Bruneau Dunes State Park
About
Bruneau Dunes State Park is located on southern Idaho’s northern edge of the vast Owyhee desert. Equidistant between Boise and Twin Falls, it serves as a convenient escape where visitors can immerse themselves in a more natural landscape and take in night skies that reflect what early settlers to the area first experienced.
The park is home to the tallest single-structured dune in North America, the grains of which were deposited here by the Bonneville Floods some 14,500 years ago. Recognizing the uniqueness of this desert landscape, the Idaho Department of Park and Recreation first opened the park in 1967. Today, it has grown to offer three campgrounds, two public observatories, miles of hiking trails, and 2 fishable lakes.
Bruneau Dunes State Park worked to improve lighting throughout the park through a grant from the Laura-Moore Cunningham Foundation, using it to upgrade all outdoor park lighting to dark sky friendly fixtures. The park continues its efforts today by incorporating dark sky messaging into its educational programming in and out of the park. Staff are also consulting with local entities to encourage them to switch to dark sky-compliant fixtures. Bruneau Dunes continues to evaluate the quality of its night skies, conducting night sky quality surveys and adhering to its Light Management Plan.
Bruneau Dunes is open year-round for day use and camping. Our observatories are open from April through October, and year-round access is planned for the future.
Area
19.42 Sq. Km
Designated
2024
Category
International Dark Sky Park
Address
27608 Sand Dunes Road
Mountain Home, ID 83647
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Click here to find ideal environmental conditions for enjoying dark skies near Mountain Home, Idaho (43.13, -115.69).
