The six national parks, reserves, historic sites, and monuments in Idaho contain a wide variety of interesting places and experiences. These include recreational areas, archeological sites, nature preserves and volcanic parks. The parks City of Rocks National Reserve Designated as a National Reserve in 1988 and located in on the southern edge of Idaho near the Utah border (), this site is also known as the Silent City of Rocks. The park covers almost and is adjacent to Castle Rocks State Park. As its name implies, the area is notable for its rock formations and is largely composed of granitic rock; the park is a popular location for rock climbers, offering a variety of routes for climbers of different skill levels. At the time settlers began traveling through the area the Shoshone and Bannock tribes inhabited the region. In 1826, Peter Skene Ogden and his Snake River brigade of beaver trappers were the first Euro-Americans to note the City of Rocks. However, the lack of beavers in the area caused the area to be ignored until the 1840s, when immigrant wagon trains began traveling through the area along the California Trail during the summer migration season. In 1849, a party of settlers "encamped at the city of the rocks" on the California Trail. Visitors can see marks on rock faces from axle grease. One immigrant described seeing distant rocks and said they were like "water thrown up into the air from numerous artificial hydrants." Since them the City of Rocks became a landmark for emigrants traveling along the California Trail and Salt Lake Alternate Trail. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve This national park and monument are located in central Idaho () along the Snake River plain. The park covers an area of and has an average elevation of The area contains different volcanic formations, basalt flows, and significant lava flows, tubes, and tree molds. Areas of sagebrush, steppe, and grassland cover a total area of . An area within the preserve was named a national monument on May 2, 1924 and expanded by President Bill Clinton in 2000. It currently covers parts of Blaine, Butte, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Power counties. The park was officially named Craters of the Moon National Preserve in August 2002. The park is jointly managed by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument Located in