If you’ve come to this page, you may have discovered the Teepee Rocks of Idaho and are looking for more information. When I set out to visit the site, I could find very little information that helped me plan. I wrote this post to help you know exactly what to expect and how to get to the Teepee Rocks, Idaho.
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I came across a picture of these white conical shaped rocks in Idaho a few years ago that looked otherworldly. I don’t make it to Southern Idaho often, so I added it to my list for “someday in the future.” That opportunity finally came this September when we were traveling from Stanley, Idaho near the Sawtooth Mountains to the Tetons in Wyoming. The Teepee Rocks were “sort of” along the way.
What in the World Made the Teepee Rocks
The white teepees are actually ash deposits from volcano eruptions in the Twin Falls volcanic region 8-10 million years ago!
Where is Teepee Rocks, Idaho
The Teepee Rocks are located in Central Southern Idaho almost a two hour drive from Twin Falls. The closest town is a tiny town called Oakley. From Oakley, you can follow Google maps south to Teepee Rocks, Idaho and it will be correct. It said it would take 48 minutes but it actually took us one hour. We had to drive quite slow in the van so I imagine another vehicle without their kitchen and bathroom bouncing around as they go may be able to go faster.
Where to Stay to Visit the Teepee Rocks
There are no hotels in the immediate vicinity of Oakley, Idaho. Camping nearby is ideal, but if you need a hotel, Twin Falls is your best bet!
Check out hotels HERE!
And if you need a rental car, I recommend Rental Cars which is a partner of Booking.
How to Get to Teepee Rocks, Idaho
After doing as much reading of trail reports, different reviews, and websites I could find little about the condition of the road there. But Chris and I decided to go for it in the van despite some warnings that a 4×4 was needed.
Coordinates: 42.1421665,-114.0693605
After driving into the tiny town of Oakley, head south on College Avenue right past the high school. Go about two miles past some farm houses. The pavement will end with the map saying 12 miles remaining till your destination. Right after the pavement ends, take a right on W 2200 S. Go another 0.8 miles then take a left on 2300 S Trapper Creek right after you cross the creek and go 0.5 miles. Finally curve right at Trapper Creek Road aka Forest Service Road 533 and go another 11 miles.
The first couple miles were gravel and washboarded. The rattle on the vehicle is pretty painful. Not long after though, the washboards get better and you’re dealing more with rough gravel with some bigger rocks you need to avoid. My main concern was a flat tire so I’d highly recommend having a spare and knowing how to change it. You’ll lose cell service pretty quick after the first couple miles too.
The road becomes quite narrow so if you encounter another vehicle, one of you may need to back up to find a spot wide enough to get by each other. There are also some occasional ruts and a fairly steep drop off when you pass by the Oakley Reservoir about 4 miles in. The views are beautiful though!
The rest of the way is much of the same. A high clearance vehicle is recommended to avoid damage on some of the ruts and rocks, but if you’re careful and slow, you can likely make it any vehicle in good weather. I wouldn’t take something too nice up here though or go during rainfall. There are a few sections of the road with a lot of solid packed clay, but if it rains, I imagine that can turn to mud. You’ll pass by 2-3 private residences with 1.5-2 miles left and the road will get a little rougher, but manageable.
When you see the fence and some white rocks, you’re there! If you continue another 200 yards past the cattle guard, there’s a dirt road to the right. That is your trail to the Teepee Rocks. If you want to attempt driving a short part of this to cut down on your walk, you could, but very little of it is drivable in a regular vehicle. We parked here in the open field by the road. There is no service here but Starlink worked great!
We actually shared our one e-bike we brought with us to cruise up much of the road until it got too steep, then pushed the bike up the hill (not easy). The entire distance from parking down below felt like around 1.5 miles roundtrip.
Exploring Teepee Rocks, Idaho
You’ll know immediately when you’ve arrived. The road narrows to a steep sandy path between the unique conical structures. You’ll get a little workout by climbing the steep hill. From here you can explore at will, to the left and the right. An hour would be plenty of time to see it all. Some of the best photo spots are taken from the right when you reach the top of the steep hill. Keep going a few minutes until you can reach one of numerous points looking down onto the steep path you climbed at the beginning.
The sun sets behind the teepee rocks from the viewpoint I just described. We didn’t go back up for sunrise, but I imagine it would be pretty beautiful from the same spot casting golden light directly on the teepees and path below you.
Things to be Cautious of at Teepee Rocks
The Teepee Rocks area is incredibly fragile. Its remoteness helps protect it, but as with so many other places, it’s only a matter of time before more people discover it.
Leave No Trace
It goes without saying, but do everything you can to leave this place better than you found it. Familiarize yourself with the principals of LNT. Amazingly, I didn’t see a single piece of trash at the entire site. It is unmaintained so that means it’s up to visitors to do the right thing and keep it clean and preserve it.
Unfortunately Chris’s hat blew off in the strong wind and flew off a high steep ledge that would’ve been dangerous for us to attempt to retrieve. So technically, we littered. But truly, no object is worth risking your life for.
We saw some graffiti carvings in some of the teepee rocks. This is absolutely never ok. Don’t be an asshole.
One of the paths up the hill involves passing through a barbed wire fence. Having another person lift it up as you pass under makes it much safer.
We realized shortly after we’d hiked around that the teepee rocks are actually quite fragile. They are solid, but can easily be marked up and scraped. Avoid climbing directly on them. They can actually break off or crumble underneath you. If there had been rain, I would imagine they could actually be quite slippery too.
Watch for branches sticking out. I may have gotten whacked in the head by a Juniper branch once or twice hurrying along the path.
Snakes. Yes there are snakes here. We almost ran over one with the e-bike coming down the path.
There are a ton of free range cattle in the area so drive slowly and wait patiently for them to move off the road.
This area is very dry and can get extremely hot. There is a creek that runs along the valley near much of the drive, but there are no other water sources. Make sure you come prepared with extra water and food. The winters are cold and can be snowy. Check road conditions before attempting this in the winter. The best time to come is anytime there’s no snow or rain.
Tips About Teepee Rocks, Idaho
- Teepee Rocks are considered the Sawtooth National Forest.
- You’ll likely see ATV riders sharing the road out there so be careful.
- We went on a Sunday afternoon in late September and didn’t see another soul. We spent the night in our van at the parking area in the field and had fantastic Starlink service. In the morning, a couple vehicles passed by with ATVs but otherwise we never saw another person the entire time. We had the teepees to ourselves for hours. It was pretty dang awesome.
- I really hope Teepee Rocks don’t become overly popular and damaged. Please go with a sense of adventure and respect. This post is designed to answer any questions you may have before going so you’re not left feeling apprehensive about what to expect like me. If you have any questions feel free to comment or message me!
- If you visit the Teepee Rocks and have any input or any of this information has changed, please let me know!
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