Writers @ Harriman is a week-long workshop for Idaho's best young writers, held for the forth time July 29 through August 4, 2012, at Harriman State Park (map). Imaginative writing and natural history are the focus for Writers @ Harriman. With the guidance of teaching writers and naturalists, high school students will experience the best of both worlds.

Set in one of the state's finest outdoor classrooms, Harriman State Park of Idaho is one of 30 state parks managed by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR), dedicated to improving the quality of life in Idaho through outdoor recreation and resource stewardship. Located in the eastern Idaho between Ashton and Island Park on State Highway 20, Harriman is an 11,000-acre wildlife refuge in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem and is managed as a natural and historical site. The park is described in superlatives—views of the Teton Mountain Range are spectacular; crystal lakes, sage meadows, and verdant pasture land dominate the landscape; birding is outstanding; the wild flowers are breathtaking; and Henry's Fork, which meanders for 8 miles through the park, is one of the best fly-fishing streams in the nation. Moose, elk, deer, sandhill cranes, and the stunning trumpeter swan can be seen in the park. More than 20 miles of trails are available for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, together with private funds from the Scovel estate, has invested more than $3 million in the new Laura Clark Scovel Center at Harriman, a facility designed for educational programs such as Writers @ Harriman. Once owned by Union Pacific Railroad investors (1902 to 1977), the park was the private retreat of the Harriman and Guggenheim families. Today, Harriman State Park retains many of the turn-of-the-century buildings, and significant renovation projects are underway.

Within the park is Railroad Ranch, 30 buildings that were used by the Harriman family which have names such as Harriman Cottage, Dining Cottage, and the Boys House. IDPR's restoration makes them appear much the same as when they were built, providing a romantic glimpse into the lives of the Harrimans and their guests. Each June for 40 years, Roland and Gladys Harriman left their home in Manhattan, boarded their private Union Pacific Railroad cars with their butler and chef, and travelled cross-country to Idaho to live at the ranch for 3 months. Railroad Ranch, originally a dairy farm, was then a working ranch populated by cowboys, ranch hands, horses and cattle. Lest Mrs. Harriman be pictured a lady of leisure, one should know that she rode along with the cowboys when they rounded up the cattle.

The ranch was given to the people of Idaho by the Harriman family for use as a state park. They also gave a park which bears their name to New York state.