Santa Fe Trail Daze

The first weekend in June each year is Boise City’s Santa Fe Trail Daze, a celebration to rekindle the spirit of the Old West and remind children of their pioneer heritage.

During the four-day event, rodeos, roping, an old-timers’ coffee, dances, a parade, country-western entertainment, a sacred music program, stagecoach rides, flea market, flower show, church service, a quilt display, old-time fiddling, antique car show, competition for kids and adults, and many other activities are held. A World’s Champion Post Hole digging Contest is also featured every year. It has received national publicity.

On Friday of the celebration, places of historical interest are open during a bus tour to the public which are closed the remainder of the year. Many locations are on private land, which cannot be seen by the general public except at this time. The free bus tours are sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce – every effort is made to teach and entertain visitors.

A site which is of interest to many is a series of dinosaur tracks in a strata of solid rock in the bed of a creek. At times, following flood conditions the tracks are covered with several feet of silt. At other times, gushing torrents along the waterway uncover the tracks completely. Immediately before the annual Trail Daze event, the tracks are swept clear of debris.

Another place which is closed to the general public is Autograph Cliff, a watering and resting place along the old Santa Fe Trail. There are hundreds of signatures carved in the sandstone cliff, giving evidence to those hardy creatures who sought better lives for themselves by “moving on.”