City of Rocks National Reserve

City of Rocks National Reserve is a protected area in southern Idaho known for its dramatic granite spires and broad outcrops; it was established as a national reserve in 1988. The landscape served as a landmark on 19th century emigrant routes and is now prized for rock climbing and outdoor recreation.

The granite landscape features clusters of pinnacles and domes rising directly out of sagebrush-covered plains, with numerous short hiking trails and established climbing routes. Rock climbers use the smooth, exfoliated granite faces and cracks; hikers can reach viewpoints and talus slopes within distances of a few hundred metres from trailheads. The site also preserves visible evidence of the California Trail, including emigrant signatures carved on some rocks and sections of wagon ruts.

Euro-American settlers and emigrants used the granite outcrops as a navigational landmark during westward migration in the 19th century; later the area was recognized for its recreational and historic value. The reserve designation in 1988 set up joint federal and state management to conserve geology, cultural traces of the California Trail, and recreational access.

The Reserve sits near the small community of Almo in Cassia County, southern Idaho, on the high plains east of the Albion Mountains. The terrain around the reserve is semi-arid sagebrush steppe with the nearest town being Almo and larger population centres to the northwest in Idaho.

• Management and recreation: The Reserve is jointly managed by the National Park Service and Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, and has active climbing and backcountry recreation with developed trailheads and campgrounds.