The dude-barn dormitory here was originally used as a stable. On this night more than a century later, it still sounded like one.
"It only took me one year to learn to bring earplugs. The snoring can get pretty loud," says Angie Algarin of Salt Lake City, who took her first trip to the historic ranch and state park in eastern Idaho nine years ago. "It's kind of hard to get somebody in a bunk bed to stop snoring. You can't push them to make them turn over, and you really can't be yelling at them, either, because that might be worse than the snoring."
The dormitory at Harriman provides semi-private sleeping quarters for up to 40 people, making it the perfect place for family reunions, old friends and even strangers to spend time, as long as you can handle the snoring.
Known originally as the Railroad Ranch when it was created more than 100 years ago, Harriman State Park has gone from a working ranch and getaway homestead for the wealthy to a popular recreation destination for the masses.
Bob Springmeyer, Algarin's father-in-law, has been arranging group trips to the dorms at Harriman for 13 years. He always reserves the bunkhouse and the cookhouse that comes with it and always tries to invite new people on the annual trips. Once at the ranch, everyone is expected to take turns organizing and preparing meals for the group.
"The sleeping arrangements knock down walls strangers have when they first meet, but it's the cooking for each other and sharing meals that really brings a group of people together," Springmeyer says. "There's just something about preparing meals for others that bonds the group."
If listening to others snore and talk in their sleep is not your idea of a bonding experience, the state park offers two fully furnished historical homes for rent and also has two yurts available for lodging.
Kick back and relax - yeah, right: Sitting in front of the bunkhouse is a hitching post, but a horse couldn't find its way through the maze of bikes, some with training wheels and some that could be in the Olympics, leaning against the gray weathered wood. With more than 20 miles of trails open to biking, hiking, horseback riding and groomed cross-country skiing in the winter, there is plenty to do between meals, all year round.
Road cycling to the scenic Mesa Falls, about 14 miles from the ranch, is also popular, but be warned - a member of Springmeyer's party blew a tire trying to avoid hitting a black bear cub on the road.
Speaking of wildlife, hunting is not allowed on the ranch or the surrounding refuge, and big game, including elk, moose and deer, are a common sight. The part of the Snake River that runs through the state park is managed as a waterfowl sanctuary. Canada geese, white pelicans and numerous other waterfowl can be seen throughout the year. And the eight miles of the park's river are recognized as some of the finest fly-fishing water in the world.
Harriman State Park Manager Keith Hobbs says grizzlies and wolves also have been seen on the ranch. He appears particularly proud to report that the trumpeter swans of Harriman are probably some of the most productive in North America.
"This year they had five cygnets [young]," he says. "Considering in Idaho we probably produce about 20 each year, it's pretty impressive to have one nest produce 25 percent of the recruitment."
If there isn't enough to do on the ranch, the west entrance to Yellowstone is 38 miles away. One day during their Labor Day weekend visit, Springmeyer helped members of his party launch at nearby Big Springs for the popular canoe float to Mack's Inn.
Kokanee salmon in their bright red fall spawning colors were seen in the deep holes and four moose were spotted on the edge of the river during the two-hour float.
Early morning and evening are the best times to take a seat and watch the sun rise or set on the river. Folks waiting for breakfast or dinner naturally congregate in front of the cookhouse for the spectacular view of the Henrys Fork.
For future generations: Harriman Ranch, originally known as the Railroad Ranch, was created in 1902 when several men associated with the Oregon Short Line - a subsidiary of Union Pacific - formed the Island Park Land and Cattle Company.
Edward Harriman, then chairman of the Union Pacific Railroad, bought into the company in 1908. He passed away in 1909, but his widow and children visited the ranch in 1911, fell in love with the setting and made an annual trip from their home in New York to Idaho.
After decades of summers spent on the ranch, Roland and Gladys Harriman and Averell Harriman decided to donate the property, with several stipulations, to the state of Idaho. Perhaps they came up with the idea from their mother, who donated 10,000 acres of land in 1910 to New York state for the first Harriman State Park.
After secret meetings with then-Idaho Governor Robert Smylie and extensive political wrangling, an agreement was reached in 1965 for the Harrimans to give the ranch to the state upon their passing.
