Forget The Grand Canyon, Visit This Lesser-Known Western Destination With Camping, Hiking, And Canyon Views

You don't have to travel to Arizona to find a geological wonder that makes you stop and stare. Idaho's high desert has its own dramatic gorges and rocky ravines, where explorers can spend a day outdoors scrambling up shale, following a backcountry trail, or finding sweeping vantage points over sagebrush-covered plateaus and foothills. Northeast of Blackfoot, the Wolverine Canyon is a slice of that wilder Idaho. Its recreational menu includes mountain biking, hiking, dispersed camping, and wildlife viewing. The canyon's scenery shifts between exposed rock and pockets of vegetation, with the rough ledges providing a distinctly Western backdrop for a full day outdoors in southeast Idaho.

Idaho's canyon country may not command the same recognition as the Grand Canyon, but heading into a more obscure wilderness stretch means visitors have fewer crowds to contend with and more room to roam. According to the National Park Service, the Grand Canyon gets around 4.5 million visitors per year, which can make solitude hard to come by. While there isn't published data for how many visitors Wolverine Canyon gets, it has just a couple dozen reviews on Google Maps and hardly the same media attention as the famed landmark. Nevertheless, you get views of a rugged chasm that cuts through Idaho's high-desert landscape, though its rock walls are a yellowish-gray limestone rather than the red-and-orange sandstone of Arizona.

Even with its wild views and low profile, Wolverine Canyon isn't as remote as you'd expect. Blackfoot is 30 minutes away by car, and Pocatello sits closer to an hour away. Travelers coming from Boise have a longer drive, taking about four hours (but still well below the threshold in the state whose residents are willing to take the longest road trips).

A day at Wolverine Canyon can mean scrambling over rocky terrain or taking in the landscape from a campsite. Though the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which oversees Wolverine Canyon, cites hiking as a permitted activity here, it doesn't identify any specific trails; one Google Maps reviewer even noted, "Because it is unmonitored property you are free to enjoy all of the canyon without worry about trails." The hiking routes, then, are less like the maintained Grand Canyon-style trails and more backcountry, so bring plenty of water and download a map beforehand — a couple of tips park rangers share to stay safe while hiking.

One potential trail route listed on the crowdsourced hiking guide Hiking Project maps out a 16.3-mile out-and-back trek along the gravel Wolverine Road. It climbs from the Blackfoot area toward the canyon's slender, cliff-lined stretch, known as the Narrows. For a shorter hike, look toward 40 Horse Cave, a small cave set into the rocky hillside above Wolverine Road. There's a brief but steep approach up a shale scramble that Free Arenas puts at under 0.2 miles long, or there's a slightly longer but less scrambly alternative route to the cave. Free Arenas also notes you can dip in the creek at the base of the trail.

If you're going to pitch up by Wolverine Canyon, know that camping here is a rustic affair. The BLM permits camping in the area, where scattered pull-offs along the gravel road provide dispersed campsites or camper parking. Some spots have fire rings, as reviewers on The Dyrt noted, but don't count on running water or electricity. Visitors looking for a more conventional stay in the area can base themselves at Blackfoot, the underrated Idaho city where comfort food shines.