Working our way through Idaho - Nevada or Bust!

June 20, Tuesday
We really enjoyed Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, and several of the small towns around the area deserve a second look, so they're on the list for another trip.

We're southbound and down, heading for the annual Happy Birthday America BBQ and reunion in Garderville/Minden, Nevada. A few quick stops along the way and then we'll settle in there for awhile.

Today we're heading south along the Snake River,  through what is obviously fly fishing country. Beautiful, huge lodges, fly fishing clubs, and vacation homes. Fishing supply companies and boat rentals are pretty much the industry around here.

Home for the night is Flat Rock Campground. This is a beautiful little Forest Service campground, but not what you'd call a destination in it's own right.

The area is fairly dense with threes, so shady and cool, and the grounds are lush with grasses and wildflowers, at least this time of year, but there are no trails anywhere, so a cruise around the campground loop was the highlight of the day for the pups.

The campground is also right on the highway. The location is convenient, I will say, but the sites along the highway get a lot of road noise, our site was on the back side so the noise was buffered a bit by all the trees.

Shiner enjoyed the morning sun

This is a good location for travelers who want to spend the day fishing or visiting other attractions in the area.

Spaces are large and very well designed. Each site has an immaculate seating area and tent space. Most also have grills or fire rings and Dutch oven cooking tables.

June 21-22, Massacre Rocks State Park
Massacre Rocks State Park is a beautiful area on the Snake River, situated along the historic Oregon/California trail.

According to diaries of emigrants, settlers in five wagons clashed with Shoshone just east of the rocks on August 9–10, 1862. Ten emigrants died in the fight, which involved four wagon trains. (See Wikipedia for more history) So, it was't exactly a massacre, but over time several people did die here. There are alternate names for the local, all equally dismal, reflecting the ongoing conflicts between settlers and travelers and the local tribes. The area is rich in pioneer history, and in some areas the pioneer's wagon ruts are still visible.

We've dropped in elevation and left most of the forest behind. This area is a lovely contrast of volcanic rimrock, canyons, and the beautiful Snake River. The River is running high this year due to all the snow melt. It's so high and the current is so fast that the park isn't renting out their canoes and kayaks yet. They'll open that service up when they feel the river has reached a safe level.

Other than the boating aspect this is a fishing river. Steep banks, and the fast current, make any swimming or wading problematic, so it's sightseeing for us! Lots of Oregon Trail history in this area. The huge volcanic boulders and crevices providing good ambush cover as well as shelter for travelers.

View from our site

Our site here is a pull-through with quite a bit of elevation so we have a nice view of the river. Some sites have even better views, but some have none, so when making a reservation check the map carefully and use a satellite map too, like Google's satellite view. The whole campground is up above the river, so where the park map makes it appear that a site is right next to the river it is actually up on a cliff.  From this vantage point we can watch the pelicans and other birds that soar over the river.

There are multiple trails crisscrossing through the giant sage bushes and rock formations, so getting to the bank for fishing isn't too difficult, but the banks are crowded with reeds in most places, so fishing from a boat is probably preferable.

The dogs enjoyed checking out the trails, and they found the scent of the cottontails and lizards quite enticing! If you're into Frisbee golf, they have a huge course  here, and the visitor center even sells Frisbees.

The area is rich for wildlife viewing too. We saw a wide variety of birds, and deer right outside our door. The shrubs were all heavy with currents and other fruit and seeds so it's not surprising there were so many critters around.

A short hop over to the other side of the highway there's a nice little park with a shelter protecting Register Rock. Many inscriptions here from the early 1800's.

The inscriptions are hard to read without the right lighting, and the chain link fencing round it rather limits one's photography choices, but we did manage to locate a few legible names and dates. Other boulders in the park have more recent inscriptions - from the 1970's on up to the 2000's. Perhaps some day they'll decide these are "historic" too and fence them off!

Tomorrow we should hit Nevada!

A few more photos here.