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I'm a sucker for geology, especially granite. Something about the immensity, the toughness, and the beauty of granite appeals to me. City of Rocks in the south-central Idaho desert is the perfect place for a geology nut.
With elevations ranging from 5,000 feet to over 8,000 feet, these granirte formations soar above the surrounding landscape, which features a huge diversity of plants and animals.
As a sort of micro-study in geologic uplifting, City of Rocks features two major upheavals. The first was around 2.5 billion years ago-giving Idaho the distinction of having some of the oldest rocks in the western United States. The much newer outcroppings are "only" 28 million years old. Erosion created the multitude of spires and shapes in the granite.
The span of human history pales in comparison to the history of the rocks. The Shoshone and Bannock tribes hunted the buffalo that once ranged over this land and gathered the nuts of the pinyon pine trees. Eventually European immigration invaded. City of Rocks was a major landmark along the California Trail.
"We encamped at the city of the rocks, a noted place from the granite rocks rising abruptly out of the ground," wrote James Wilkins in 1849. "They are in a romantic valley clustered together, which gives them the appearance of a city." Wilkins was among the first travelers to name City of Rocks, because it looked like "a dismantled, rock-built city of the Stone Age."
Today the area is a National Reserve and nearby Castle Rock State Park is the newest state park in Idaho. More than 700 challenging climbs rival Yosemite National Park and make it a favorite spot among technical rock climbers worldwide. If you're not a hard-core climber, you can still enjoy hiking and climbing more than 22 miles of trails, taking you to arches, windows, and dramatic overlooks. Trails vary from level and easy to steep and strenuous. Anything from short walks to all-day hikes deep into the backcountry are possibilities. Maps are available at the visitor center.
The area provides plenty of outdoor recreation that we in Idaho expect. You can enjoy backpacking, rock climbing, picnicking, horseback riding, Nordic skiing, wildlife viewing, photography, and primitive camping. If you'd rather view your scenery from the comfort of your car, the City of Rocks Back Country Byway takes you on a 49-mile route around the Albion Mountain Range.
Don't forget to stop in historic Oakley-the entire town is on the National Register of Historic Places and features the state's largest concentration of old stone and wood-framed buildings.
Getting there:
From Boise, take I-84 East to exit 216 (Declo); go south on Idaho 77 to Conner Creek, then southwest on the Elba-Almo road to the visitor center in Almo and the park entrance. Plan on a 3-4 hour drive.
Special Events:
May 16, 9am - 3pm Wildflower Weekend
Join park rangers for a day of wildflower walks, photography, and plant identification in the park's pristine sagebrush steppe, aspen forests, and high mountain meadows.
For More Information: www.nps.gov/ciro
City of Rocks National Reserve (208) 824-5519
Mini-Cassia Chamber of Commerce (208) 679-4793
www.minicassiachamber.com
www.rideidaho.com
www.visitsouthidaho.com
City of Rocks Idaho, 7th: A Climber's Guide by Dave Bingham
Neysa CM Jensen is a Boise writer, mother, and musician. Although she majored in English in college, she considered geology as well.
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