A Beautiful Welcome to the Wild West
This secluded park is seated right on the start of a semi-arid climate. Shortly before arrival from the east the grass turns golden and and you begin to see varieties of cactus and yucca. Upon entering the park we were greeted by a small herd of pronghorn deer bouncing along the road. We also ran into a herd of mule deer in the park that were quite accustomed to people, they let me get within 10 yards of them before the bolted. The park has all the amenities you’d expect of a state park; showers, toilets, and established camp sites with fire rings, grills and picnic tables. However the seclusion was not expected. The nearest town where you can get supplies and gas is Boise 36 miles east of the park. The park is situated around a small lake which is partially surrounded by small limestone cliffs. There are a few trails to hike varying in length and difficulty from a stroll in nature to a bit of exercise, nothing to extreme though. After heading west out of the park to Black Mesa itself the geography changes rapidly from small limestone formations and boulders to large sandstone canyons out of a Wild West movie where outlaws would be hiding and mountain lions would be (and still are) stalking their prey. The beginning of the trail up the Mesa has a small parking lot and is a 4 hour hike to the top. The area is popular for the star gazing unfortunately it was overcast the nights we were there but the scenery and wildlife was beautiful enough to make up for the lack of stars. All in all it was great and highly recommended for families and those looking for a secluded far from civilization camping experience but still wanting the amenities of a maintained park.