Little City of Rocks in Gooding, Idaho

Architects often draw inspiration from nature when designing cities but within the Little City of Rocks, it seems as though mother nature crafted the environment from mankind’s sketchbook. Located just 20 minutes outside the city of Gooding, Idaho among unsuspecting sagebrush hides a wilderness resembling a medieval castle, complete with a city wall, green gardens, and towering rock spires. While the trail is short and there is no formal destination, the hike renders engagement for your eyes, ears, and nose, resulting in frequent breaks to admire the trails natural beauty.

 Trailhead

The trailhead for this hike is easy to find. Simply head towards the city of Gooding then turn north onto highway 46. In 13 miles look for the Little City of Rocks sign pointing towards a dirt road.

The road is not in good shape and there are some deep divets. To get right to the trailhead you will need a high clearance vehicle like a truck or jeep.  If your vehicle is low to the ground it may be best to park right as you turn off the highway and walk the mile to the trailhead.

The dirt road ends at the cobbled city wall and an iron fence marks the beginning of the trail.

Little City of Rocks

If you made it past the cities guard’s, congratulations are in order! Okay, so there aren’t any actual guards (unless you count rattlesnakes and ticks which you should watch out for on this trail). But upon entering past the wall, you feel as though you have entered someplace special. The first thing you will notice is how green everything is. Outside the wall is so dusty and brown that the bright green color s catch you by surprise.  With the wildflowers in bloom, the city smells like a spice garden, with the aromas of the vegetation growing stronger as you move further into the heart of the wild city.

As you stroll through the “city garden” the canyon closes in on you and you become surrounded by massive rock structures known as hoodoos. These natural rock sculptures, similar to those found in Bryce Canyon National Park, seem to erupt out of the ground like tall guard towers overlooking the city.

Bouncing off these weathered skyscrapers are the sharp echoes of hundreds of birds. Stop for a second and just listen. You’ll hear all sorts of small birds, owls, and hawks. The trumpeters in the towers, if you will, announcing your arrival. You will feel like royalty! (is this medieval castle comparison getting old yet?).

You will cross a dry creek bed several times as you follow the canyon’s only visible trail. You will encounter some pools of water before losing the trail about a mile and a half in. From here you can continue but the best views are behind you so it makes a good turnaround point. To get back to the trailhead just retrace your steps.

Summary

The Little City of Rocks is like having a green Canyonlands less than 2 hours from the doorstep of Boise. The landscape is so different from the surrounding area that you really do feel like you have entered a kingdom, complete with lush gardens, stone walls, and imposing towers.

Trail Tips

• Bring Bug and Tick Repellent. Make sure to check you and your dog for ticks before getting back in the car.
• Wear long pants. This is not a maintained trail and a few small parts of the trail are bit overgrown
• Watch out for Rattlesnakes
• Bring lots of water. There is no water on the trail that I would recommend drinking even with a filter.
• Lather on the Sunscreen. There is a cool breeze through the canyon but no shade.
• There are no official campsites close by but there some open grass areas by the trailhead to dry camp.