Wednesday, September 20th, 2006
Both the Nez
Perce and the U.S. Army spent time at this shallow lake located in a
grassy, seven mile wide basin surrounded by mountains. Nearby Raynold’s
Pass funnels traffic on State Hwy 87 to the north towards Bozeman or
Ennis, MT while US Hwy 20 crosses Targhee Pass at the Continental Divide
and leads to West Yellowstone. As State Hwy 87 passes the north shore
of Henrys Lake it meets Forest Road 55, which continues around the lake
to Staley Springs. This is where Gilman Sawtell, the first homesteader
in Island Park, bivouacked General Howard’s troops while the general
rode to Virginia City for supplies.
A loop can be made around
the lake by continuing on to Forest Road 53. The road ends at US Hwy 20
and is a lovely drive on a dirt road.
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