Desert park featuring North America's tallest single-structured sand dune, stargazing observatory, sandboarding, and spring-fed lakes for fishing and kayaking.
General Information
Visitor Center hours vary seasonally; call ahead for current schedule
Basic campsites: $14–17/night
Electric campsites: $26–29/night
Cabins: $67–72/night
Sandboard rental: $15/day
How to Get There
From Boise (60 mi): Take I-84 east to Exit 95 for ID-78 toward Hammett/Bruneau, then follow signs to Bruneau Dunes State Park.
Overview
The Bruneau Dunes State Park is home to the tallest single-structured sand dune in North America, rising 470 feet above the desert floor. This unique landscape offers a rare combination of towering dunes, desert lakes, and dark skies perfect for stargazing. Visitors can hike the 6-mile Dunes Trail, rent sandboards to surf the slopes, or fish for bluegill and bass in the spring-fed lakes. The park also features an observatory with Idaho’s largest public telescope, offering guided night sky programs on select weekends.
With one of the longest camping seasons in the Idaho park system, Bruneau Dunes welcomes visitors year-round. The park includes electric and non-electric campsites, cabins, equestrian facilities, and a visitor center with natural history exhibits and gear rentals. Whether you're climbing dunes at sunrise, paddling across a quiet lake, or gazing at the stars, Bruneau Dunes offers a one-of-a-kind outdoor experience in the heart of Idaho’s high desert.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles and official tourism pages for the Bruneau Dunes State Park, which are released under the https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.
