Blackfoot & Bingham County
You can't talk about Bingham County Idaho without
talking potatoes. Simply put, there is no finer potato
grown anywhere in the world than the Idaho Russet, and more
of them are grown in Bingham County than anywhere in the
world. They grow a lot of them, 30% of the United
States production of Potatoes are grown here.
 Since this is potato country you
should make you first stop the Idaho Potato Museum on Main street.
The Idaho Potato Museum is all about potatoes. You'll learn
how they're planted, how they grow, how they are harvested,
and the many ways they are cooked. Don't get the idea
this is all serious stuff, you'll also get to see the
world's largest potato chip and a Marilyn Monroe exhibit
featuring the movie star filling a burlap potato sack like
no russet ever did. The museum is open from May
through September and offers an additional incentive to out
of state visitors; you get a free baked potato with your
paid admission.
 Growing that many potatoes uses up a
lot of land, but somehow Bingham County has some left
over for sportsmen, play, and three communities that
will win your heart. If you are headed north your first
stop will be Blackfoot. Blackfoot is at the
confluence of the larger and better known Snake River
and the Blackfoot River from which it gets it's name.
Jensen Lake in Blackfoot.
Blackfoot loves parks and has 10 of them, the biggest is
Jensen Grove right off Interstate 15. The 20 acre
Jensen Lake provides swimming, water skiing and personal
watercraft opportunities. The park contains part of a
Greenway system which links the community of Blackfoot with
the Snake River, part of the path crossing over the north
end of Jensen Lake.
 Then there is the
Eastern Idaho State Fair. That's the
official title. It is in fact one of the finest
agricultural fairs in the country. Starting Labor
Day weekend and running through the following Saturday,
this fair will draw over 200,000 visitors to the town of
10,000. You'll find the expected exhibits along
with pari-mutuel horse racing, rodeos, carnival rides of
course, and big name entertainment every night. In
addition, two small stages on each end of the fair
grounds offer free entertainment acts daily North from
Blackfoot is Shelley.
More about the Fair.
 At Interstate 15's milepost 98, have a look at
the peaked building with the sod roof. That's a potato
cellar. This part of Idaho is full of them and they
are nature's most efficient system for storing the
crop. To the right of it you'll see a more modern
version, but these sod covered versions are original and
still serviceable.
Now's the time to head for the Snake River again,
especially if you're making your trek in an RV. You
are looking for what's called North Bingham County Park.
It's the newest park in the Bingham County system and offers
RV hookups and dump station and a picnic area to let you
enjoy the view of one of the country's most attractive
rivers. This area also features a Greenway linking the
town of Shelley and the Snake River, near the park it runs
adjacent to the river to make stretching your legs a scenic
event.
Then there's Aberdeen. Aberdeen
is south of Shelley, and west of Blackfoot. Take State
Highway 39 to get there because the trip is worth it.
In addition to the surrounding potato country, Aberdeen is
near the shore of the American Falls Reservoir.
There's more information on the Reservoir in the
American Falls
section of this travel guide. You'll want to check out
Sportsman Park for its access to the reservoir and complete
services for RV travelers and fishermen.
 Blackfoot & Bingham
County
130 N W Main
P. O. Box 801
Blackfoot, Idaho 83221-0801
Phone: (208) 785-0510
Blackfoot and Bingham County Website
Idaho Potato Museum
Swim year-round in our newly remodeled indoor swimming pool.
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