Silver Creek Preserve

Sponsored by The Nature Conservancy in Idaho

• Location: Idaho
• Travel Type: Walking
• Tour Duration: 30 minutes
• Language:

This audio walking tour follows a meandering trail through a beautiful high-desert landscape that supports an ecosystem unlike any other in the world.

Many small feeder springs merge together here into three prime tributary creeks — collectively known as Silver Creek — creating the ideal habitat for birds, insects, mammals and fish. The world-class trout streams are a fly fisherman’s paradise. And many fascinating animals find refuge here — waterfowl, eagles, hawks, songbirds, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, deer, elk and moose, just to name a few.

The Silver Creek Preserve is in Bellevue, Idaho, near the towns of Picabo, Carey, Magic, and Richfield.

Up until the mid-1970s, this property was a cattle ranch owned by the Sun Valley Company. Called Sun Valley Ranch, it consisted of about 780 acres. The thousand head of cattle grazing u created so much runoff and erosion in the creek that the quality of the fishery hit an all-time low.

A handful of inspired individuals rallied to save this local treasure. In 1976, they helped The Nature Conservancy purchase 479 acres along the creek. Since then, the preserve has grown to more than 880 acres. The stream is once again a thriving fishery thanks to The Nature Conservancy’s decades of restoration work.

As a flagship conservation project of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Silver Creek Preserve is a model for community conservation in Idaho and beyond. It demonstrates the power of community and we hope it will inspire you to get involved in your own community and protect the places and values you love.

Tour Sponsors
This tour is sponsored by TNC-Idaho. TNC-Idaho brings people together to drive transformational change and tackle the biggest conservation challenges. Their work is focused on areas where we can have the greatest impact: agriculture, land and water, and climate.

Find More Tours Near You
If you are interested in more audio tours in the region, check out Hemmingway in Idaho’s High Desert tour and Idaho National Laboratory tour. To find more tours in Idaho or wherever your travels may take you, visit TravelStorys.com. Every place has a story.