Getting married in a state park is a great way to have a unique and meaningful elopement. Not only are state parks beautiful and often rich with natural wonders, but they are often free or low-cost, making it a much more affordable option than many traditional venues. Many state parks also offer features such as hiking trails, natural bridges, lakes, and other picturesque backdrops, which can make for a stunning, memorable wedding day.
This is also the case for Farragut State Park! It is one of my favorite places for elopements! Let me tell you how insanely beautiful it is, it's perfect if you're wanting to plan your elopement in Farragut State Park, and in this blog I'll go over:
Elopement activities and ideas
Some of my favorite hikes
How to accommodate guests
Accommodations and rentals
How to elope in Farragut State Park
Elopement Activities in Farragut State Park
If you love water activities, Farragut is a great place to find beautiful places to swim, boat, kayak, paddleboard, fish, and more! Lake Pend Oreille is the largest lake in Idaho, so there's plenty of places to pick from.
A popular swimming area in the park is Beaver Bay. The water is emerald green and is clear. The water is so refreshing to swim in! There are some beautiful spots along the nearby Shoreline Trail for swimming or bridals, too!

Buttonhook Bay is a stunning spot for photos too! There is a stunning view of the lake if you climb the super short but steep trail up the hill. There's a bench there and it's the best spot to watch the sunset turn the mountains orange. There is a dock as well that would be pretty for photos! This bay would be stunning for kayaking photos, or for paddle boarding! The main boat launch nearby is also a stunning spot. You can get to these spots by walking the trail that goes by Beaver Bay.
If you love hikes with stunning views of the lake and surrounding mountains, that's an option too! Here are some hikes with some seriously amazing views:
Other than water activities and hiking, people come to mountain bike, play disc golf, wildlife watch, camp, and enjoy the Tree to Tree Adventure Park.
Reception Area
Farragut also has an outdoor pavilion area and is popular for weddings, or in this case, elopements! The park offers great places for adventurous photos, with Coeur d'Alene being only 30 minutes away. The pavilion area is perfect for a post elopement celebration, or to have the ceremony there with your guests if you choose to have them there! It's a great option if you have family that can't hike with you.

This beach in the photo below is right off of the main boat launch, and it's just a short drive down the road from this pavilion area.

Accommodations
Farragut offers cabins to stay in at the Sunrise Day Use Area. The cabins overlook the lake and the pavilion area is just a short walking distance away. The trailhead that I took this photo at below is also right there, and it's just a short walking distance to this view!
Check out these other nearby places to stay as well!

How to Elope in Farragut State Park
The first and most important thing, make sure you acquire an Idaho state marriage license. The license can be used the same day you get it which in convenient! The place you get it is about 30 minutes away in Coeur d'Alene.
Next, you'll need either an Idaho state parks pass to enter Farragut State Park, or you can pay their daily fee, which is under $10.
Of course, you'll have your ceremony to become legally married! You can either have a friend become ordained, or have an ordained officiant there to officiate the ceremony. You can also get married legally in the courthouse or have a ceremony with your small group of family and friends (if you choose), and then go out for adventure bridals and photos. You can even have a commitment ceremony and read your vows as well.
Elopement Activity Ideas
So, what is there to do during your elopement day? The answer is, anything you want! Farragut offers tons of options! Here's some ideas off the top of my head:
Kayak in the evening
Spend the morning fishing
Make a yummy breakfast at the place you're staying
Go swimming, or have a pontoon boat celebration (or get married on it)
Hike one of the many available trails in or around Farragut
Have a picnic on the beach
Water ski, wakeboard, inner tube, or wake surf
Camp in the park and get adorable camping couples photos done
Have a morning paddle boarding session
Jump in the lake in your wedding attire
Watch the 4th of July fireworks as your post-elopement celebration
There's no shortage of ideas! If you have traditions that are meaningful to you, incorporate those too! Farragut allows dogs as well, so bring your pup!
Another one of my favorite things to do is to watch the Fourth of July fireworks that Bayview launches off. My dad always brought us out on the water in our boat and we watched the fireworks from the lake, and it's a stunning show! The sound of the fireworks echoing off of the mountains sounds like an avalanche of rocks is falling down the mountain. Imagine some elopement photos of you two silhouetted with those fireworks in the background lighting up the sky to finish off the day!

VRBO's and Airbnb's Near Farragut State Park
Here are some more places you can stay that is near the park! I always love it when my couples rent their own place for their elopement. It makes the experience so much fun, unique, and memorable!
VRBO's
Airbnb's
Farragut is just meant for elopements, look at all these amazing things to do and places to stay! This is the great thing about hiring a local photographer, because we know of some amazing spots! So if you are wanting to plan your elopement in Farragut, reach out to me. Otherwise I hope this blog about planning your elopement in Farragut State Park was helpful in giving you some ideas!

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