Idaho’s state park system remains a major draw more than a c…

The park, which today spans 4,800 acres was made possible in part through the Recreation & Public Purposes Act, which allowed the agency to sell public lands to state and local governments for recreational purposes.

The state park system expanded precipitously in the decades that followed, and today spans 28 state parks, 60,000 acres of land and 2,500 overnight campsites, far from the “embarrassment” Heyburn had once anticipated. It was less than two decades ago, however, the state was considering pulling back on some of its established public sites that had been frequented for decades.

In 2009, when the state was in the throes of the Great Recession, IDPR was at one point being considered to be parted out to other agencies. At the time, Just joined former IDPR director Yvonne Farrell to form the Friends of Idaho State Parks and garner support for the state’s park system — the agency ultimately survived the economic downturn, but not without a more than 80% cut to it budget, Just said.

Engagement in the parks has continued to be elevated since the COVID-19 pandemic, after people in Idaho and across the country were itching to get outside their homes and into the outdoors. In 2020, a record 7.6 million people visited Idaho state parks and IDPR has reported an average of 7.1 million visitors between 2020-2023.

While serving as a senator on the Idaho Legislature in 2023, Just served as a bill sponsor for an $100 million expansion of IDPR’s budget — the largest in state history, This was followed in 2024 with an allocation of $20 million in funds for deferred maintenance at state parks.

“COVID frankly showed us how much people love the state parks,” Just said. “When they were stuck at home, they got out in the fresh air where they could enjoy themselves and just inundated state parks. Not just here, but everywhere.”

McCandless covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Idaho Press of Nampa and Coeur d’Alene Press. He may be contacted at rmccandless@idahopress.com.