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City of Rocks National Reserve, Almo, ID

Photo: wilson44691, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureHistory BuffFree

City of Rocks National Reserve

Visitor center in Almo, south of the post office · Almo, ID

Why you should go…

City of Rocks National Reserve protects 14,407 acres of granite spires and domes rising out of sagebrush near the Utah border. It is known for rock climbing, with more than 1,000 routes, and you can also hike and camp among the formations. In the 1840s and 1850s wagon trains on the California Trail passed through, and emigrants wrote their names in axle grease on Register Rock. The visitor center in Almo is shared with Castle Rocks State Park.

  • #rock climbing
  • #national reserve
  • #california trail
  • #hiking
  • #camping

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to City of Rocks National Reserve, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Minidoka National Historic Site

    Free

    Walk self-guided trails past an original barrack, the entry guard station and the Honor Roll at a WWII Japanese American incarceration site.

    50 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Shoshone Falls

    Under $25

    Watch the Snake River drop 212 feet over a 900-foot-wide ledge from overlooks in a city park.

    51 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Perrine Bridge

    Free

    Walk the pedestrian path of a bridge 486 feet above the Snake River and watch BASE jumpers leap from the rail.

    53 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing