“The quawmash is now in blume and from the colour of its bloom at a short distance it resembles lakes of fine clear water, so complete in this deseption that on first sight I could have sworn it was water.” Meriwether Lewis, spring 1806.
The quamash is indeed in bloom in Camas County and certainly a sight to behold. A great place to view them is at the Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh Wildlife Management Area located 14 miles west of Fairfield – a 1 to 1 1/2 hour drive from the Wood River Valley. From the Wood River Valley head south on Hwy 75 to the blinking light at the intersection with Hwy 20, take a right and head west beyond Fairfield. There is a sign marking the left hand turn for the eastern entrance to the marsh and it is another six miles south.
As you enter into the marsh from the eastern entrance you are surrounded by the camas on both sides and behind you in the distance the Soldier Mountains reach to the sky. You are surrounded by waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds that block the road and flit about. Some species that can be found in the marsh include mallards, gadwalls, northern pintails, willets, snowy egrets, the sandhill crane, and red-winged and yellow-headed blackbirds. Be sure to take the road to the right that cuts through the marsh and ends at a small parking area and observation point. It is a great place to park and walk about as well as have a picnic. There is a picnic table, a privy and plenty of space to spread a blanket. Complete your visit by driving the entire loop around the marsh to the western entrance which is located back out on Hwy 20 in Hill City.
General Information:
Visiting hours and fees: Open year around with no established visiting hours but please note no overnight camping is allowed. No access fee is required.
Vehicles and parking: Use of motorized vehicles is permitted only on designated roadways and please park in designated parking only. It is common for flooding to occur so some roads may be impassable to low-clearance vehicles. (On June 10, 2010 all roads were passable, however there was water flow over the cut-off road to the observation point so a vehicle with higher clearance or four wheel drive is recommended.)
Be sure to take a jacket, the wind on the prairie can be quite cold & bring your sunscreen, binoculars and a camera.
If you would like more information stop in at the information center in Fairfield to pick up a brochure on the Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh Wildlife Management Area which contains details on the area with a great map. The center is located on Soldier Mountain Road just off Hwy 20 on the right.
More about the Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh Wildlife Management Area -
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/wildlife/wma/camas/
More about the Camassia quamash -
http://lewis-clark.org/content/content-channel.asp?ChannelID=272
This guest post was written by Beth Pearson. See more of her fine photography at sundogsnow.com
