City Of Rocks National Reserve - Idaho

Address:Almo, Idaho
Tel: (208) 824-5519

In the southern part of the Albion Mountains lies the strange and wonderful City of Rocks - arguably the best site for sport climbing in the United States, and a site of major cultural, biological, and geological importance. But if you're the type to huff and puff from climbing stairs, fear not; the City of Rocks offers many fabulous scenic views of the granitic batholith rocks jutting out throughout the reserve. Two of the most spectacular sites are the fascinating Twin Sisters site and The California Trail, once traversed by early pioneers whose 150-year-old rock signatures can still be seen on some rocks.
Gazing at the amazing rock formations themselves is major activity in the park, but several other opportunities exist as well. You can hike much of the park by foot, hop on a horse, ski, snowshoe, or snowmobile your way through the spectacular scenery.

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 wagon travelers to fix the name City of Rocks to what looked like "a dismantled, rock-built city of the Stone Age." California Trail pioneers were leaving civilization as they knew it in the East for new lives in the West. Some wrote their names in axle grease on rock faces, and their signatures can be seen today. The area's historical and geological values, scenery, and opportunities for recreation led to its designation as City of Rocks National Reserve in 1988.