Bruneau Canyon

Late February can be a tough time of year to find good hikes. As spring approaches and the snow melts trails can often become very muddy and you should do your best to stay off of them. The late winter weather can also bring lots of rain. While that’s great for the flora, it can put a damper on a lengthy stroll outside. For those days when you are sick and tired of staring at four walls and just need to leave the house, no matter the weather or time of year, try Bruneau Canyon.

Located about 19 miles from the city of Bruneau, Idaho this canyon lies camouflaged by farmland and grazing cattle. It’s a bit of a drive from Boise through what seems like never-ending miles of grazing lands but you will be utterly surprised by the gigantic rocky cliffs that seem to come out of nowhere. The Bruneau River carved this 800-foot deep canyon and the scenic overlook provides great photo opportunities and your choice of various trails to explore along the rim.

Watch out for Falling Objects

From Boise, it is about a 1 hour and 45 minutes to the trailhead which is located at the Bruneau Canyon Overlook. The directions are pretty straightforward, just head towards Mountain Home. Exit the freeway at the first Mountain Home exit and head towards the city of Bruneau. After a couple miles, you’ll cross over a bridge and then continue straight, past the turnoff to Bruneau Dunes State Park. You will turn left at a very “classy” motel/restaurant/convenience store which will be your last chance for beer before you begin your 30-minute drive deep into the open range.

As you pass cow after cow be aware there are no fences preventing the cows from hanging out in the middle of the road. Eventually, the pavement will end and a well-maintained dirt road will begin. This is where things get interesting. The flat land of Bruneau makes an excellent place for the air-force to practice its bombing maneuvers. Now they don’t actually use live ammo nor do they attempt to make some impromptu ground beef out of the cattle during their practice so it’s not like you are entering into an active war zone.  But with a lot of planes flying overhead the warning sign is just a little reminder that there can be excitement in the middle of nowhere.

Bruneau Canyon Overlook

Your heart jumps a little bit as you approach the overlook. Mainly because you can’t see the canyon until you are right at the edge. Surprisingly for such a remote area, the parking lot and overlook is well maintained. The steel railings, cement pathways and spots for photos all seem fairly new. There is even a clean bathroom, well as clean as you can get for an outhouse. Hang around for a bit, take some photos and enjoy the remoteness.  This could be the end of your journey or you can do a little exploring from trails that jut out east and west of the overlook and follow the outline of the canyon.

Go Exploring

The trails that extend out from the canyon overlook are easy for all ages. There is no elevation gain just watch out for the cow pies. If you head left from the parking lot the trail only lasts about a half mile. At the end of the trail, there is a makeshift fire pit and another great view of the canyon. Sit here for awhile and watch below as flocks of small birds dip and dive below the rim or look up and watch hawks circle above.

If you choose to go right on the 4×4 trail from the parking lot the trail follows along the canyon for a mile or so and then veers away heading inland. If you choose this route you can get up close and personal with some cows and burn a few extra calories on your journey but there is not much else to look at going this direction.

Overall

Outside the small town of Bruneau along a long dirt road lies the basalt and rhyolite cliffs of Bruneau Canyon. Even though there are no official trails here, if you are looking for an adventure that is immune to weather the Bruneau Canyon can provide you with incredible scenic views and good photo opportunities.

Chad Albright

Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.