Owyhee County is a vast playground (5 million acres) for families who like to explore. With nearly 3,000 cultural and historic sites, it’s wise to limit a day trip to one small area. Your family will appreciate the discoveries they unearth and look forward to coming back. The stresses of daily life vanish as you leave Nampa and cross the Snake River to Highway 78. Between Marsing and Murphy there are plentiful detours to take on this scouting mission. The scenery grabs your imagination and you notice that the shapes of the landmasses are locked in a time warp. Rugged geological formations with such intriguing names as Guffey Butte, Pickles Butte, Rooster Comb Peak, and Sinker Butte beg to be investigated.

        Resting places for Owyhee County pioneers are numerous. There are at least 13 cemeteries throughout the county. They remind us of harder times, when cowboys, sheepherders, and farmers fought the elements and widespread disease to provide for their families.

Wilson Cemetery gives meaning to the word desolate. Just four miles south of Givens Hot Springs, off Highway 78, the loudest sounds you hear as you wander the dry sage area are occasional cries of hawks and other raptors flying overhead. The sky seems bigger here; nothing stands in its way. While reading eroded tombstones, you’ll notice that the harsh environment creates an atmosphere little changed over the past 100 years.

        The cemetery at Reynold’s Creek, off Highway 78 south of Wilson, is another resting place for early Owyhee County settlers. Unprotected from desert winds, bleaching sun, and occasional rattlesnakes preferring to coil under stones, the ornate iron gates offer no protection but create an atmosphere of respect for the fallen. Here the grave markers reveal the demise of families from cholera, diphtheria, scarlet fever and, no doubt, hard living. Across the street, on Upper Reynold’s Creek Road, a schoolhouse from the turn of the 20^th century still hangs a bell. Motorcyclists who speed by on a weekend outing are reminded of another era. Look closely for the occasional cow peering from the glassless window as if to say, “What a nice view.”

        History gets you in the mood for more history. No trip to this area is complete without a visit to the Owyhee County Historical Museum in Murphy. Just off Highway 78, you can wander through artifacts that tell stories of the past. They put dates and events in perspective. An extensive bookshop invites readers to buy a book on mining, the Oregon Trail, or early homesteading. Biographies about local residents past and present tell stories about family life and the challenges they faced.

        A daytrip doesn’t do the county justice. More time is needed to pursue a variety of adventures such as hiking, rock-hounding, or digging around in the archives and records housed in the Owyhee Courthouse in Murphy. Because you weren’t in a hurry to see it all at once, you’ll return.

Judy Ware writes from Boise. A summer visit to Owyhee County with her family resulted in new discoveries about her husband’s ancestors who settled there.

PLACES TO SEE  (call or access websites for hours)

• Wilson Cemetery. Four miles south of Givens Hot Springs. Turn west on Wilson Cemetery Rd. off Hwy. 78.
• Reynold’s Cemetery. Turn west off Hwy. 78 onto Upper Reynolds Creek Rd. Drive 13.8 miles. Cemetery will be on the left.
• Owyhee County Historical Museum. 17805 Basey St., Murphy. www.owyheemuseum.org, (208) 495-2319
• Owyhee County Courthouse. Public records and archives.  (208) 495-2421
• Sandbar Restaurant. Three miles upriver from Walter’s Ferry Bridge. Good food with a view. www.sandbarriverhouse.com  (208) 896-4124
• Murphy General Store. Hamburgers, sandwiches and local vibe. (208) 495-1144
• The Blue Canoe Restaurant. Highway 78 in Guffey. Especially known for its annual crawdad feast, held this year on August 27. www.thebluecanoerestaurant.com (208) 495-2269