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Published: September 27th 2011
Massacre Rocks Satellite
Massacre Rocks Park and campground area as seen in a photo taken from GoogleEarth.Massacre Rocks
The day was clear, the sun was hot and no wind, a perfect day for our overnight trip to Massacre Rocks. The park is located about 35 miles from Pocatello and is part of the Idaho State Park System. The park offers day camping and boating and offers canoe and kayak rentals during the summer season. Many hiking trails and marked flora and fauna signs help you navigate your way. The Oregon Trail wagon ruts are also featured in the park. Made over one hundred years ago and you can still see the scaring left by the hundreds of wagon wheels. Void and barren of any vegetation, they can be viewed for miles and are a reminder of those who came before us.
RV and trailer parking is also available on two levels and come equipped with electric and water (no sewer) but there are well maintained restrooms conveniently spaced around the campsites. You can also rent a cabin for $53.00 per night that offers a double lower bunk with single upper and a fold out double couch. Air conditioners and haters are provided but no kitchen. Each cabin has an outdoor cook site available or
Oregon Trail Wagon Ruts
The hiking path from the campground leads under the freeway to here where you can hike along the ruts made by the pioneer wagons on the Oregon and Calaifornia Trails. you can crock pot your dinner. Great views of the Snake River can be enjoyed by sitting on your covered porch.
After driving both upper and lower roads we returned to the lower campsites and picked site 39, the road is a paved single wide one way loop which does offer some difficulty. If you pulled into the site the water and electric would be on the driver’s side and easy to hook up and the table and fire pits are also on this side. But your door would be on the opposite side so we did what everyone else did, backed in. It is no easy feat since the roads are narrow and maneuvering an RV or trailer does test the ability of the driver. Once in we then found that our electric and water hose were too short to reach, so we had to pull up as close to the road as possible and pass both lines under the RV to reach.
With that over we surveyed out campsite, quite nice in fact since it also offered a three tier sitting area to the rear of the camp, nestled between two small hills and
Trail Signs
Wagon ruts on the Oregon and California Trails are still visible after more than a hundred years. boulders offered us privacy without obstructing our view. A nice metal picnic table and fire pit completed the site. It was spacious and tidy. Quickly we got out camp chairs and the folding table and placed them on the upper tier under the shade of the junipers. We took our bikes off the bike rack and pumped the tires to 40lbs. and put on our bike helmets. We were going to ride back to the upper tier to pay for our campsite, when you are riding in an RV or other conveyance you don’t notice “hills” or how steep they are.
We started off at a nice pace partially straight and some gently sloping downhill, however that all changed once we turned away from the river and encountered the first hill which I would guess to be about a 7% grade, ouch. Now I ride a regular fat tire bike with a wide seat and normal handle bars and my breaks are those of olden times, reverse action on your chain. My son rides a spiffy 10 speed with all the bells and whistles and could have easily made it up the hill but opted to walk along
Wagon Wheel Ruts
Wagon Wheel ruts made the Conestoga wagons on their way to Oregon and California. side me while I huffed and puffed like the little engine that could; I think I can, I think I can and finally I did but not without gasping for air and feeling my age. Once we filled out our campsite ticket I deposited it in the tube and put our copy in my basket and we were off to the park office which sadly was closed.
The temperatures ranged in the mid-80s and the sun beat down relentlessly. Iit did not take too much persuasion for us to say let’s ride later when it’s cooler. I did enjoy my ride back since it was down that hill and the wind did offer some respite from the heat.
My son was ahead and reminding me to slow down because a hair pin turn was coming up. Having successfully navigated the turn we quickly came to our spot and dismounted and chose to sit under the cedars with a cool glass of Chardonnay and play gin rummy. After several games we decided to start preparations for dinner. That meant we had to assemble the new portable gas grill. The normal size 12”x 16” type that take a small
Rough Country
Ruggerd volcanic rocks punctuate the landscape of the Snake River basin. green propane bottle the only difference with this one was it had an auto ignite feature. Once we figured out that part it was then we had smooth sailing; the stove soon assembled and ready to cook.
