Discover Southern Idaho: National and State Parks
Get out and about in Southern Idaho by discovering the national and state parks the area has to offer.
Sponsored by: Southern Idaho Tourism
Shaped by the force of water and lava, and the movement of human inhabitants over the years, Southern Idaho’shttps://livability.com/southern-idaho parks tell a story of the region’s striking history.
In This Article
Minidoka National Historic Site
At the start of World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order leading to the internment of thousands of Japanese American residents, with more than 13,000 sent to the Minidoka detention center in Jerome County. Today, the historic site pays tribute to their heartbreaking ordeal through guided tours, exhibits, a film and walking trails.
Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve
President Calvin Coolidge may have said it best in 1924 when he described this area as “a weird and scenic landscape, peculiar to itself.” Volcanic eruptions, some as recent as 2,000 years ago, left behind an awe-inspiring array of cinder cones and caves later used as a training ground for astronauts before the 1969 moonwalk. Drive the 7-mile Loop Road for trails, caves and a glimpse of deer or pronghorn. At night, stargaze at this designated International Dark Sky Park.
Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
World-renowned for its Pleistocene fossils, from mastodons to the famed “Hagerman horse” (a predecessor of modern horses), this impressive area is a setting for world-class research. The new Thousand Springs Visitor Center offers ranger talks, fossil exhibits and a helpful information desk. Enjoy the stunning Hagerman Bike Path just outside of the Visitor Center and rent e-bikes in downtown Hagerman to get around in style.
City of Rocks National Reserve
One of the state’s natural wonders, the City of Rocks, is exactly what its name implies: a sprawling scene of granite pinnacles and giant monoliths that rise from the ground like ancient ruins. A popular climbing destination with more than 700 challenging ascents, it is also a haven for 186 documented species of birds, including the Cassia crossbill, found nowhere else on the planet, and the only known population of cliff chipmunk in Idaho. Enjoy a delicious meal at Outpost Steakhouse in Almo, fill up on gas at Tracy’s General Store and stay at the Almo Inn.
Castle Rocks State Park
A climber’s dream also popular with hikers, mountain bikers, Nordic skiers and snowshoers, Castle Rocks features dramatic geologic outcroppings towering 350 feet or more among sagebrush, juniper, mountain mahogany and pinyon pine. Nearly 500 species of plants are found here, along with nesting sandhill cranes, moose and a 1.5-acre pond stocked with rainbow trout. Stay at the quaint Lodge at Castle Rocks Ranch or camp in a Willow Glamping Yurt.
Lake Walcott State Park
At the edge of Southern Idaho’s high desert, this lush outdoor oasis offers 80 miles of shoreline perfect for boating, swimming and fishing for bass, rainbow trout and yellow perch. Families love the top-notch, 18-hole disc golf course while birders flock here to view hundreds of Great American white pelicans in nesting season, and picnickers enjoy the shade of old-growth cottonwood trees. Lake Walcott State Park is also a great spot for cross-country skiing and ice-fishing in winter and, thanks to the family-owned Adrift Kayak Adventures, kayaking and paddleboarding on the lake almost any time of year.
Thousand Springs State Park
Divided into seven diverse units within a short drive of each other and named for the wealth of waterfalls in the area, this ruggedly beautiful park offers some of the area’s most awe-inspiring sights.
Hike at Malad Gorge, admire the Devil’s Washbowl waterfall and savor a stunning sunset from the viewing bridge. Access the Kelton Trail on the east side of Interstate 84 and see the abutments for a bridge that carried wagons on the Oregon Trail.
At Ritter Island, tour the historic farm and blue barn where farmer Minnie Miller famously raised her prize-winning Guernsey cattle, and be astounded by aquifer waterfalls that turn the water a vibrant shade of aquamarine. Enjoy year-round fishing and gorgeous waterfalls at Crystal Springs and Lake. Check out Niagara Springs, which gushes from the canyon walls and tumbles into a sapphire pool below; this park unit provides a great opportunity to drive into the 350-foot-deep Snake River canyon. Take a 2-mile round-trip hike to the stunning waterfall inside Box Canyon Springs Nature Preserve; in winter, this unit is a wonderful place to spot bald and golden eagles.
Billingsley Creek is the most recently renovated unit in the system and the site of a new visitor center shared with the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. Guests can rent bikes here and explore the entire park, and the new Thousand Springs Visitor Center is open.
