Experience the magic of the Ice Palace at Labelle Lake
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SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: Labelle Lake
RIGBY – Seven miles north of Rigby, tucked away in the South Fork Estates subdivision is a 7-acre parcel of land known as Labelle Lake.
Located on the property is a 7,000 square foot log home that sits right next to the Snake River. This is where Jim and Shannon Youngstrom raised their family.
“Our last child just graduated high school this year. My wife and I have this big place and we thought, What should we do now?,” Jim Youngstrom tells EastIdahoNews.com.
That’s when they decided to turn it into a vacation retreat where people can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, host weddings and family reunions, or just spend the night during their vacation to Yellowstone National Park or other nearby attractions.
“We’ve been doing things for more than 20 years out here, with kids playing in the pond or the lake. It’s the perfect spot for retreats. People come here to relax and enjoy themselves,Youngstrom says.
Youngstrom tells us Labelle Lake is a popular spot for weddings. He says summer 2018 is already booked up.
“The wedding thing just sort of happened,” says Youngstrom. “When people have a wedding (at other locations), they’ll have a piece of cake, shake some hands, say congratulations and they leave. When they come here, they stay ’til the end. It becomes more of a big get together than just a wedding.”
Now that cold weather is here, the Youngstrom’s are looking to capitalize on Idaho winters by opening an Ice Palace. Youngstrom’s daughter, Kira Martin, came up with the idea.
“We wanted to have a winter wonderland out here, but we didn’t know how to build it, so we came up with our own system of how to get it to work,” Martin says. “The structure is made of 100-percent ice.”
The finished Ice Palace will be lit up for people to walk through. It opens January 5. The cost is $10 for adults, $7 for kids. The ticket includes a free cup of hot chocolate.
“I love watching people build something and then see others come and enjoy it,” Martin says. “I’m excited for people to see something that’s not really common in this area.”
Between Labelle Lake and the Ice Palace, Youngstrom says there are so many possibilities for the future. He hopes to make each attraction bigger and better every year.
“I’ve had people who live just a few miles from here, who, when they come here, will step back, shake their head and say, ‘I had no idea this existed back here,'” Youngstrom says. “You feel like you’re away from civilization, yet you’re within 5 to 10 minutes of town.”
Labelle Lake is located off U.S. Hwy. 20, just behind Krupp Scout Hollow. For directions see the Labelle Lake website.
