Have you ever thought about Idaho and could only think of potatoes? Let me tell you, they have so much more to offer!
We recently embarked on a 9 day Idaho road trip with our 5 kids to see what we could find. Traveling on a budget we often stick to mostly campgrounds so we really get to experience the outdoors and it is always fun to see the night sky in different areas.
This trip we explored a lot of places briefly as a scouting mission for our next visit 😉
Let’s go on an adventure!
Driving through the plains can sometimes be daunting and this time we found a little gem in Kansas to explore to stretch our legs a bit. Have you ever heard of Monument Rocks? We found it going through some Google searches and couldn’t believe it existed in Kansas. We HAD to see it for ourselves!
Our next stop was at the GORGEOUS Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The rocks here are spectacular! We would have loved more time here to explore and check out some trails, but we only spent a couple hours on some of the trails by the main parking area. The crazy hail storm that happened just as we got out to see Balanced Rock made for a very memorable experience. Thankful we stayed and waited for the weather to clear up a bit!
The scenic route 287 that we drove from Colorado to Wyoming and on up to Idaho was so beautiful and offered amazing views most of the way. We really enjoyed seeing the Wind River Range come into view with its snow capped peaks.
A point of interest along 287 is Split Rock and is well worth the stop if you enjoy a little bouldering. The kids really enjoyed playing on the rocks, discovering snake skins and viewing lizards all about the place.
While heading towards the Tetons we took a detour to Brooks Lake to get everyone out and moving and boy did we pick a good one! This narrow, twisting gravel road was an adventure with a real treat at the end! Brooks Lake was everything you picture an Alpine lake to be. Picturesque mountains, water, flowers and even canoes! We really loved this place and hope to someday return to camp! The kids even found snow!
Our next view on the road was of the Tetons. What an awe-inspiring mountain range! One of my life goals was to see these mountains and I am so glad that I did! The sweet little prairie dogs had the best view! I even caught one having a nibble while trying to figure out what we were doing. 😉
After catching our breath from the Tetons we headed on towards Idaho. We ended up spending the night in Idaho Falls right on the river so we would be well rested and let’s face it, the feet were getting pungent in the van. Our hot breakfast served at the Rodeway Inn was super yummy and very filling! We packed back up and went south to find City of Rocks! As a family that loves big rocks, this place did not disappoint! We will definitely be going back here some day to have more time to climb around and explore!
Our next stop and camping destination was Bruneau Dunes State Park and who DOESN’T love a giant sandbox? Our kids always love sand dunes and this place was no different. The view from our campsite was pretty amazing, too! My only qualm with this place was the amount of mosquitos we encountered on the trail leading around the lake. We used the highest amount of Deet bug spray we could find and they were still landing on us. We opted to turn around after the 2nd attempt and just explore the smaller dunes.
Once departing Bruneau Dunes we took the scenic 100 mile (mostly dirt) road through south western Idaho into a tiny part of Oregon and back in towards Boise. Our plan was to visit Babby Farms so that I could cuddle a sloth, but we didn’t make it in time due to time constraints. Maybe next time. 😉
Off the beaten path…
Anyway, Owyhee Uplands Back Country Byway was lots of fun and we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves besides the one car we passed towards the end. We pulled over a couple times and really enjoyed the view of a river from the top of a small mountain. There was also an interesting campground at the base of the mountain in a valley called North Fork that would be good for a quiet place with pit toilets.
One place that was on our list from the start was Stanley Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains. We saw so many photos and wanted to see and experience it for ourselves. We ended up doing the Stanley Lake Trail to Lady Face Falls which was around 4.5 miles out and back. The trail was gorgeous leading through Alpine meadows with wonderful wildflowers blooming everywhere.
Caution!
Word of caution though, if you do this hike to see Lady Face Falls please note that I climbed down a very steep embankment of granite with loose gravel to see and photograph the falls. We did not allow our children near the edge at all to see the falls. There may be another access point that is safer, but if so we did not see it.
You don’t see that every day!
After leaving the Sawtooths we headed toward our final camping destination at Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve and this place was like being in another world. Lava covered ground and lava tube caves to explore. We did most of our exploring in the late evening when we arrived and then the next morning to avoid the hot sun. There is no shade to be found here unless you are inside of a cave so prepare for that!
You will need to obtain a cave permit to explore the tunnels!
We explored the caves on Caves Trail as there were 4 and we were short on time.
Lava tubes are fun!
- The first was a small one called Dew Drop, which was right at the trail fork.
- We went right for Indian Tunnel which is about 800 feet long and doesn’t require a flashlight for most parts.
- After returning to the trail fork we took the other and came to Boy Scout. The entrance was very small, 3 of our oldest kids decided to go in and see what it was all about. I commend their bravery!
- The last on the trail is Beauty Cave, it was a little rocky going in, but with slow movements and 3 points of contact most people could make it inside. It gets very dark, very quick therefore you WILL need a flashlight for this one. Do look for the crack in the floor shortly after you lose light and you’ll spy ice!
As our adventure was coming to an end and we continued back towards home we visited Scottsbluff in Nebraska. Due to the proximity I was blessed to be able to see a dear friend and be introduced to the famous “Runza” for dinner! Long ago we were Navy wives who met when we were about 4 months pregnant with our first babies. It had been EIGHT years since we had saw one another and this month both of our “babies” will be 13!
