On Labor Day weekend, we paddled a canoe about five miles down the Henry’s Fork below Big Springs - designated the Big Springs National Water Trail.
This is a favorite, easy, family friendly float. It is also well known as offering great opportunities for wildlife watching, especially on early morning floats. Canoes, rafts, and flat-bottomed boats are available for rent at moderate prices at Mack’s Inn, which will also shuttle a person one-way for $7 from the put-in to the take-out at the resort, if you need the ride.
Big Springs produces 120 million gallons of water a day and forms the headwaters of the Henry’s Fork. The water from Big Springs is sparkling clear. The stream bottom is mostly small stones and gravel, with lush underwater vegetation in places.
The first wildlife we saw were birds: Kingfishers, Gulls, Great Blue Herons, and Blue Winged Teal.
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| Kingfisher |
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| California Gull |
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| Juvenile Blue Winged Teal |
There were places we had to get out and pull the canoe through shallow water only a couple of inches deep, and other places where the stream narrowed and there were pools eight feet deep. The stream flows through beautiful forest and is lined much of the way with willows that look like great moose habitat.
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| Great Blue Heron a split second after taking off from the river |
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| Great Blue Heron soars above the willows |
Moose are frequently seen on this float in late August and September, and we especially wanted to see a moose. Towards the end of the float, just as the houses at Mack’s Inn came into view in the distance, we saw movement in the grass along the river that turned out to be the antlers of two moose. These huge animals spend hours lying down in tall grass which camouflages them well.
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| Bull moose - does he think he is hidden? |
As we floated by in the canoe, one of the two big bulls stood up, looked at us, walked over to much on the nearby willows, and then disappeared into the willow thicket.
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| Classic bull moose in early fall |
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| Bull moose gazes at photographer in canoe |
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| Bull Moose - never knew they had such long eye lashes! |
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| Bull moose heading into willow thicket |
Minutes later, we spotted this osprey perched high in a dead tree-top.
What a thrill to watch it dive to catch a fish, then fly away with its meal.
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| Osprey with its catch - a formidable fisherman! |
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| Osprey heads off with lunch |
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