Nestled amidst the mountain peaks of the Albion Mountain Range lies City of Rocks National Reserve. Embracing a sagebrush steppe valley, spectacular granite rock formations, pinyon/juniper tree stands and alpine-like meadows, the reserve presents an inspirational landscape. Recreational activities include hiking, wildlife viewing, picnicking, rock climbing, backpacking, Nordic skiing, photography and horseback riding. The City of Rocks Visitor Center is located in Almo. An all-weather route through Almo is open year-round.
The road via Oakley is closed during winter months. The area’s historical and geological values, scenery and opportunities for recreation led to its designation as City of Rocks National Reserve in 1988. This unit of the National Park System is managed cooperatively by the National Park Service and the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, who invite you to enjoy the wonders of the City of Rocks.
History & Culture
Shoshone-Bannock tribes hunted the buffalo that once roamed in the City of Rocks area and gathered the nuts of the pinyon pine trees. The return of horses to the Americas in the 16th century and swelling European immigration disrupted the Shoshone-Bannock homelands and way of life. They grew to resent the intruders but could do little to stop them. Most emigrants on the California Trail saw no Native Americans, but some of their journals record smoke signals rising from high hills and the surrounding mountains. In 1826, Peter Skene Ogden and his Snake River brigade of beaver trappers were the first non-Native Americans to note the City of Rocks. Having few beaver, the area was ignored until 1843, when growing summer streams of wagons began flowing through the area.
Early emigrant groups were guided by experienced mountain men such as Joseph B. Chiles and Joseph R. Walker. Later wagon parties followed the trails themselves, perhaps with the help of diary accounts of previous emigrants. The City of Rocks marked progress west for the emigrants and, for their loaded wagons, a mountain passage over nearby Granite Pass. By 1846, emigrants headed for Oregon’s Willamette Valley also used this route as part of the Applegate Trail. In 1848 the Mormon Battalion opened the trail from Granite Pass via emigrant Canyon to Salt Lake. In 1852, some 52,000 people passed through the City of Rocks on their way to the California goldfields.
When the trails opened in the 1840’s, Granite Pass was in Mexico and less than a mile from Oregon Territory, which included the City of Rocks. after 1850 the area became part of Utah Territory and in 1872 the Idaho-Utah boundary survey placed the City of Rocks in Idaho Territory. With completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, the overland wagon routes began to pass into history. However, wagons saw continued use on regional supply routes that spread out from the railroad lines.
John Halley’s stage route connected the railroad at Kelton, Utah with Idaho’s mining hub of Boise and supplied the early economic developmnt of Idaho, which won statehood in 1890. The Kelton stage route passed through the City of Rocks, with a stage station set up near the junction of the old California Trail and the Salt Lake Alternate. Settlers began to homestead the City of Rocks area in the late 1800’s. Dryland farming declined during the drought years of the 1920’s and 30’s, but ranching survived. Livestock grazing began with early wagon use of the area in the mid-1800’s and continues today.
Nature & Science
City of Rocks, an extraordinary encirclement of granite rising out of the gently rolling sagebrush country in south-central Idaho, has attracted and intrigued people since they first entered this region. The Shoshone camped here as did the emigrants traveling along the California Trail. One of the reserve’s most notable qualities is its large degree of biological diversity concentrated in a relatively small area. The great variety of textures, colors and shapes in the natural landscape contributes considerably to the reserve’s scenic quality.
City of Rocks was designated a national natural landmark in recognition of the nationally significant geological and scenic values of its rock formations. Rock formations in the reserve developed through an erosion process called exfoliation, during which thin rock plates and scales sloughed off along joints in the rocks. The joints, or fractures, probably resulted from contractions when the rock cooled or from expansions when overlying materials eroded away and eliminated confining pressure. The granite has eroded into a fascinating assortment of shapes as high as 200 feet. There are more than 500 panholes in one small area in the reserve. The most notable panhole is located on top of Bath Rock and frequently fills with water from rain or snow melt.
Recreation
City of Rocks offers scenic walks near the historic California Trail and opportunities for wildlife watching, photography, world-class technical rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, ice climbing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, picnicking and camping near fantastic rock formations.
Climbing
City of Rocks is one of the finest granite-crag rock-climbing sites anywhere. About 700 routes have been described to date. One hundred-to 300 foot spires provide most of the climbing opportunities, although there are 600 foot spires which provide all-day adventures. Privately published climbing guides, available for sale at Reserve headquarters, are the best source of information for the serious climber. Check at headquarters for climbing restrictions.
Camping
Camping is at designated primitive sites. Reservations are available at 208-824-5519.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
City of Rocks National Reserve
3035 S Main
Almo, ID 83312
Phone: 208-824-5519
Fax: 208-824-5563
Operating Hours & Seasons
City of Rocks National Reserve is open for year-round use. Reserve roads are subject to seasonal closure in the winter. Hiking and snowmobiling are allowed.
Weather/Climate
The City of Rocks National Reserve is located in southern Idaho on the northern edge of the Great Basin. Outdoor recreation can be pleasant from April through October. Summers are generally dry; the 10 to 15 inches of precipitation fall mostly in winter and spring. Summer temperatures range widely with nighttime lows occasionally approaching freezing and midday highs nearing 100 F. July and August also see afternoon thundershowers. Visitors should bring sunscreen to protect themselves from the very intense sunshine at high elevations.
