live music and delicious fish 'n' chips. It is also the site of what was once the nation's second largest naval training centre.
Reflecting pools: Bayview in Farragut State Park is home to inland mariners. - photo by Tanya Laing Moore
In 1942, the Farragut naval base was opened to more than 300,000 naval recruits-and German prisoners of war. The prisoners often worked alongside the naval officers in the day-to-day routines on the base. From time to time, the prisoners ended up next to the recruits in another part of the base: the brig.
The base closed as a training centre in 1946, but the brig, complete with cells and bars, can still be seen.
Today, Farragut State Park houses a U.S. naval base and the Farragut Naval Training Centre Museum. Because of the lake's depth, some training still occurs here; submarines can be seen in the water just a stone's throw from the many sailboats that line the marina.
Historical Factoid » Farragut State Park is named after Admiral David Farragut, a senior officer of the U.S. Navy during the American Civil War. He was famous for uttering, "Damn the torpedoes! Full steam ahead!"