Roland Harriman wrote that the family gave the ranch to Idaho "because we just could not face the prospect of its becoming nothing more than an uncontrolled real estate development with hot dog stands and cheap honky-tonks and because we could foresee the necessity for preserving such property for the enjoyment of future generations," according to the book Harriman: From Railroad Ranch to State Park, A History of Idaho's Harriman State Park by Mary E. Reed and Keith C. Petersen.
On April 1, 1977, the ranch and 27 historic buildings were turned over to the state, and on July 17, 1982, Harriman State Park of Idaho officially opened to the public. The gift of Harriman Ranch did not end with the more than 10,000 acres and historic buildings. One of the stipulations, arguably the most important to at least the people of Idaho, was the requirement that the state set up an agency specifically to handle the ranch. That led to the creation of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, which now manages nearly 30 state parks.
Liza Raley of Idaho Falls and her family joined the Springmeyer party on Labor Day weekend. She was initially nervous about the close quarters of the weekend with strangers, but ended up enjoying the camaraderie the dorm experience provided.
"It kind of seemed like I was going to summer camp as a teenager again," she says. "But I loved the bunkhouse and the cooking. It was a really fun way to spend the weekend with people who love doing the same kind of things my family does."
Raley says she had heard of Harriman Ranch State Park, but had never thought about staying there. Now, she is planning another trip for family to the historic ranch, perhaps as soon as this summer.
"I like the feeling of going to camp as a family, and that is what it felt like," she says. "It brought back a lot of memories and created a lot of new ones at the same time."
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* BRETT PRETTYMAN can be contacted at brettp@sltrib.com or at 801-257-8902. Send comments to livingeditor@sltrib.com.
* WHY GO? Harriman State Park, which lies within a scenic 11,000-acre wildlife refuge in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, offers a historic, dude-ranch experience for all ages, year-round. Moose, elk and sandhill cranes are common, as is North America's largest waterfowl, the trumpeter swan. Known as one of the best fly-fishing streams in the nation, Henrys Fork of the Snake River meanders for eight miles through Harriman. There are also more than 20 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing.
Harriman State Park of Idaho
* HOW TO GET THERE: The park is in eastern Idaho, 18 miles north of Ashton on Highway 20, about a four-hour drive from Salt Lake City. Take Interstate 15 north to Idaho Falls and catch Highway 20 going northeast.
* WHAT IT WILL COST: Three buildings and two yurts are available for rental year-round at the state park. The Dude Barn Dormitory sleeps up to 40 in a semi-private environment, with restÂrooms and showers. The fee is $12 per person, per night, with a minimum charge of $180. The cookhouse, a separate building a short distance away, comes with the dorm rental and includes all the utensils and appliances needed to feed your group. Sleeping bags or sheets are required for the bunkhouse. The Ranch Manager's House is a rustic log cabin, which sleeps up to eight people. Beds come with linens, and eating utensils and appliances are included. The rate is $190 per night for four adults (16 and older) and $12 per person for each additional adult. The Cattle Foreman's House is fully furnished, with three bedrooms, linens and eating items. The rate is $140 per night for four adults and a $12 per night fee for each additional adult. The maximum capacity is six. There are two yurts - Cygnet and Wyethia - available for rental. The yurts are built on wooden decks, with insulated canvas walls and ceilings. Two futon-style bunk beds are in each of the yurts with a maximum capacity of six, including children. Woodstoves and propane devices for cooking and lighting are included in the $35-per-night rate. Water and vault toilets provide the basic necessities. There are no campsites available at the ranch.
* NOT TO MISS: For a real feel of the Old West, make sure to go on a horseback ride at the ranch. Dry Ridge Outfitters provides trail rides in the state park. Visit http://www.
dryridge.com for more information.
* WHERE TO EAT: Bring your own food and share the duties with your group in the aptly furnished cookhouse on the ranch.
* WEATHER: It's the mountains. Be ready for anything. The best time to visit is the traditional summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but the ranch is open throughout the year.
* MORE INFORMATION: Reservations for all the available lodging at Harriman State Park can be made up to nine months in advance and as late as 48 hours before arrival. Call 866-634-3246 or visit http://www.parksandrecreation.
idaho.gov/parks/reserve.aspx to make reservations.
