Summer Solstice Hike at Shoofly Oolite in Southwest Idaho

Summer solstice hike at the Shoofly Oolite trail in southwestern Idaho — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Shoofly Oolite trailhead in the Owyhees of southwestern Idaho — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Shoofly Oolite interpretive trail, southwestern Idaho — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Where to hike in southwestern Idaho: Shoofly Oolite — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

We’ve been trying to get out and explore more of our local area now that Idaho is “open” (we are still cautious and bring along masks and hand sanitizer in case we encounter people or need to stop anywhere, and we travel alone or with family in a separate car). It’s been weird to go so long without having a trip planned or something to look forward to, but I’m happy that we are kind of forced to stay local and discover all the places within a day’s drive that we’ve been meaning to check out but used to forgo in the past for more exciting destinations.

Last weekend’s adventure took us to Shoofly Oolite, sandstone rock formations located just over an hour south of Boise near Grand View, Idaho. The trail to the rocks was easy to walk on and follow until it met up with the hillside, and from there it was a relatively steep (and sandy) scramble up to the top. The trail with a loop is marked at just under two miles, but we did an out-and-back following the same trail, and it wasn’t a long walk at all. (There’s a Bureau of Land Management sign at the bottom of the hill that recommends the out and back to prevent more erosion happening elsewhere on the hillside.)

Hike the Shoofly Oolite interpretive trail in southwestern Idaho — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Desert lizard at Shoofly Oolite, southwestern Idaho — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Hiking the Shoofly Oolite trail in a striped shirt and denim shorts — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Hiking the Shoofly Oolite interpretive trail, southwestern Idaho — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

The location of the rock formations originally marked the shoreline of a giant ancient lake that sat in the western Snake River Plain in southern Idaho, and what’s left is the result of millions of years of erosion. Korri and I are both big geology nerds (I studied geoscience in college), so we found the hole-y rocks super interesting! We were also both in awe at how quiet it was out there. There was one other family hiking around the rocks at the same time as us, but we had the trail to ourselves. And the sagebrush was so green!!! I’ve never seen it this green. We’ve had an above normal amount of rain so far this year and everything looks so lush and beautiful, even in the Idaho desert.

We hiked the Shoofly Oolite on Saturday—the summer solstice—and it ended up being quite a HOT day, especially out in the desert with no shade! Passing clouds offered temporary relief, but there were not nearly as many clouds as we would have liked. Luckily, we were proactive and wore sunscreen (hi mom!) and got away without any burns (though my kneecaps look really red…I promise they didn’t burn; I can’t explain why they are so red, though, lol). Korri hiked in black athletic pants, and I’m not sure how he survived because I was sweating in my loose linen shirt and shorts!

Shoofly Oolite rock formations with the Owyhee Mountains in the distance — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Summer solstice hike at Shoofly Oolite, southwestern Idaho — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Shoofly Oolite rock formations, Owyhee Mountains, southwestern Idaho — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Hiking southwestern Idaho: Shoofly Oolite interpretive trail — Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

There are a number of other local hikes and places we plan to check off the list in the weeks to come! Have you been doing any local hiking and/or traveling to pass the time?