Grays Landing Recreation Site ~ Idaho

Flickr album link: Grays Landing Recreation Site

The Grays Landing Recreation Site is located a few miles off of Highway 93 in a desolate area area of southern Idaho. The closest towns for stocking up are Jackpot, Nevada and Twin Falls, Idaho, which are quite a long distance away, so checking the list twice is best to do. The dirt road to Grays Landing is smooth enough for an average passenger car, but a 4x4 is recommended near the water since there are soft spots near the shoreline. At the end of the line is where a large cove can be found in the Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir and this certainly is a great little spot for those who wish to escape from the modern world.

The Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir was constructed way back in 1910 as an irrigation resource for this arid high desert region. As time moved on, this large body of water evolved into a primary recreation area. Because of the remote location, this picturesque lake rarely is featured on the cover of magazines and overcrowding is far from being a problem. The shoreline of this lake beckons to be explored and the towering cliffs at the water's edge certainly are what rock climbers dream of. Accessing the points of interest is best done with a kayak or canoe, since the summer large vessel season is relatively short and ends in June.

Grays Landing is both a small craft boat launch and a dispersed camping area, which is a nice convenience. Basic sanitation facilities and stone fire rings are all that is available, so a visitor should be prepared for primitive camping conditions. The best part is the views of the lake are simply astounding at Grays Landing and this reservoir boasts some of the best fishing in the entire west. Chinook, brown trout, kokanee salmon and smallmouth bass will suit the gourmet campfire diners just fine, while plenty of panfish species will keep the family busy angling all day long. The Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir is one of the top walleye pike fisheries in this region, so sports fishermen will certainly encounter many challenging moments. All this adds up to family fun in the sun and plenty of opportunities to put some fresh food on the table. For these reasons, just plan on setting up a long term basecamp at Grays Landing because you likely will not want to leave anytime too soon!