Orchard Training Area

USA / Idaho / Kuna /
 military, artillery, training centre
 Upload a photo

LOCATION
The Orchard Training Area comprises 138,051 acres of land that has been used by the Idaho Army
National Guard (IDARNG) since 1953. It is situated in the central portion of the western Snake River
Plain and the Mountain Home Plateau, approximately 13 miles south of Gowen Field, and 14 miles south
of the City of Boise. The Gowen Field complex is adjacent to the Boise International Airport. Located
along the Boise River and nestled against foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Boise offers many
opportunities for recreation, education, and culture.
Approximately 70 miles of improved cinder and dirt roadway provides circulation within the training area. The terrain is predominantly flat desert land with several scattered buttes. Elevations range from approximately 3,000 feet to 3,300 feet. The highest point in the Orchard Training Area is Big Foot Butte, rising to 3,535 feet. Christmas Mountain Butte is the next highest point, with an elevation of 3,497 feet. Surface soils in the Orchard Training Area are an alkali clay with a high density of lava rock outcroppings. Little rainfall occurs in the area after mid-June and throughout the summer months. The topography of the area consists of rolling terrain with numerous draws, dry streambeds, and rocky knolls. A portion of the land is covered with two- to three-foot high sagebrush and patches of desert grass. There are no other structures in the area, with exception of the observation towers and facilities developed for training purposes.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   43°15'46"N   116°10'33"W

Comments

  • Orchard MPRC-H
This article was last modified 9 years ago