Castle Rocks State Park — Attraction in Burley

Castle Rocks is an awesome little spot. First there is a 5 dollar entry fee so don't forget it! At Castle Rocks you can rock climb, hike the trails, fish the stocked pond (we caught 16 and grilled them for dinner), play disc golf, and there is an archery range. They have campsites and vaulted toilets. There are a few unique night stays. They have a yurt, a bunk house (sleeps 12 on bunkbeds), and the lodge. We stayed at the lodge and thought it was fantastic! There is a wrap around deck, and you can keep a pet out there if you would like. 2 propane grills and two dining sets that seat 8 total. There are picnic tables also on the grassy area below the deck and a fire ring (bring wood). If you don't mind a walk you can walk to the pond, disc golf, a small creek, and the rocks and trails from the lodge. In the lodge is a dining room (seats 8), a small living room with a fireplace, loveseat, and chair- we played games here, a fully stocked kitchen, all the pots and pans you could need, dining ware, microwave, range, oven, full sized fridge. There is no dishwasher so those have to be done by hand and the water pressure isn't real great. To continue there is a beautiful bathroom with an enormous tub. Good water pressure in the bathroom, travel sized shampoo, conditioner, and lotion provided, 8 towels, and a blow dryer. The only other common area is a small office off the main bedroom with a desk. The master bedroom has a beautiful queen sized bed, and a nice firm matress. There are drawers and a t.v. with DVD. The next 'bedroom' is a den. There is a couch, chair, and television in this room. The couch can be pulled out, but I would only say it sleeps 1 unless you have children on it. The third bedroom is just big enough for the bunk bed that is in it. Full on bottom and twin on top. The final room is also small with a twin bed and a small deck off the room. Overall beautiful spot, not necessarily spacious but comfortable and well stocked. Would definetely stay again. If traveling with adults and teens I would say it sleeps 7 not 8. Our kids are young and...

Come explore City of Rocks National Landmark and Preserve with us. I condensed 3 hours of sightseeing down to under 9 minutes. At the Visitor Center, we enjoyed the short film about the history and geology of the area , picked up a souvenir magnet, and stamped my National Parks Passport. It think this is number 74 National Parks, Preserves and Monuments.

We drove the rough dirt road up to the Circle Creek Overlook to see beautiful distant vistas and learn the names of the local peaks. Our next stop was Rockhouse, built in 1904 by a farmer and rancher and remains on private property within the park. We could only imagine living and working in this awesome territory.

We got up close to Register Rock and Camp Rock, where travelers who were going to California for land or gold, rested and camped.They also wrote their names on the enormous boulders. Near Treasure Rock, Native Americans watched and wondered about the new people arriving.

At Practice Rock and Elephant Rock, thrill seekers test their skills against gravity by climbing the sides straight up. Huge Bath Rock has a water filled depression on the top for rock climbers take a dip after a strenuous climb.

Next up was the Window Arch area. We hiked a short distance on the edge of a deep white granite canyon. This is a popular place as we saw lots of people across the canyon getting a bit too close to the drop off !

There is free range ranching so sometimes you have to wait on the cattle on the road. After this wonderful drive , we went back to tiny Almo and had a nice meal at the Outpost before returning back to camp. I headed to my hammock in a shady spot under the Junipers while Warren chose his...

My wife and I kept pointing at all the little piles of rocks along the way and saying “oh look that must be castle rock!”

We did not have high expectations, especially as we closed in on the destination and couldn’t see anything that looked remotely interesting.

Then, in the blink of an eye, these giant stone formations seemingly appear out of nowhere dominating the horizon.

From a distance they appear majestic, almost like something out of lord of the rings.

Up close the magnitude and beauty are breathtaking. Countless trails, new sights, and wonder fill this place.

You could get lost just thinking about the grandeur that surrounds you.

We went late in the day with uncertain expectations, only to realize we didn’t have enough time. We plan on returning soon to...