Malad Gorge to Box Canyon Road

This backcountry route connects two of southern Idaho’s most dramatic geological features through 28 miles of high desert driving across the Snake River Plain. Starting at Malad Gorge State Park, the unmarked BLM roads wind through sagebrush country and lava fields before dropping into Box Canyon near Wendell. The route passes several homestead ruins from failed farming attempts in the early 1900s, their weathered foundations telling stories of optimism meeting harsh reality.

Easy to moderate driving suitable for any high-clearance vehicle, though sandy washes can trap the unwary after storms. Spring and fall offer the best conditions – summer heat makes this brutal and winter storms create impassable mud. Carry plenty of water and let someone know your route; cell service is non-existent and help is hours away. The reward comes at Box Canyon’s rim where Malad River plunges 200 feet into a narrow basalt chasm that few visitors ever see.