#7: [19-May-21]

#6: [18-Aug-17]

#3: [04-Jul-03]

#2: [01-Jun-01]

#5: [31-Mar-04]

#1: [27-May-01] (incomplete)

24-Sep-2003 -- After the Age of Exploration comes the Age of Tourism…

Confluencer’s Guide to 42N 113W [Photo 1]

Fall 2003 edition

-Selected “One of southern Idaho’s twelve best confluences” for four straight years by Confluence Digest magazine, and through October 2003 one of the area's "most visited."

Directions: Take Exit 5 (Snowville, UT) off Interstate 84. Drive west on State Route 30 for 9.7 miles. At the Curlew Substation of the Raft River Electric Cooperative, turn right (north) on 36000 West [Photo 7]. Drive 2.2miles to Idaho-Utah line. After picturesque barbwire fence and cattle guard, the road in Idaho becomes much rougher [although the road in ID shows up on highway maps, and the road in UT doesn’t. Go figure…]. Drive north 1.5 miles, turn left on 31000 South [Photo 8]. Look for a set of wheel ruts to the left heading in the general direction you want to go, and be sure to use a vehicle with a fair amount of clearance unless you want to harvest a load of sage brush. Expect a one mile walk at the end unless you are in a tracked vehicle.

Climate Information: See table [Photo 9]. Most folks have attempted this confluence in late spring/ early summer. However, early fall is much more recommended. By late September, the 90-degree days are gone, and only one day in five will have measurable precipitation. What a great time to be out in the high desert.

The lay of the land: The whole area is so flat there is no problem getting ten zeroes [Photo 6]. The state line is only a stone’s throw away to the south [Photo 4]. To the northeast, there’s a good view of traffic quietly passing on I-84, which seems closer than it is [Photos 2 & 3]. The view to the west is the most interesting [Photo 5], especially with a telephoto lens [Photo 10]. On the whole, if you look up the phrase “Wide open spaces” in the dictionary, you will find a picture of this confluence.

Nearby Attractions: The two closest units of the U.S. National Park System are Golden Spike National Historic Site and City of Rocks National Reserve. Either one is worth a little longer visit than 42N 113W. www.nps.gov/gosp & www.nps.gov/ciro