Visit Balanced Rock
Camping, Photography, Rock Climbing
Beginner
Year Round
Standing 48 feet tall and weighing 40 tons, the locally-famous Balanced Rock sits on a pedestal just 3 feet wide in the Salmon Falls Creek Canyon.
Balanced Rock is famous throughout the Magic Valley, and getting there is easy. A picnic table and turnoff on Castleford/Glenns Ferry Road allows you to park below the rock. From there it's a short scramble up the hill to get to the base -- that's the only way to get a feel for the boulder's enormity.
Just a half-mile east down the road is Balanced Rock Park, with a few well-maintained campgrounds and a trout-stocked creek.
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations.
Reviews
Overall rating:
Fun Quick Adventure
It’s a bit out of the way to anywhere in particular. We were heading up to Boise from Utah and decided to take a little detour to check it out. The rock itself is just off of the road (appropriately named “Balanced Rock Road”) and can be seen easily from there. There’s a pull off area and it’s a short little hike (hike may be an overstatement) up to the rock itself. Only up close do you really get a feel for the size of the boulder, it really is massive and very impressive. After the climb, to get right up to the base you need to scramble up some rock. We went in January so there was some snow and a bit of a drizzle which made the rock pretty slick. I would recommend some good shoes and a lot of caution to climb up right to the base. That may not be the best for kids in my opinion.
Quick Trip!
If you're looking for a fun little day trip, this is perfect! There's a nice gravel pull off right below the rock. It's a short incline, clean trail right to the rock. Makes for a fun picture!
