Unique digital nomad travel adventures from around the U.S.
If you like camping in a campground and lake fishing, Henrys Lake State Park is the park for you. State Park Overview There is a lot to recommend Henrys Lake State Park. However, if I am being perfectly honest, this park was not my exact …
Head to Land of the Yankee Fork State Park for a taste of Idaho’s mining history and a chance to explore some cool ghost towns. State Park Overview If you enjoy history, mining, the great outdoors, or all of the above, this is the park …
Did you know that the tallest free standing sand dunes in North America can be found in southwestern Idaho? Well if you make a stop at Bruneau Dunes State Park and try to hike to the top of one of them, you sure would. Bruneau Dunes is a unique place where you can slide down a giant sand hill and go stargazing, in addition to more common place activities like hiking and fishing.
Overall, we give this state park five stars.
The reason it gets this high score is because it is so friggin’ unique.
The park has all the usual amenities like restrooms, picnic tables, etc. The park is pretty spread out, though, so you might have to walk a while to get to some of the bathrooms. Go to the parks and rec website to learn more.
The visitor’s center was pretty interesting. I learned all about why the sand stays where it does after thousands of years. Due to the shape of this area, wind blows in two opposing directions. So the sand doesn’t ever blow away completely. The wind just keeps everything in one place. I also took snapshots of different flowers that are common in the area that I’ve wondered about the names.
Other than a freak covid-spring, I haven’t ever been to Bruneau Dunes when there are too many people to be comfortable. It’s a lot of sand, so it would really take a lot of people to fill it up. Even during the weird covid time when the park was following a one-in, one-out policy, it still didn’t feel overcrowded.
Well…the sand, obviously.
Land around the dunes was purchased in 1967. In the 80s, more land was purchased, bringing the park’s total to almost 5,000 acres.
I’ve been to this park several times in my life. Every trip has included a hike up one or both of the dunes. When I visited this spring, the dunes were full of people trying to sled down them. Now, to be perfectly honest, you probably aren’t going to be able to carve down the dunes like a snowboarder on powder snow. Conditions have to be really good (cool, maybe recently rained) to be able to sled well. Some sleds seem to work better than others, but I couldn’t figure out which ones were the best.
When B and I visited the park in the heat of the southwestern Idaho summer, I noticed there was a distinct shortage of people on the dunes. Didn’t take long to figure out why–the sand is dangerously hot during summer months.
A few years ago a group of our friends decided to camp at Bruneau Dunes State Park and visit the observatory. Unfortunately, it rained so we weren’t able to look through any of the telescopes. We were treated to a wicked slideshow presented by an adorable volunteer. We vowed to return and actually get to look at the stars, but unfortunately, it isn’t that easy to do. As part time adventurers with full time jobs, we don’t have that many weekends available during the summer months to stargaze.
Bruneau Dunes State Park is one of the most unique parks we’ve been to. It is well worth a trip if you live in the southwest Idaho area. Go burn some calories climbing up a giant sand dune; just make sure not to burn yourself if you visit in the summer.
We visited Bruneau Dunes State Park as part of our Idaho State Parks Challenge. The challenge consists of visiting all of Idaho’s state parks in one year. We made up this challenge to see a bit more of our beautiful state and help alleviate the restlessness caused by Covid-19 travel restrictions. Feel free to join the challenge!
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Thousand Springs State Park is big and geological in nature. That makes for some fun exploring and interesting photos. State Park Overview Overall, we give this park five stars (mostly because there is so much to do and it is so gosh darn beautiful). There …
Boiseans have a wonderful resource for fun almost at their fingertips. Eagle Island State Park is located just a few miles outside of Boise. Activities here are plentiful: fishing, swimming, horseback riding, disc golf, hiking, zip-lining, or what we did on a recent Sunday afternoon…picnicking. …
When summer rolls around, head to Lucky Peak State Park for biking and kayaking and a plethora of other outdoor activities. This Idaho state park is ideal for hot summer days and getting out of the city.
Overall, we give this state park four stars.
There are three areas to explore at Lucky Peak State Park: Discovery, Sandy Point and Spring Shores Marina. (Note: Spring Shores Marina is actually located about 10 miles away from Discovery and Sandy Point.) All three areas offer a little something different, but the highlight of this park is access to the water. Lucky Peak Lake* and the Boise River provide a wealth of fun activities during typical hot summers.
