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Camas Prairie - Centennial Marsh: A Day of Blue

 A couple of weeks ago, I went to Idaho Department of Fish & Game's Centennial Marsh Wildlife Management Area, which is located in Camas County, just under two hours from Boise. After turning onto Highway 20 in Mountain Home, it is an absolutely beautiful drive, complete with mountain views, and just that particular sense of peace that driving in the country that soothes and nourishes the soul. 

View of the mountains from Centennial Marsh


The camas bulb is an important food source for Native Americans

This area is a wonderful destination for bird watchers!


The camas flower (Camassia quamash) that can be found at Centennial Marsh was fairly sparse, but I still found a few blooms along the main road. The typical blooming period for this area is late May to early June, so I think I was a bit early. The light, delicate blue color of the flowers was a delight to see. 

Camas blooming with snow-capped mountains in the distance

Close up of the periwinkle-colored Camas with bright yellow anthers of pollen

On the way home, I stopped on Bennett Mountain Road, a dirt backroad that winds its way through scenic mountains and ranching fields. The entire road is lined with bluebird boxes, and a sign halfway down the road designates it as the "Elma Goodman Mountain Bluebird Trail". I saw at least a dozen Mountain Bluebirds during the drive. You could learn more about the Bluebird Trail from this article. 

Bonneville shooting star (Dodecatheon conjugens) found in a wet area along Bennett Mountain Road


This day trip to view blue camas and bluebirds was a wonderful spring adventure. I hope you'll adventure to this area! 

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Location: Fairfield, ID 83327, USA

Comments

  1. LouMay 28, 2021 at 11:51 AM

    Beautiful flowers...I’d like to see the Mountain Bluebirds also.

    ReplyDelete

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