City Of Rocks National Reserve
Idaho
Tonight
🌗 46% moon
6.1 h fully dark
Hikes
Easy–Strenuous
🟢 🟡 🔴
Crowds
low
Open today
Open
Entrance
Free entry
Described by California Trail emigrants as “a city of tall spires,” “steeple rocks,” and “the silent city,” this awe-inspiring landscape continues to captivate. Today, it beckons rock climbers, hikers, campers, hunters, and adventurers with its dramatic scenery, fascinating geology, and echoes of the Old West. The Silent City is ready for you to explore.
Topics
No entrance fee.
Hours & seasons
The National Reserve is open 365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24hrs/day. Many roads are not maintained during the winter and may become impassable from late November through May. For current conditions visitors are encouraged to check with the Visitor Center or watch for alerts on our website and social media.
Generally open:
winterspringsummerfallHours are reported by the park — verify before you go.
📞 208-824-5901
✉ ciro_superintendent@nps.govConditions
Quietest months (fewer crowds): Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec
Typical crowds: low
Weather now: ☀️ Clear, 82°F
☀️ 91°/65°
☁️ 92°/71°
☁️ 93°/67°
Typical monthly recreation visits · NPS avg 2023–2025 — orange months are the quietest by crowds.
Quietest months
Relative crowds by month — lighter is quieter; ringed months are the calmest by crowds.
Jan
6%
Feb
6%
Mar
11%
Apr
28%
May
80%
Jun
100%
Jul
73%
Aug
65%
Sep
77%
Oct
56%
Nov
28%
Dec
15%
Log a sky reading
Measured the sky with an SQM meter or app? Add your reading (16 = city glow … 22 = pristine). Opt in under “Travelers like you” to share it on the community leaderboard.
Things to do
Winter Camping
Explore the Night Sky
Become a City of Rocks Junior Ranger
Geologic & Historic Sites Driving Tour
Disc Golf at Castle Rocks
🔴 Rock Climbing in City of Rocks and Castle Rocks · 600 ft gain
Hunting in City of Rocks and Castle Rocks
Archery Course at Castle Rocks
Campgrounds
City of Rocks Campground ↗ · 67 sites · first-come
Smoky Mountain Campground ↗ · 38 sites · first-come · hookups · dump station
Visitor centers
City of Rocks Visitor Center
Accessibility
1 accessible campground(s)
70 audio-described place(s)
Reported by the park — verify before you go.
Not an official safety source — always defer to NPS.gov and rangers for life-safety decisions.
By the numbers
A visual read on City Of Rocks National Reserve — its character, trails, sky, and weather.
Park fingerprint
How this park scores across the dimensions travelers care about.
Trail difficulty
Difficulty mix across this park's trails.
Trail profile
Each dot is a trail — distance vs. elevation gain, by difficulty.
3-day forecast
Daily high and low temperatures (°F).
Passport stamps
Mark the stamps you've collected — they show in your memory and along your routes.
🎫 City of Rocks National Reserve, the California Trail
🎫 City of Rocks Visitor Center
Places to see
Anteater
audio
Backyard Boulders Return Route
Backyard Boulders Trailhead
Bath Rock
audio
Bath Rock Trail - 0.25 miles
audio
Box Top
audio
Box Top Trailhead Rest Area
audio
Bread Loaves
audio
California Trail History
audio
Camp Rock
audio
Castle Rocks - Backyard Boulders Trail - 1.5 miles
audio
Castle Rocks Geological Area Overlook
Audio & media
🎧
🎬
🖼
Learn more
The Cenozoic Era (66 million years ago [MYA] through today) is the "Age of Mammals." North America’s characteristic landscapes began to develop during the Cenozoic. Birds and mammals rose in prominence after the extinction of giant reptiles. Common Cenozoic fossils include cat-like carnivores and early horses, as well as ice age woolly mammoths.
Get the most from your City of Rocks visit by using our Top 10 Tips!
Learn about City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park.
At first glance, City of Rocks might seem like it would be a tough place for wildlife to survive, but there are many different types of habitats that allow this area to burst with life. Check out this fascinating glimpse into the diverse animal lives that intersect at this little oasis. Watch till the end to see our largest carnivore! Can you name all 11 species in this video?
In popular imagination, women homesteaders are either passively following their husband westward or are breaking boundaries and gaining independence. Clara Campbell does not fit neatly into these archetypes. As a divorced mother, Clara moved to Idaho to try her hand at homesteading in dry, difficult conditions. The image of Clara in her log cabin applying perfume from a glass bottle captures the complexity women faced when making homes in the West.
Join Ranger Tara as she takes you to see some awesome geologic features in Castle Rocks.
Discover southern Idaho's hidden treasures, including Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, City of Rocks National Reserve, Minidoka National Historic Site, and Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument.
Junior Ranger Geology Word Search Activity
How City Of Rocks National Reserve connects
This park's activities, topics, location, and on-the-ground places — one hop in the graph. Drag to explore; click an activity, topic, or related park to follow it.
Park
Activity
Topic
State
Campground
VisitorCenter
PassportStamp
Trail
ThingToDo
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