City of Rocks
The City of Rocks National Reserve, also known as the Silent City of Rocks, is a United States National Reserve and state park just north of the south central Idaho border with Utah. Emigrants traveling to California described the City of Rocks as “a city of tall spires” and names or initials of the emigrants written in axle grease are still visible on Register Rock. Today, this back country discovery attracts rock climbers, campers, hikers, hunters and those who want to take in the inspirational scenery. http://www.nps.gov/ciro/index.htm
Snake River
The Snake River in the Mini-Cassia area is unique because it lies between two dams. Minidoka Dam in the Milner Dam, creating a flat water lake-like experience. This stretch of the Snake River is about 33 miles long and in some areas over 600 yards wide. It is a popular summer recreational playground. Three beautiful well-maintained public boat docks have spacious grassy picnic areas, playgrounds and plenty of parking. Annually the Snake River hosts many annual events including, The Spudman Triathlon, The Vikingman Triathlon, Wake in the Snake (wakeboarding competition), and many bass fishing tournaments.
Golf
For the Golf lover, Mini-Cassia offers 3 attractive golf courses to enjoy.
The Rupert County Club offers 18 holes featuring a challenging tree-land style on the front nine holes and open style on the back nine holes. There are 6,400 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 71; and the course rating is 69.2 with a slope rating of 115. http://www.rupertcc.com/
River’s Edge Golf Course in Burley, ID has a magnificent 18 hole golf course right on the south bank of the stunning Snake River. It features 6,437 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72; and the course rating is 69.5 with a slope rating of 115 on Blue Grass. http://burleyidaho.org/city-of-burley/burley-golf-course/
The 9-hole “Ponderosa” course at the Ponderosa Golf Course facility in Burley, ID features 1,250 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 27 . The course rating is 45.0 with a slope rating of 113. Ponderosa Golf Course opened in 1960 and is managed by Earl Simpson, PGA.
Parks
Mini-Cassia city parks offer open spaces, jungle gyms, slides, large shade trees and beautiful scenery for the whole family to enjoy. The City of Paul offers its new Splash Park for the children to cool off and have fun on a hot summer’s day, along with eating pavilions and soccer fields. Heyburn Riverfront Trail features 2 ½ miles of paved, curving, landscaped trails along the Snake River that are very popular with residents and visitors to the area. Burley Storybook Park offers a huge playground that keeps this children having a blast for hours, along with large shade trees and picnic tables.
Lake Walcott State Park is located East of Rupert and features boating ramps and docks, a disc golf course, awesome fishing, hiking, mountain biking, birding, horseshoes, windsurfing, sailing, water sports, winter ice fishing, playground and basketball. This park is perfect for group activities and has a variety of campsites. Campers can set up primitive sites along the water’s edge or there are several group camp sites for tent camping as well as fully serviced campsites and cabins. Wildlife abounds along this clean and welcoming park year round. Nearby there are miles of ATV trails, Minidoka Falls, Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge, Minidoka County Historical Museum and Shoshone Falls.
Skate Parks
In the Mini-Cassia area we have two skate parks.
The Burley skate park located at Main St. and Normal Ave, is a 9200 square-foot cement playground with bowls, rails, ramps, pyramids, hubbas, and a manual pad to satisfy any extreme sports athlete.
The Rupert skate park located at 710 11th St. is a 6700 square-foot flat concrete playground with various rails and a pyramid and caters mostly to skateboarders and scooters.
Mountain Biking
The Mini-Cassia area has many pristine mountain biking locations for any mountain biker enthusiast. From the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains to the rolling desert plains, riders will pass through some of the most spectacular country that Idaho has to offer. The Mini-Cassia area offers trails geared for families and others for more advanced riders. Cave Canyon Trail near Oakley, Idaho is the area’s favorite trail among the avid mountain bikers. It is an adventurous single-track trail consisting of rugged terrain and steep inclines while passing through beautiful Quaking Aspen. For expert advice and local trail information, contact Rock’s Cycling.
