North Idaho Painted Pebbles (Hayden: to move, designs, tree)

[oregonwoodsmoke]

All I know is that people are painting them and other people are finding them out on trails and in the wilderness. I've seen photos of them, mostly rather well done and cute.

I'd like to know the whole story. Why the stones are out there. If you find one, do you keep or leave it for the next person? Are they just for children?

Possibly not related, but the Hayden library right now has a very nice display of painted pebbles. I don't think they were picked up on trails, because they look like they were all painted by the same person. I didn't take time to ask, though.

[HomeIsWhere...]

Not from the area but the family and I were out there this past fall and you're right the rocks are quite a surprize while out walking the trails. We didn't have acquaintences or family out there but this is what my daughter found out about them.

Try And Find Great Falls Painted Rocks

Try And Find Great Falls Painted Rocks - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

[banjomike]

People have been painting rocks and leaving them for surprises ever since the early 70s all over the state.

I don't know exactly where or when it started, but I knew young adults who were doing it by 1971. It's such a longstanding thing that I'm sure their grandkids are doing it now. I think it's just one of those Idaho things that, once begun becomes a tradition.

The painted rocks aren't confined to just NID. They're all over the state in every national forest, national monument, and state and federal lands of all kinds. Or anywhere there's some public access to private lands.

Idaho is the only state I've ever seen them.

I know of no rules that forbids taking one of the rocks home, but the intent is to give someone an unexpected and pleasant little surprise, out in the wilderness, so the rock painters would probably like it if the rocks went back out to the boonies to surprise others once they're packed out and taken home. Folks photograph them, and some like to move them around in the wilderness, as a surprise to the person who first left them.

Anyone can do it as a way of saying "Kilroy was here" in a less damaging way than carving up a tree or some other disfigurement. And a pocket full of painted day-glo pebbles makes for good trail marking.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

It sounds like fun to me. I'm not a very good artist, but I can paint a deer that looks like a deer and I can paint other cute animals, so think I might start painting a few rocks to leave when we are out hiking or boating. (But not until this snow melts off)

Maybe I'll specialize in dragons. I draw a cute dragon and kids like dragons almost as much as dinosaurs.

[banjomike]

Most of the ones I've seen just have loopy abstract designs on them in bright colors. But anything would be just as good as anything else. It isn't the artwork as much as the surprise finding it in a place where it would never be expected. The bright colors make a rock easier to spot.

It's been a very long time since I last saw one. Now I'm hoping I'll see another some day!

[Cyanna]

When we moved to North Idaho in July I was thrilled to find one of these wonderfully painted rocks. Now, I look for them everywhere I go for hikes and when doing photography. There is a Facebook page all about this, called Plant Love, Paint Rocks. It used to be called CDA Rocks.