NPS Website; Local Website; Idaho State Park Website
WHAT IS IT?Fields and fields of improbable granite rock formations, some of which are over 2.5 billion years old. The area was given its name by 19th century travelers along the California Trail, portions of which passed through the City of Rocks. Today the Reserve is a notable technical rock-climbing mecca; the Park feels like a giant outdoor jungle gym for grown-ups.
BEAUTY (8/10)
The granite formations at the City of Rocks seem extraterrestrial but are, in fact, some of the oldest things on earth. They rise hundreds of feet; some are precipitous spires and some grand castles. Weathering has slowly changed the shape of the rocks. Your mind shapes them into a multitude of existence. Others have named them ‘anteater’, ‘bread loaves’ and ‘treasure’ but your imagination will see so much more.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (4/10)
California-bound emigrants used the City of Rocks as a traveling landmark, much as their Oregon Trail and Mormon Trail brethren designated both Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff. The Site’s geological history is probably a great deal more interesting, but we do not know much about rocks and did not learn anything at the Visitor Center.
CROWDS (5/10)
The fun introductory video tells the visitor that there are many things to do at the Site: 1) bird watching; 2) hiking; 3) wildlife spotting; 4) wildflower hunts and 5) enjoy the remoteness of nature and do nothing with gusto.
These things can be done, but City of Rocks is about rock-climbing. The climbers all seemed to be having a great time, and if we knew how to climb, we would probably be having a great time with them. We still found the experience odd. While hiking, we turned corners to see scaling climbers yelling instructions to each other. It is their park, and heck, why not?
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (1/5)Upon first glance, City of Rocks looks readily accessible from all directions. Don’t be fooled. Those dotted lines on the Rand McNally are unpaved roads. Unless you have a sturdy 4x4 there is only one way in, Idaho Route 77. Once you get to Almo, along the Park’s border, Route 77 becomes unpaved. There are no paved roads within the City of Rocks. Great for pictures, great for that outdoors feeling, bad for the Nissan Altima.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (4/5)
The Visitor Center/Bookstore is located in a delightful old building in nearby Almo. The charm does not stop in its exterior. The bookstore is stocked with affordably priced and well-designed T-Shirts, hats and Nalgene bottles adorned with City of Rocks logos. There are also a number of books dedicated to identifying and explaining the Park’s nearly 700 mapped-to-date climbing routes. A 30% off rack included a number of interesting Idaho and pioneer history books. The superb bookstore was enough to make us forget the much longer than expected journey to the Site.
COSTS (4/5)
Entry into the site is free. Campsites are $7. Reservations can be made for an additional $6. Be forewarned, we went to the Park on a Tuesday in mid-September and many of the Park’s 75 Campsites had already been reserved for the upcoming weekend.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (3/5)We saw three Idaho State Park Rangers at the Visitor Center. City of Rocks National Reserve is managed cooperatively by the National Park Service and the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. We did not have any questions but we are sure they would have had answers. We saw no Rangers out in the Park Area, but were assured that they are there to help. A Park Ranger told us to be careful on the trail because they often have to carry injured climbers out on stretchers.
TOURS/CLASSES (5/10)
We may not have learned much, but we sure were enamored with the introductory film, self-produced and scripted by the present-day and former staff of City of Rocks N RES. The Site’s superintendent from the Park’s opening in 1988 until 2001 served as the narrator. He bore a small resemblance to Santa Claus which may explain the presence of a few Santa books on the 30%-off rack. He pleasantly read his lines, eyes glued to the cue cards, while dressed in overalls, reins in hand on a Conestoga Wagon. A giddy-up took us to the next scene. He had us. We already loved his Park.
The Visitor Center offered a number of terrific mimeographed brochures, including a bird, a wildlife and a floral checklist. The Hiking Trails sheet outlines eight different paths and provides an adequate map on the reverse. The map dots and names many of the rock formations. Good luck trying to figure out which is which.
FUN (7/10)
The one paved road to the City of Rocks is long and winding. Signs are few and far between. Gab had a bad cold. We weren’t quite sure where we would be spending the night. The City of Rocks N RES had a lot of cards stacked against it before we even arrived. If the darling Visitors Center and homemade film didn’t erase our scowls, the sun streaming through receding storm clouds and the sight of people clinging to rocks of every shape and size did. We didn’t even mind that we kept getting lost on the trails.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (7/10)We don’t climb. To our untrained eyes, this place looks like a playground of fun. Those engaged in climbs certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves. Even without climbing gear, visitors can explore the terrain of City of Rocks N RES by foot or by car.
Unlike most of the other parks and sites we’ve seen, drive up campsites at City of Rocks were not limited to one area. They sat in clusters along the road. Each grouping had unique characteristics – some shady, some sunny. Some in the shadows of huge boulders; others in small groves of trees. No surprise they were all reserved for the upcoming weekend. Had it been just a little warmer and Gab feeling a little better, we would have searched out a site for ourselves.
TOTAL 48/80
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