![]() Ooids form when calcium carbonate precipitates around individual grains of sand. The oolite on the Mud Flat, known as the Shoofly Oolite, is part of the Glenns Ferry Formation and one of the world's largest freshwater oolites. The tiny round pieces of limestone found on the Flat are called ooids, known as oolite ("egg stone") when deposited in larger formations. They form the deep sandy slopes and ridges that plants like Mulford's milkvetch need to grow and which are found in only in three areas of Idaho: the Owyhee Front, the Boise Foothills and the area around Weiser, ID. Sediments left behind became the Chalk Hills and Glenns Ferry Formations. Geologists think water from melting glaciers caused Lake Idaho to overflow to the west in a massive flood that gouged Hell's Canyon, along the present-day Idaho-Oregon border. The earth's crust began to be pulled apart, northeast to southwest, stretched thin like taffy, and the Owyhee Mountains and the Boise Front rose along faults bordering the rift, reaching their present heights during the Neogene Period. If you're heading to the wilderness after camping out in the Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area, after you've joined the US 95 northbound near Sulphur in Nevada, expect to be behind the wheel of your rig for about seven hours.Extending across southwestern Idaho between the Owyhee Mountains and the Boise Front is the broad valley of the western Snake River Plain, which evidence indicates began as a continental rift. From there it's around a three and a half hour drive to Grand View and another hour to the wilderness. Mud Flat Road also passes by the borders of the Little Jacks Creek Wilderness which is another BLM managed property.Īnyone who has been in the north of the state RV camping in the Payette National Forest will need to join the US 95 southbound in New Meadows. On the way, you'll be able to stop off at the Shoofly Oolite, an unusual rock formation. Take this road as it winds across the countryside for about forty-five miles until it reaches the wilderness boundary. Just outside of Grand View you'll come across the junction with Mud Flat Road. To get there you'll need to head to Grand View which is midway between the Bruneau Dunes State Park and Oreana on the ID 78. The Pole Creek Wilderness is isolated but reasonably accessible. There are also some good wineries in Nampa where you can stop off for a tour of the vineyards and some tasting. Aviation addicts won't want to miss visiting the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa. There's a fascinating Wild West museum in Grand View and the historic mining town of Silver City is nearby. If you're a big raptor fan you'll find the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey State Park within a short driving distance.Īfter they've finished exploring the Pole Creek Wilderness, lovers of history will find plenty to keep them interested. The stark scenery makes excellent photographic subjects too. Animal and birdlife are abundant in the wilderness, so there's no shortage of something to see or photograph. Horse riders will love guiding their mount over the level ground of the plateaus. There are no defined hiking trails in the Pole Creek Wilderness, but it's a great spot to enjoy outback hiking in complete tranquility. That said, it is still a ruggedly scenic place. Part of the Owyhee Desert region, Pole Creek Wilderness has sparse vegetation amounting to no more than a scattering of sagebrush and widely disperses pine trees. The wilderness gorges carry the swift-flowing waters of Pole Creek and several other waterways that run down through Owyhee County into the neighboring state of Oregon and into the Owyhee Canyonlands. The wilderness is a contrasting landscape of elevated plateaus and steep-sided canyons. The Pole Creek Wilderness Area is BLM managed land covering twelve thousand acres between the rural communities of Triangle and Dickshooter in Idaho.
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