If you are ever heading to Southern Idaho there are a bunch of awesome sights to see. Shoshone Falls, the ice caves, and some pretty great views in the South Hills. But these 3 national and state parks need to be at the top of your list of places to visit!
Balanced Rock
Balanced Rock is well known and very well photographed. And there is a reason for that! Lucky for me it is right in the backyard of my home town. I went the first time when I was 7 for a school field trip. Since then I have gone as often as I can.
Hiking up to the rock is just a short little climb but once you get to the rocks you can go as far as you’d like! I use the term hike lightly though because it’s more like a walk that involves scaling rocks occasionally.
The view of balanced rock is unlike anything you get to see anywhere else. Seeing the size of the rock and how it is actually balanced is breathtaking! It just goes to show you how neat nature really is! All along the rocky terrain are awesome craters and caves to stop and see as well!
After your hike you can drive back down to Balanced Rock Park. Here we like to do the more relaxing summertime activities. There are many cute little picnic spots to enjoy lunch. And fishing is a must in Salmon Falls Creek! This is one of my favorite fishing spots because of how relaxing it is.
Craters of the Moon
of things to do!
Craters of the moon has something for all ages and all levels of skill! If you just want a short walk to see the area, they have that. If you want to see some wildlife and plants, they have that. Want to walk on top of the lava hills? Got that too! And for the real adventurers, some of the best caves ever to explore! It is a must see if you are ever in Idaho.
The best part about Craters of the Moon is how informative it is! All along every trail they have informational signs about how the lava former certain formations. They also have an amazing visitors center that has loads of information and helpful tips on how to properly navigate this park!
Something people need to keep in mind is that lava is very porous and easily damaged if you walk off the trails! There are many friendly reminders that in order to keep this park up and running and looking amazing everyone needs to follow the rules. But the paths they have built do not disappoint! The park managers have done an amazing job at giving access to all of the best places to see.
We have gone on a 2 mile hike into the crater as well as all of the shorter nature walks that are mostly for scenery. We plan on going back with a bigger group to go explore the caves some more!
Bruneau Sand Dunes
Bruneau Sand Dunes is just plain fun. Bring some sleds and old snow boards and have all of the fun of winter but in the nice hot sand instead of the freezing cold snow! What could be better than that?
The sand dunes are the perfect place to spend a day with family just having a good time. Kids and adults alike will have a blast playing in the sand and exploring the area. And if you want to relax and watch then the nice warm sand can be relaxing as well!
There are also a few small cabins to rent and stay the weekend. When I was younger a friend rented one for his birthday and a bunch of us spent the weekend there and had a great time! You can walk to one of two lakes within 20 minutes either way and go fishing, boating, or just enjoy the scenery. They also host many events such as horseback riding lessons and star gazing in the observatory at night!
With one of the longest camping seasons in Idaho, this is a destination that you can take the family to almost any time of year and still enjoy it! Just make sure to check the wind reports because the sand definitely blows with the wind!
Always Adventure!
