Geological Trail Intro Part 1
in Idaho
Introduction City of Rocks National Reserve is part of the Basin and Range geologic province. Basin and Range topography results from crustal extension. As the crust is stretched (pulled apart), high angle faults develop.
Along these faults, mountains uplift and valleys drop, creating the distinctive mountain ranges and wide valleys of theBasin and Range province. As rocky ranges rise, the newly exposed rock is immediately subjected to weathering and erosion. This rock is attacked by water, ice, wind, and other erosive agents, that have produced many of the geologic features visible today.
The majority of outcrops at City of Rocks, and all of the pinnacles, consist of intrusive igneous rock with a granitic composition. Geologists have mapped the two different types of granitic rock within the Reserve as the Green Creek Complex and the Almo pluton.
- States
- Idaho
- Trail type
- National Reserve trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Salt Lake City, UT · 131 mi · ~3.8 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 42.0884°, -113.6859°
About City Of Rocks National Reserve
This trail is inside City Of Rocks National Reserve, a national reserve managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/geological-trail-intro-1.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/ciro/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Geological Trail Intro Part 1 and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Other trails within 50 miles
Geological Trail Intro Part 2
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Geological Interpretive Trail - 1 mile
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Stripe Rock Loop - 3.5 miles
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Geological Trail Intro Part 3
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Creekside Towers Trail - 1.2 miles
2 miles from this trail's centroid
City of Rocks Loop - 6.8 miles
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.