Blackfoot: Greenbelt, Lake, and Potato History

For planning your trip to Blackfoot, three distinct highlights stand out: the Greenbelt at Jensen Grove Lake, the exhibits at the Idaho Potato Museum, and the Eastern Idaho State Fair. These places and attractions appeal to different interests—from a paved route around the lake to potato history and a fair program that varies each year.

Greenbelt and Jensen Grove Lake

The Greenbelt is a paved, 6.5-mile route that circles Jensen Grove Lake and passes by the Blackfoot Golf Course. Along the route, there are views of the lake and local wildlife.

Jensen Grove Lake covers 55 acres of water. Visitors can fish, water-ski, boat, and swim there. The Greenbelt and the lake offer different kinds of recreation: the route circles the water and provides views, while the listed activities take place on the water itself.

Museums and the potato theme

The Idaho Potato Museum is located in the historic Oregon Short Line Railroad Depot, a building constructed in 1913. Its exhibits cover the history of the potato, its cultivation and harvest, nutrition, and interesting facts and educational information about potatoes. The museum thus combines a clearly defined subject with a building from the area's history.

The Potato Station Café serves potatoes prepared in different ways: baked, fried, in cupcakes, coated in chocolate, or as bread. This selection ties in with the potato theme and ranges from savory preparations to sweet options. The menu may change.

The Bingham County Historical Society Museum offers a different perspective. It is located in the John Guthrie and May Johnston Brown Home; its exhibits include artifacts from Indigenous North American cultures, among other items. Unlike the focus on potato cultivation and nutrition at the Idaho Potato Museum, the exhibits here come from a different cultural tradition. The two museums therefore offer different subjects to explore while planning a trip.

Jensen Grove Park and the Eastern Idaho State Fair

Jensen Grove Park has a disc golf course and a full-size skatepark. If you are planning specifically to visit either facility, check its current status before your visit.

The Eastern Idaho State Fair combines a long-standing racing tradition with its fair program. The Indian Relay National Championship races have been held alongside the Fair's horse races since 1965 and continue to draw large crowds to the grandstands on race days. During the nine-day event, the Fair hosts more than 2,000 animals, including cattle, draft horses, sheep, pigs, goats, rabbits, poultry, and pigeons.

The program and participation may vary from year to year. If you plan to travel to Blackfoot for the Indian Relay races or animal exhibits, check the dates for your travel year. This helps distinguish Fair activities as a specific reason to visit from the year-round topics described around the Greenbelt, lake, and museums.

Discover more destinations: Fort Hall.

For the broader travel overview: Bingham County.