*Lucky Peak Lake is the official name. However, in 30 years of living in Boise, R has never once referred to it as that. Locals say Lucky Peak Reservoir or Lucky Peak Dam, or simply Lucky Peak. We’ll say the official name in this post, but on the inside we are calling it ‘Lucky Peak.’
Sandy Point is a good option if you have kids. (If you don’t have kids, you may want to avoid this area…because of all the screaming kids.) Discovery is a good option for picnics, group gatherings, kayaking and paddleboarding. Spring Shores is a great option if you own a boat. You can also kayak or paddleboard here as well, but you will have to deal with all of the boats.
The park has all the usual amenities like restrooms, picnic tables, etc. Lucky Peak also features a life jacket and junior ranger program for kids. For all of the specifics, check out the parks and rec’s website for Lucky Peak State Park.
This park is busy in the summertime. Expect lots of people. Finding a place to park may be difficult on the weekends. I recommend you start early or choose late afternoon/evening to avoid the crowds.
The Rooster Tail. If Lucky Peak Dam needs to do a little flood risk management, they may release water through the original release structure of the dam. This results in a “Rooster Tail,” a spray of water high into the air. If it is going to happen, it generally happens in May during springtime runoff. It is quite a sight to behold and worth a visit. However, when the Rooster Tail is running, parking will be a nightmare. I highly recommend you ride your bike.
In 1935, the state acquired a five-acre site along the Boise River just downstream from Lucky Peak Dam. For decades, the site, which was popular for picnicking, was simply called State Park. Discovery got its name from the Wilson Price Hunt Party. It was here that the party is said to have first seen the Boise River.
Lucky Peak State Park is not new to us. In fact, we are more familiar with it than any other Idaho state park. It takes us about 15 minutes to drive there and we pass it regularly on our way to the mountains. Our friend had her wedding reception here. Many races start here. Lucky Peak is as much a part of Boise as the Capitol Building or BSU.
That said, the park’s proximity and familiarity means we sometimes overlook it and the great recreational opportunities it provides. And it provides a lot. I recommend you visit the parks and rec website for all of the particulars of what Lucky Peak State Park has to offer. In the meantime, I will tell you all about one of our favorite things to do: take a bike ride.
If you are feeling really ambitious, you can ride your bike to Lucky Peak State Park (or even take a run). The greenbelt (that is what we call the bike path here in Boise), goes all the way from downtown to the park. We prefer to load up our bikes and get to the park first, which is what we did on a recent, beautiful summer Sunday afternoon.
We arrived late afternoon and although there were still plenty of people enjoying the park, we did not have any trouble finding a parking spot at Discovery. This is a great area to enjoy a picnic as well. It was from here that we hopped on our bikes and headed west. There was a bit of a headwind, but it felt nice in the summer sun.
Overall, we enjoyed about a 10-mile ride starting and ending at the park. After our ride, I put my feet into the very cool water of the Boise River. It felt amazing. All around me were people either enjoying the shade trees or kayaking and paddleboarding in the calm waters.
Lucky Peak State Park is probably best known for its lakeside and river outdoor recreation activities. In the past, we have enjoyed kayaking at Lucky Peak Lake. It is really nice to be able to load up and be on the water in less than 30 minutes. However, I will tell you, Lucky Peak Lake is busy. You will have to deal with a lot of other boaters and kayakers enjoying the lake as well. You may want to avoid the middle of the day if possible.
We love Lucky Peak State Park for biking and kayaking, but there is a lot more to do. If you live in the Boise area, you should absolutely be taking advantage of Lucky Peak State Park. It is convenient and has plenty to offer, especially in the summertime. If you are from out of town and are looking for an easy place to “get out” while you are visiting Boise, this state park makes a great option. It is an especially good option if you want to get out on the water.
We visited Lucky Peak State Park as part of our Idaho State Parks Challenge. The challenge consists of visiting all of Idaho’s state parks in one year. We made up this challenge to see a bit more of our beautiful state and help alleviate the restlessness caused by Covid-19 travel restrictions. Feel free to join the challenge!
Related posts you might like:
Or if you want to see all of our posts, visit Past Posts.
