Idaho

Parks

  • National Historic Trail

    California

    Various States CA,CO,ID,KS,MO,NE,NV,OR,UT,WY

    Follow in the footsteps of over 250,000 emigrants who traveled to the gold fields and rich farmlands of California during the 1840s and 1850s: the greatest mass migration in American history. The California National Historic Trail is over 5,000 miles long and covers portions of 10 states. Step into history along more than 1,000 miles of ruts and traces from travelers and their overland wagons.

    Chimney Rock was an important emigrant landmark in western Nebraska

  • National Reserve

    City Of Rocks

    Almo, ID

    Emigrants of the California Trail describe the rocks here in vivid detail as "a city of tall spires,” “steeple rocks," and "the silent city." Today, this backcountry byway attracts rock climbers, campers, hikers, hunters, and those with the spirit of adventure. There's inspirational scenery, exceptional opportunities for geologic study, and remnants of the Old West awaiting your discovery.

    Climbers on Morning Glory Spire

  • National Monument & Preserve

    Craters Of The Moon

    Arco, Carey and Rupert , ID

    Craters of the Moon is a vast ocean of lava flows with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush. We invite you to explore this "weird and scenic landscape" where yesterday's volcanic events are likely to continue tomorrow.

    Great Rift in winter

  • National Monument

    Hagerman Fossil Beds

    Hagerman, ID

    During the Pliocene, this place looked quite different. Lush wetlands, forests, and grasslands provided excellent habitat for a variety of animals. From fascinating, now-extinct creatures like the saber-toothed cat, mastodon, and ground sloth, to more familiar animals like horses, beavers, and birds, the scientific study of Pliocene fossils is the key to Hagerman.

    View of the Monument across the Snake River

  • National Geologic Trail

    Ice Age Floods

    WA,OR,ID,MT

    At the end of the last Ice Age, 18,000 to 15,000 years ago, an ice dam in northern Idaho created Glacial Lake Missoula stretching 3,000 square miles around Missoula, Montana. The dam burst and released flood waters across Washington, down the Columbia River into Oregon before reaching the Pacific Ocean. The Ice Age Floods forever changed the lives and landscape of the Pacific Northwest.

    Stev Ominsk's painting depicts debris and ice filled water filling and rushing through a basalt walled canyon.

  • National Historic Trail

    Lewis & Clark

    Sixteen States: IA,ID,IL,IN,KS,KY,MO,MT,NE,ND,OH,OR,PA,SD,WA,WV

    The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail winds nearly 4,900 miles through the homelands of more than 60 Tribal nations. It follows the historic outbound and inbound routes of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803-1806 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the Pacific Ocean. Follow the trail to find the people, places, and stories that make up the complex legacy of the expedition.

    photo of a replica keelboat with a crew member on the bow at sunset

  • National Historic Site

    Minidoka

    Jerome, ID,WA

    During World War II, over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated without due process of law. Although little remains of the barbed-wire fences and tar-papered barracks, the Minidoka concentration camp once held over 13,000 Japanese Americans in the Idaho desert. Minidoka preserves their legacy and teaches the importance of civil liberties.

    View through the barbed wire from inside the camp looking east.

  • National Historical Park

    Nez Perce

    four states ID,MT,OR,WA

    Since time immemorial, the valleys, prairies, mountains, and plateaus of the inland northwest have been home to the nimíipuu (Nez Perce) people. Extremely resilient, they survived the settling of the United States and adapted to a changed world. Nez Perce National Historical Park consists of 38 places important to the history and culture of the nimíipuu. Explore these places. Learn their stories.

  • National Historic Trail

    Oregon

    Various States ID,KS,MO,NE,OR,WA,WY

    Imagine yourself an emigrant headed for Oregon: would promises of lush farmlands and a new beginning lure you to leave home and walk for weeks? More than 2,000 miles of trail ruts and traces can still be seen along the Oregon National Historic Trail in six states and serve as reminders of the sacrifices, struggles, and triumphs of early American settlers.

    Scotts Bluff National Monument is located in western Nebraska, landmark for the Pony Express, Oregon, California and Mormon Pioneer national historic trails

  • National Park

    Yellowstone

    Yellowstone National Park, ID,MT,WY

    On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal and geologic features. Within Yellowstone's 2.2 million acres, visitors have unparalleled opportunities to observe wildlife in an intact ecosystem, explore geothermal areas that contain about half the world’s active geysers, and view geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.

    Winter visitors experience the magic of erupting geysers.

By The Numbers

These numbers are just a sample of the National Park Service's work. Figures are for the fiscal year that ended 9/30/2020.