I started a pot of rice pilaf and we decided to walk down to the river while it cooked, the trail down to the boat deck was just across from our site. You can find several small trails leading down to the river from both upper and lower levels. About half way down the trail we came to the kayak rental tent, it was closed but we could see the types and sizes available and the rental list. Actually it was quite reasonable, $8.00 for an hour, $20.00 per day etc. for canoes and kayaks were slightly more. When we reached the end of the trail we could hear the clatter from the nesting birds; all secure and hidden from view in the tall reeds growing along the river’s edge. The boat ramp is in good repair and you can walk the length and get up and close with the river. At first it looks dark, clear and still but upon
Overlooking the Snake River
Overlook above the Snake River near Massacre Rocks. closer inspection you can see that the current is indeed strong and swift. Signs are posted at the park entrance, no swimming or diving due to the currents; the river is still quite high due to our good snow pack and rain this past season.
Birds have built their nests on the face of the rocks safely away from predators and the rising waters. Across the river are the remains of a small cabin and out buildings, legend has it an old man lived there many years ago, a homesteader, gold miner, who knows, but that once or twice a month he would put his canoe in the water and paddle across to the park side. The rangers say they would stand and hold their breath as he paddle against the mighty current and pray that he made it a across safely. They did not say when he died or how but the cabin now sits empty offering yet another glimpse into the past history of this area.
Having taken photos and checking our time we headed back up the hill to the RV and just in time the rice was done, perhaps a tad overdone.
While I made a mixed green salad with home grown tomatoes and cucumbers and a delicious Haas avocado, my son prepared the grill for the steaks. Some slices of good crusty French bread were slathered in garlic spread and topped with parmesan cheese and sesame seeds. Soon our feast was ready to enjoy but not before some photos were taken to remind us of our meal. For those of you who have an RV or trailer you know the awkward set up for dish washing. The sink would make an ideal bathtub for a Barbie Doll but is not ideally realistic for grown up dishes.
So I have a round tub and a small strainer that sits inside a square tub to catch the water; after trying this way and that I have a solution that works best for me. I fill the sink with the soapy water, use the round basin to hold the washed but still soapy dishes then I empty the sink and proceed to rinse the dishes and put into the strainer. This works nicely and avoids the majority of water splashes on and over the counter. Although it does take a tad bit
Register Rock - 1
Weary travelers, resting here, used their time to leave their names or messages in the history books. longer, I enjoy the quiet time and lull in activities.
It’s almost dark and we now start our preparation for our evening fire, Daniel Boone’s were not so we stopped at Fred Meyer and purchased a bundle of fire wood. The wood is log size but comes with no kindling, this we improvised; we used the box the grill came in and some dry prairie grass to start the fire and catch the logs. It actually worked out quite well and we had a nice fire going in no time. It is nice to sit out on a balmy evening and just listen to nature, smell the aroma of the smoke and gaze up at the stars. Soon it’s time to go inside and enjoy one of our favorite RV pastimes, my son has the complete set of Twilight Zone and we enjoy watching one or two before lights out.
Since we were only over-nighting we don’t go to elaborate lengths for sleeping, we used sleeping bags, pillows and an extra blanket should the night turn chilly. This night it did not. My son gets the bunk over the cab and I am lucky to get
Register Rock - 2
Message left on the rock for travelers yet to come. the queen bed and soon we are both fast asleep. Morning comes quickly but I don’t stir, I don’t want to wake my son but soon I hear him and we both get up. It was moderately chilly and we turned on the heater which is still new and gives off that new smell along with a little smoke and soon the fire alarm is squealing. We hid our heads under the pillows until the fumes cleared then we then turned our attention to breakfast.
I have not used gas to cook for over 30 years, I have grown accustomed to electric and now am enjoying learning to cook all over again with gas. This morning is going to be simple, pancakes and OJ for my son and milk for me. After the first two pancakes I have the temperature right and proceed to make another four cakes. Delicious! Perhaps the air or perhaps the cook, never the less delicious to the last bite. All good things come to an end and once dishes are done it’s time to strike camp. The park has a dump site and this is a chore that must be done each time
Register Rock - 3
Inscriptions laborously chiseled into the hard rock face. the unit is taken out. Packed up and sadly ready to go we head south through the park to the dump site.
It’s a rather simple process once you get accustomed to the process and takes only 10-15 minutes depending on how much is in your holding tanks. Once emptied we are ready and head back out the park entrance, located about two miles north west of the park is Register Rock, an Oregon Wagon Train campsite from around the 1850 to the turn of the century. Large boulders dot the site and the old time travelers used their precious down time to carve their names or initials and the date they passed by. The rock is now covered and has a barrier to keep modern calligraphers from adding their scribes to the rock. It’s a day use park ($5.00) for the day but we only drove through and did not linger.
It was my turn to drive and I hit I 15 South and home to Pocatello. It was the end of yet another enjoyable trip and time with my oldest son.
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