Idaho
Idaho is a unique state. It straddles the Pacific Northwest and the American West, has two time zones, and produces a third of this country’s potatoes. With a speed limit of 80mph on highways, and a population of less than 2 million people, Idaho is the perfect state to road trip through. Nothing but open roads and endless horizons. Over the Labor Day break, we drove these roads, from West to East, to meet up with some friends in Eastern Idaho. Through forests, mountains, plains and farmlands, we saw all that Southern Idaho had to offer.
Walking on the Moon
Beyond it’s empty highways, Idaho is known for its protected lands and open spaces. One such space, that feels more like the landscape of a distant planet, is the Craters of the Moon National Monument. This was our first stop in Idaho. And even though the Visitors Center was closed, the campgrounds were still open.
Originally established in 1924, the Monument was greatly expanded under President Clinton to cover more than 700,000 acres, including 3 lava fields, countless caves, and sagebrush steppe grasslands. It’s also known for it’s Dark Skies, though we were unfortunately there during a nearly full moon.
Palisades Reservoir
On the border of Idaho and Wyoming, just as the Snake River crosses the state border, is the Palisades Reservoir. This man-made body of water is a popular recreation site, with organized campgrounds and dispersed camping around the entirety of the 1.2 million acre-feet reservoir. And that’s exactly where we set ourselves up for the long weekend.
The weekend included dark skies, birds of prey, and plenty of water craft.
Bonus: Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson, and the beautiful Grand Teton Mountains, lie just on the border of Idaho and Wyoming. A quick 45 minute drive north of Palisades Reservoir, we made a quick detour on our way out to enjoy some pizza with a view. Pinky G’s is a great spot for (gluten free) pizza. I recommend taking it to go, and finding a nice spot to stop and enjoy it.
For more Tetons photos, check out my backpacking trip from 2019. 5 days. 50 miles. And lots of wildlife.
