City of Rocks National Reserve — Attraction in Burley

This hidden gem (and I do mean hidden) is an amazing place for a rock climbers campers and explorers alike. About an hour and 15 minutes south east of Twin Falls, you need to come prepared with food and water…and firewood and beer/wine. There is a small store on the east side of the park in Alamo that has amazing pizzas and firewood and water and beverages, but if you want steaks or chicken or fish, you better get them in Twin Falls (there’s also a smaller grocery store in Kimberly, just SE of Twin Falls a few minutes). There is a water spigot at the main parking lot, pretty much the middle of the park, but it’s kind of muddy swampy mess with lots of flies around it, so even though I’m sure the water is safe and drink, we just prefer to bring our own.

This park is primarily used by rock climbers, though there are people that bring their horses and ride on the trails, and plenty of people like my wife and I and our dog, who are used to climb here we were younger, and now we just enjoy the views and solitude.

I believe you can reserve campsites online, but I never have. In the busy season, you really need to do this, or show up early (before a weekend, and early in the day) to get a spot. Camping area # 50 is tucked away in the trees and provides good shelter from the sun and wind, although you don’t get any view and it only accommodates one tent (a large one,...

I thought this place was really cool but unfortunately our trip was sabotaged by my GPS. What was supposed to only be a 3 hour trip turned into about 8 due to my GPS leading me down this unpopulated byway and a really long dirt road that my car was having troubles on. Had to turn around and go back an extra hour and a half to get back on the freeway. I was then told to go through Burley and go in from the "backroad" which was also a mistake if you don't have a 4-wheel drive car. The road was very rocky and bumpy. It took us a good hour on that bumpy road to finally get in.

Once we did though it was absolutely beautiful. On the way there you can't really see anything so it was surprising to finally get in and see these gorgeous rocks and mountains. Lots of people out there camping which I was very jealous of! By the time we finally got there we only had about 30 minutes before it was dark out so we ended up leaving pretty quick. I was really bummed out that it was such a hassle to get there, but I would love to go back.

As a tip for any travelers looking to find this place, keep going down I-84 and get off on exit 216 Rupert. There is a gas station right there and a sign for City of Rocks. Unless you have a four wheel drive car, this seems to be the best and safest way to get there. If you do have a more powerful vehicle, the dirt road seems to be the...

City of Rocks Natural Reserve is administrated through a joint venture between the National Park Service and Idaho State Parks. Located south after exiting I-84 at Burley or Delhi, Idaho (easiest route), it is a park where one must make a dedicated effort to visit.

One big issue getting here is navigation. My Prius GPS does not accept many rural Idaho towns, including where the park’s visitor center is located in Almo. After inputting avoiding dirt roads (and not paying sufficient attention), my car’s navigation still sent me via 14 miles of dirt road through Oakley. Warning: if you head south from Burley, one is certainly destined for a lengthy dirt road experience on Hwy 27 into the west side of the park. If exiting from Delco along I-84, a paved backroad along Hwy 77 will take you to the east side of the park and into Almo where the visitor center is located.

I have to admit that even with my low clearance Prius, the 14 miles of dry dirt road were well maintained with no washboard or potholes. Unfortunately, weather may change that experience as rain and mud could definitely become a preventable challenge.

If entering from the west side via Oakley, the Emery Pass Canyon Road (continued dirt road) does cross easterly through the park to the town of Almo. Emery Pass has an elevation of 6,830 ft. Almo has an elevation...