National Parks of Southern Idaho
I hadn’t really thought too much about Idaho, or spent much time there, until summer 2020, when our best options for escaping home were road trips and camping. Southern Idaho is actually pretty long and boring to drive through, if you stick to the interstate highway, but there are some beautiful and interesting national park sites, if you take some time to get off the the main road.
All in the general vicinity of Twin Falls, it could be a good option as a base, but I would recommend camping when it’s possible. Of the four National Parks in Southern Idaho, Craters of the Moon NM and City of Rocks NR are definitely worth spending a full day and Hagerman Fossil Beds NM and Minidoka NHS are shorter stops.
Crater of the Moon National Monument & Reserve’s main feature is its stark volcanic landscape. We actually stopped at Craters of the Moon, on a cold, windy September day, some years ago, while returning to Oregon from a trip to Yellowstone NP. There is a campground, a scenic drive, and hiking trails. I need to go back and see more of it.
City of Rocks National Reserve is well named, it really does look like a city of rocks. The campsites are tucked among the rocks and we spent 2 nights there camping. The park feels very remote and off the beaten path, although it is a popular spot for rock climbing, and is really not that far off the interstate highway. There is of course a scenic drive and hiking trails, but it’s also fun to just pick a rock and climb up it. In addition, some autographed rocks where California Trail pioneers stopped and rested even contribute a little historical interest
Minidoka National Historic Site is a relatively newly developed site, and there is now a brand new visitor’s center, although it was closed at the time of our visit. Minidoka is the site of a WWII Japanese American Internment Camp. Most of the site is visited via self-guided outside walking tour.
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument is a fossil bed that cannot be visited. Many species have been discovered there, but the most famous is a horse. To see a few fossils, visit the small museum in Hagerman and then a couple miles outside the town there is a short drive with a couple stops for views over the Snake River. There is also a connection to the Oregon Trail, since there are visible wagon ruts on the hillside by the river.
