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We arrived around 4:00 p.m. and had many sites to choose
from. However, by nightfall, it seemed that most sites were
filled. Less than half of the campers remained over the weekend,
stopping just for one night. There were a few tent campers,
but most were in RVs of one sort or another.
Campground
The campground is split into an
upper and a lower section. The lower section is close to the
river and its accesses. Several campers in the lower section
pulled in boats and personal water craft of various sizes.
There were also a few folks there for the fishing. And the
majority of the children were in the lower campground.
The upper campground was much quieter, with an older clientele.
Although the upper campground was closer to the Interstate
(I-86) highway, and there was the constant sound of road noise.
While we were there the temperatures were in the 90s. Our
thermometer showed 96 degrees on the afternoon of the 22nd.
The air seemed somewhat humid, but there was an occasional
breeze, and it was pleasant in the shade. The nights cooled
off nicely, and that made for good sleeping.
Visitor's Center
The Visitor's Center, where you must register for the camp
sites, is small, but has several nice displays about the Oregon
Trail, which runs nearby, the history of the park, and the
local wildlife.
From the upper part of the upper campground, there are very
nice views of the Snake River and the volcanic canyon that
it passes through. The bleak gray to black geology sits in
contrast to the greens of the Juniper-Pinyon and sage vegetation
covering the area.
There are lots of birds in the area. We spotted Cliff Swallows,
common Robins, Western Meadow Larks, White Pelicans, Western
Grebes, Great Blue Herons, Yellow-Headed Blackbirds, Red Winged
Blackbirds, Golden Eagles, Night Hawks, a Western Kingbird,
Black Billed Magpies, and several other small birds that we
could not identify. We also heard coyotes, and saw several
cotton tail rabbits and lizards.
Snake River
The Snake River is wide and slow in this area. Perhaps because
it is trapped between two dams. Upstream about ten miles is
the American Falls Dam, and farther down stream is the Lake
Walcott Reservoir. Occasionally, throughout the day, there
was a slight fishy smell coming off of the water and drifting
through the campground.
On one of the mornings, just about dawn, before we got up,
we smelled the slight pungent smell of a skunk. But we saw
no sign of it.
We found some interesting red-yellow puffed out seed pods,
which may be loco weed. Along the river there were lots of
bushes with small yellow to red berries.
There is an evening ranger talk. When we were there the talk
was about the trappers in the area and was very interesting.
The fire pit in our campsite worked well. It was sturdy and
built well. The picnic table was solid and very adequate.
The Visitor Center sells fire wood for $3.25 per bundle. There
is a dump station for Recreational Vehicles. The showers in
the restrooms are free and are very clean.
On Saturday night we had a few sprinkles, but nothing that
concerned us. I did see lightning flashing far to the south.
There was quite a bit of wind for a short time.
Trails
There is somewhere between six to eight miles of trails within
the park, depending upon which source you reference. The trails
are generally easy to moderate, with two spots where short
climbs could be considered strenuous by some. The trails are
mostly loose to packed sand and soil and can be slippery in
some areas. There are some great overlooks, with views of
the river surrounded by basalt cliffs, of Goat and Beaver
islands, and of the basalt rocks protruding from the river.
Parts of the trail edge the Snake River, either down along
its banks, near the campgrounds, or from basalt cliffs above,
along the eastern parts of the trail. The trails include:
Yahendeka
Trail
This quarter mile trail starts and finishes at the Visitor
Center. In the summer there are self-guided trail booklets
available from a trail side box. There were none available
when we visited. This is a good beginning trail.
Campground
Shortcut Trail
This .36 mile trail starts in the campground and ends at
the fishing access. It is a one-way trail. Using this trail
lets you complete a loop back to the campground without
backtracking on the Scenic River Trail. This trail goes
through some unusual lava rocks and areas that are quite
a bit different from the rest of the park.
Centennial
Trail
This 3.5 mile trail starts at the fishing access area and
ends at the gravel bus turnaround. It is a two-way trail.
Along the trail you may have a chance to see coyotes, white
pelicans, many water fowl, rabbits, and walk through some
old growth sagebrush.
Oregon Trail
This 1.3 mile trail starts at the gravel bus turnaround
parking lot. It is a two-way paved trail that is handicapped
accessible. It goes along the Snake River, under the Interstate
highway, and up to the old Oregon Trail rut remnants along
the main Oregon Trail used by the pioneers. At the end of
the trail there is a permanent display that tells a little
about the Oregon Trail's history. You can walk in the ruts
if you are careful not to damage them.
Scenic River
Trail
This .75 mile trail connects the Meadows Trail to the fishing
access area. It is a one-way trail. It can be started at
the fishing access or the program area. There are many nice
river viewing areas. It is steep in some places.
Meadows Trail
This .65 mile trail starts in the program area next to the
river. It is a loop trail. It follows the river and is a
good trail to watch birds and sometimes beaver and muskrats.
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