McCroskey State Park

47°03′54″N 116°57′02″W / 47.0648962°N 116.9504454°W / 47.0648962; -116.9504454^[1]Area5,300 acres (21 km²)^[2]Elevation4,022 ft (1,226 m)^[1]Max. elevation4,324 ft (1,318 m)Min. elevation3,039 ft (926 m)DesignationIdaho state parkEstablished1955; 69 years ago (1955)Named forMary Minerva McCroskeyAdministratorIdaho Department of Parks and RecreationWebsiteMcCroskey State Park

McCroskey State Park—officially Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park—is a public recreation area in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, located in the Palouse region of northern Idaho. The park's 5,300 acres (8.3 sq mi; 21 km²) stretch along a ridge in Latah and Benewah Counties, along the border with Washington.^[3][4][5][6]

History

McCroskey State Park was given to the state of Idaho in 1955 by a local conservationist, Virgil T. McCroskey (1876–1970),^[7] who gradually bought up land endangered by logging and cobbled his purchases into a 4,400-acre (18 km²) parcel.^[3][8][4][9] To make the land more attractive to tourists, he cut viewpoints into some of the slopes, built picnic areas, planted flowers, and established a road.

The state legislature, however, had serious doubts about the new park – thinking it would not generate enough revenue to justify the loss in taxes – and agreed to accept the gift only if McCroskey, then in his late seventies, maintained the park at his own expense for the next fifteen years. McCroskey accepted the terms, and lived exactly fifteen more years, fulfilling his obligation to the state of Idaho just weeks before his death in 1970 at age 93.^[10][11]

McCroskey named the park in honor of his mother Mary,^[3] a pioneer woman who left Tennessee with her husband and children and came to eastern Washington to establish a homestead near Steptoe Butte; she died when Virgil was 14, and he dedicated it to all pioneer women.^[9]

After his death, the park received less than adequate attention from the state for nearly two decades, until the late 1980s.^{[4][10][12][13][14]}

Description

McCroskey State Park occupies the rocky slopes of Skyline Ridge on Mineral Mountain, in a transitional zone between the Palouse prairie to the west (and south) and the Rocky Mountains to the east.^[6] The park's chief attraction is a narrow unimproved road called Skyline Drive, which winds for 18 miles (30 km) along a steep ridge, climbing through dense cedar forest that gives way to stands of ponderosa pine and, eventually, to prairie. The road also links a scattering of interpretive signs and vista points.^[2]

In addition, there are 32 miles (51 km) of trails open to hiking, mountain biking, horses, and all-terrain vehicles. Picnic areas, pit toilets and primitive campsites are available, along with a single source of drinking water near the midpoint of Skyline Drive. Since the park is large, remote, and underutilized, it provides excellent habitat for an assortment of wildlife, including deer, moose, and black bears. Despite McCroskey's "park" status, however, significant logging still takes place within park boundaries.^{[citation needed]}

The park lies about ten miles (16 km) north of Potlatch. The best access point is from Highway 95, but visitors can also enter the park from Farmington road on the west side, a few miles north of Farmington, Washington. On the Farmington side, the only indication of the park's presence is the Skyline Drive sign, and the roads are much rougher.^[15]

Gallery

• 
  Looking south from Skyline Drive
• 
  Map of McCroskey State Park
• 
  Skyline Drive with Steptoe Butte in background
• 
  view of Farmington, WA and Steptoe Butte
• 
  Covered Shelter at the Fireplace Day Use Area
• 
  Scenic view from Fireplace Day Use Area

See also

• List of Idaho state parks
• National Parks in Idaho

References

External links

Federal

National Parks	Yellowstone
National Historic Sites & Historical Parks	Minidoka NHS Nez Perce NHP
National Monuments	Craters of the Moon Hagerman Fossil Beds
National Forests	Bitterroot Boise Caribou-Targhee Clearwater Coeur d'Alene Idaho Panhandle Kaniksu Kootenai Nez Perce Payette Salmon-Challis Sawtooth St. Joe Wallowa–Whitman Wasatch-Cache
National Grasslands	Curlew
National Recreation Areas	Hells Canyon Sawtooth
National Wildlife Refuges	Bear Lake Camas Deer Flat Grays Lake Kootenai Minidoka Oxford Slough Waterfowl Production Area
National Conservation Areas	Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey
Wilderness Areas	Big Jacks Creek Bruneau–Jarbidge Rivers Craters of the Moon Frank Church–River of No Return Gospel Hump Hells Canyon Hemingway–Boulders Jim McClure–Jerry Peak Little Jacks Creek North Fork Owyhee Owyhee River Pole Creek Sawtooth Selway–Bitterroot Cecil D. Andrus–White Clouds
National Wild and Scenic Rivers	Battle Creek Big Jacks Creek Bruneau Bruneau (West Fork) Clearwater (Middle Fork) Cottonwood Creek Deep Creek Dickshooter Creek Duncan Creek Jarbidge Little Jacks Creek Lochsa Owyhee Owyhee (North Fork) Owyhee (South Fork) Rapid Red Canyon Saint Joe Salmon Salmon (Middle Fork) Selway Sheep Creek Snake Wickahoney Creek

State

State Parks

Bear Lake Bruneau Dunes Castle Rocks City of Rocks Coeur d'Alene Parkway Dworshak Eagle Island Farragut Harriman Hells Gate Henrys Lake Heyburn Lake Cascade Lake Walcott Land of the Yankee Fork Lucky Peak Massacre Rocks McCroskey Old Mission Ponderosa Priest Lake Round Lake Thousand Springs Three Island Crossing Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes Winchester Lake

Wildlife Management Areas

Big Cottonwood Billingsley Creek Blackfoot River Boise River Boundary Creek Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh Carey Lake Cartier Slough Cecil D. Andrus C.J. Strike Coeur d'Alene River Craig Mountain Deer Parks Farragut Fort Boise Georgetown Summit Hagerman Market Lake McArthur Lake Montour Montpelier Mud Lake Niagara Springs Payette River Pend Oreille Portneuf Red River St. Maries Sand Creek Snow Peak Sterling Tex Creek

Other