City of Rocks National Reserve, Natural reserve with granite formations in Cassia County, Idaho, United States
The City of Rocks National Reserve features granite spires and monoliths reaching heights of up to 600 feet across 14,407 acres of land.
From 1843 to 1882, nearly 250,000 emigrants passed through this area along the California Trail, leaving inscriptions and wagon ruts as evidence.
Native Shoshone and Bannock tribes utilized this land for buffalo hunting and gathered pinyon pine nuts before European settlement began.
The reserve offers over 700 climbing routes, hiking trails, camping areas, and winter activities such as snowshoeing throughout its protected grounds.
The geological formations contain some of North America's oldest granite rocks, dating back more than 2.5 billion years.
Location: Cassia County
Inception: 1988
Operator: National Park Service;Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation
Website: https://nps.gov/ciro
GPS coordinates: 42.07600,-113.70200
Latest update: May 27, 2025 13:11
Idaho's remote locations offer access to diverse landscapes ranging from alpine lakes nestled in mountain ranges to volcanic formations and high desert terrain. The state contains geological features formed over thousands of years, including lava tubes that preserve ice year-round, sand dunes rising hundreds of feet, and one of North America's deepest river canyons. Historic mining towns preserve architecture from the silver boom era, while natural hot springs dot the landscape alongside waterfalls that cascade through forested valleys. These destinations span from the granite spires of City of Rocks National Reserve, where climbers tackle routes on 600-foot rock formations, to Priest Lake in the northern forests, stretching 19 miles through conifer-covered wilderness. Visitors can explore the black lava fields of Craters of the Moon, spanning over 1,100 square miles, or descend into caves where ice formations persist despite surface temperatures. The Snake River carves through Hell's Canyon at depths reaching 7,900 feet, creating opportunities for rafting and fishing. Whether hiking to Sawtooth Lake at 8,800 feet elevation, observing stars from an observatory at Bruneau Dunes State Park, or walking through the Victorian streets of Wallace, these locations provide experiences across Idaho's varied terrain.
Rock pillars and spires shaped by erosion stand as natural monuments across various locations worldwide. These geological structures, known as hoodoos, display different colors and shapes based on their mineral composition and environmental conditions. From the red rocks of Utah to the limestone formations of Turkey, these sites present geological formations created over millions of years through wind and water erosion. These formations develop through differential erosion, where softer rock layers erode faster than harder layers, leaving slender columns often capped with protective harder rock. Visitors find such structures in desert landscapes, canyons, and plateaus where conditions favor their formation and preservation. The color palette ranges from white to orange, red, and gray, depending on the minerals present such as iron oxide, limestone, or clay.
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