Massacre Rocks State Park

Near the end of the last ice age (about 14,500 years ago) most of what is now Utah and parts of Nevada were covered by Lake Bonneville. In what was the second largest flood in the geological history of the world, the lake was drained through a breach in the natural dam at Red Rock Pass, flowing down the channel of the Snake River. The flood lasted several months, and the water flow at its peak was four times that of the Amazon River. Huge boulders (some bigger than a house) in its path were rolled hundreds of miles, smoothed and deposited along the Snake River where the park is located today.
Fast-forward to the mid-19th century. Pioneering settlers in covered wagons are heading west along the Oregon Trail, which in southern Idaho follows the Snake River. Just west of American Falls the trail winds through a narrow passage among the huge boulders deposited by the Bonneville Flood. Because it was such a natural place for an attack by hostile Indians, the area became known among the settlers as Massacre Rocks. In the best known incident, Indians attacked a wagon train just east of the park on August 9, 1862. The skirmish lasted for 2 days and involved three other wagon trains which had been following the first train that was attacked. When it was all over, ten settlers and an unknown number of Indians had been killed.

Today Massacre Rocks includes some of the best-preserved historical artifacts relating to the Oregon Trail and the westward expansion of the country. Inside the park, within a few yards of Interstate 86, runs the old Oregon Trail, where wagon ruts are still visible. Also within the park is Register Rock, a large boulder where many of the pioneers carved their names and the date of their passage. This was to make their progress known to friends and relatives in following wagon trains. The rock is now protected by a shelter, and many of the carvings are still legible.

The park has 4 rental log cabins and 42 campsites with electricity and water hookups, many of which have good views on the beautiful Snake River. It is a favorite fishing spot of the locals, and a popular overnight stop for west-coasters traveling to Yellowstone National Park. It is 10 miles to the nearest town, American Falls, ID, where we were happy to find a nice little 9-hole golf course. Our duties at the park are primarily greeting campers, helping them get settled, and answering questions about the park and the area. We are on duty 20 hours a week (though we usually work more by our own choice), so we have quite a bit of free time for golfing and sightseeing. We are on the high desert of the Snake River Plain, and the weather is generally dry with warm (sometimes hot) afternoons and cool (sometimes cold) evenings and mornings. The park personnel and other volunteers are friendly and helpful, so our stay has been a very pleasant one. During our stay we made several side trips, which we'll cover in later blogs. Stay tuned.

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