About Us
Mack's Inn is located in the heart of Island Park on the banks of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River. The resort was located at its current sight around 1916 by William H. Mack or "Doc", as he was known by many. The Mack's used the summers in construction and expansion of the resort, while the winters were either spent in the Snake River valley or in California. In 1943, Mack's Inn was purchased by Harvey and Gladys Schwendiman. By 1947, the management of Mack's Inn was assumed by Grant and Moziene Mortensen (Schwendiman's second daughter and son-in-law). The Mack's Inn Lodge construction was started that year. When Harvey Schwendiman died in 1971, the ownership of Mack's Inn went to Bonnie Mortenson (Schwendiman's third daughter). Bonnie and Max Mortenson, sold Mack's Inn to Ralph and Flora Bastian around 1976. In October of 1989, the Mack's Inn lodge, a landmark of Island Park, burnt to the ground. Although all of the lodging and convention facilities were not affected, the loss of the lodge was greatly felt by local residents and vacationers alike.
In March 1996, Chad and Susan Bauer and Rick and April Evans purchased the Resort from the Bastian's. Rick and April moved their family from Utah and live year round on the property until 2005.
.In the spring of 2005 Chad and Susan purchased Rick and April's interest. Jamie and LeGrand Ellison live at the property and manage the day to day operation and are committed to provide your family a great vacation destination.
Island Park has "America's longest main street". The Island Park country is normally thought of as the rolling, pine-clad area between Warm River above Ashton to the south, and Henry's Lake to the North. Within the incorporated area lies a 35 mile "Main Street", over 75 miles of fishing streams, 2 lakes, and beautiful resorts. Island Park offers every kind of mountain recreation and every kind of accommodation to satisfy every kind of sportsman or tourist. Having a good time ranges from fishing and hunting, to horseback riding in the mountains, boating on the lakes and rivers, gentle float trips down the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, or just relaxing among the tall pines and quaking aspen.
Click on the image for a larger map of the Island Park area (78 K).
Mountain trails wind through aspen and pine groves, wild flowers, and sagebrush from 6,800 feet altitude at the highway to heights from 8,000 to 10,500 feet. These trails can be accessed with ATV's in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter. Over 500 miles of groomed snowmobile trails beckon the fun at heart.
Fishing is a major attraction to the area. There are basic reasons why it is tops in trout fishing. It is high watershed country. Its streams and lakes having their inception in, and draining from, the Bitter Root Divide. The majestic North Fork of the Snake River, together with its tributaries of the Buffalo, Warm River, Robison, and the numerous creeks, represent a vast mileage of "big" trout water.
These streams are, almost without exception, clearwater streams the year around. They produce almost unlimited fish food. They tumble and meander through meadow, timberlands, and rocky gorges full of natural fish cover. The scenery throughout the area is breath-taking.
The North Fork is predominantly rainbow trout water. The fish range from the barely legal size of annual plantings, to whoppers of unbelievable proportions. Two, three, and four pounders are not uncommon. Those anglers who fail to catch big rainbows can convince themselves of their existence by simply driving to Big Springs. There, the rainbows come to the headwaters where they can be fed right from the bridge in these "closed for fishing" waters. The numbers and size of the fish at Big Springs are not quite as predominate as they were a few years ago, yet they are there and still growing.
A great virtue of North Fork fishing is the fact that it represents fishing for all ages, skills, and types of angling. Bait fishermen, and spinner-angleworm enthusiasts take their share in early season. Salmon-eggers do likewise in the numerous areas of the rivers and streams. The wet fly angler has perfect trout water in such areas as Box Canyon, Henry's Lake Outlet, and there is no more beautiful dry fly waters than the placid reaches of streams around Mack's Inn and Pond's Lodge, and the famed Railroad Ranch. Expert anglers, using the big flies as bait, enjoy a type of rainbow fishing found in few other localities.
Henry's Lake, at the headwaters of the North Fork, is claimed to contain the largest population of natural cutthroat trout in the country. These cutthroats, or "natives" run from a pound or so in weight to six pounds and larger--the average being from two to three. Henry's Lake, lying in the center of three mountain passes, is one of the strangest burial grounds of the world. Indians tell us that at one time there were grass covered floating islands that mysteriously vanished and reappeared. Inasmuch as they vanished "six sleeps in each moon" that by the time the erected scaffolds had sunk into the bogs, the soul of a dead Indian would be safely within the "happy hunting grounds". To the geologists, it is an interesting example of a remnant dating back to an age when all of these valleys were filled with water. Today the lake affords good fishing and its marshes abound with ducks.