Bruneau Dunes State Park - Idaho

On my drive home from Seattle, I stopped at Bruneau Dunes State Park in Idaho.  Having been to Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, Salt Basin Dunes in Guadalupe National Park, Jockey's Ridge State Park dunes in North Carolina, and White Sands National Monument, I know dunes are lots of fun to play on. Boasting the "tallest single-structured sand dune in North America" these dunes were no exception.

I got to the park around eight in the morning which had multiple benefits including solitude and cooler temperatures.  Even though this was a holiday weekend in the summer, I didn't encounter any people on my wanderings and temperatures were in the 50s and 60s.

I didn't do the main 5.9 mile trail since I was there first thing in the morning with a dog and hiking on sand is difficult.  We ended up climbing around on two large dunes and walking around part of the lake.  There were lots of interesting tracks in the sand and the dunes had distinct characters with one dune softer, one firmer, one with a sharp-edged peak, and the other smooth and rounded.  On our way out we saw lots of children playing on some of the dunes near one of the campsites.

There are lots of other points of interest along this stretch of I-84 including: the Sawtooth Mountains, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Twin Falls, City of Rocks National Preserve, and Castle Rocks State Park.

Bridge Near Twin Falls. Popular kayaking and base-jumping location.

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