Pomerelle Ski Resort
Nestled in the Sawtooth National Forest, Pomerelle is a skier and snowboarders’ paradise. The Base Lodge (located at 8,000 feet) is just 12 miles south of Albion, Idaho. Pomerelle Resort features 24 expertly groomed runs, 2 terrain parks, 1 double and 1 triple chair and the 450′ Magic Carpet lift for beginners. It is usually one of the first ski resorts to open in Idaho and takes pride in a typical annual snowfall of 500”. When the snow melts, this beautiful resort offers chairlift rides, mountain biking, hiking, disc golf and horseshoes. It is a great escape for the family to enjoy the fresh mountain air and picturesque views. http://www.pomerelle.com/
Fishing
In Minidoka County and Cassia County we have a plethora of fishing opportunities and adventures. Our high mountain lakes and streams are great and plentiful for native trout fishing and they include Independence Lakes, Lake Cleveland, and Cassia Creek. If you like smallmouth bass fishing well you’ve found the motherload. The snake River stretch between Milner Dam and Minidoka Dam hosts many bass tournaments and is one of the best smallmouth bass fisheries in the western United States. Bass fishermen will also find great success fishing the rocky banks of Lake Walcott. We have plenty of beautiful reservoirs and lakes for all your lake fishing desires with many different species of fish. Sublet reservoir is a great place for many different trout species and is nestled privately inside beautiful Sawtooth National Forest east of Malta. Lower Goose Creek Reservoir is a beautiful scenic reservoir located south of Oakley, Idaho and is full of walleye, and trout. Lake Walcott is located northeast of Rupert, Idaho and is full of trout and smallmouth bass.
Hunting
Southern Idaho is a sportsman’s paradise. Our wide-open spaces, farmland, vast public land and national forests make an ideal setting for the hunting enthusiast. Whether you are looking for big game (Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Mountain Lion, Bear, Wolf), trophy (Moose, Mountain Goat, Bighorn Sheep), waterfowl (Ducks, Geese), or upland game (California Quail, Chukar, Partridge, Grouse, Pheasants, Doves, Turkeys), you can find premier hunting with no crowds right here in Southern Idaho.
Annual Events
The Idaho Regatta is a self-funding not-for-profit community event held the last full weekend in June. The Committee works year round to make this event an exciting and unforgettable experience. This event features some of the fastest flat bottom boats in the world. Some 75 boats enter the event each year which includes drag boats that follow a circular course at top speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour. For more information about the event, visit the website at www.idahoregatta.org.
The Burley Lions Spudman Triathlon is an event operated by the Burley Lions club and has become one of the Mini-Cassia’s largest events. The Spudman Triathlon is always held the last Saturday in July so it’s an event to plan on! Check out the on-line registration, rules and important information on: http://burleylions.org website.
The Mini-Cassia area has many exciting events year round! With an obvious focus on outdoor recreation and family values, you are sure to find something fun for the whole family! Take a look at some of the annual events that have made the Mini-Cassia area famous…
- Mini-Cassia Spring/Fall Craft Fair, Rupert (March, October)
- Wildflower Weekend, Almo (May) www.nps.gov/ciro
- Vikingman, ½ Ironman Triathlon, Burley (3rd weekend in August) www.vikingman.org
- Motor-Cross Racing, Minidoka Fairgrounds (Summer months)
- Oakley Historic Home Tours, Oakley (June)
- City of Rocks Birding Expedition, Almo (June) www.nps.gov/ciro
- Idaho Regatta, powerboat racing, Burley (Last full weekend in June) www.idahoregatta.org
- Rupert 4th of July Celebration, Rupert Town Square www.rupert-idaho.com
- Declo Days, Declo (2nd Sat. July)
- Wake the Snake Wakeboard Competition, Burley (July)
- Pioneer Days, Oakley (weekend closest to the 24th of July)
- Idaho International Summer Fest (3rd week of July)
- Spudman Triathlon (last Sat. July)
- Minidoka County Fair, Rupert (1st week Aug.)
- Cassia County Fair, Burley (3rd week Aug.)
- Caring & Sharing Christmas Tree Festival (Friday after Thanksgiving)
- Cassia Healthcare Christmas Tree Festival (1st weekend of Dec.)
- Rupert Square Christmas Lighting (Friday after Thanksgiving) www.rupert-idaho.com