Where to hike in the Boise area every season of the year
With more than 200 miles of trails maintained by Ridge to Rivers, the Boise area is a hiker’s paradise. The best part is that there are scenic trails that welcome hikers throughout the year.
Here’s what to know and where to hike during every season of the year.
Note: Some of these trails are only accessible from other trails, so plan your hiking route accordingly with the Ridge to Rivers interactive map.
Spring
Spring hiking is all about seeing the wildflowers. These trails will take you on hikes through dazzling fields of wildflowers and to vistas where you can see the region in bloom. From arrowleaf balsamroot to syringa, Idaho’s state flower, you’ll want to keep your eyes open for these iconic Idaho flowers when you’re hiking on these trails.
Distance: 2 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 4.24 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Intermediate
Distance: 3.2 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Intermediate
Hull’s Gulch Interpretive Trail
Distance: 7.66 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Intermediate
Distance: 7.14 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Intermediate
Summer
Summer can get a little hot in Boise, so you’re going to want to hit the trails early. But the summer does give you the opportunity to hike trails that you can’t normally enjoy during other times of year due to muddy conditions. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, protective wear and snacks when you go on these hikes.
Distance: 0.52 mile loop
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 0.84 mile loop
Difficulty: Easy
Mores Mountain Interpretive Trail
Distance: 2.09 mile loop
Difficulty: Intermediate
Distance: 6.2 mile loop
Difficulty: Intermediate
Distance: 3.18 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Difficult
Fall
The best part about hiking in the fall is the color. Bright yellows, oranges and reds take over the landscape as trees go through their annual autumnal transition. Whether you want to hike through the vibrant trees or see colorful vistas, here are a few of Boise’s top fall hikes. Visit Ridge to Rivers for the full list.
Distance: 0.52 mile out-and-back
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1.76 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 3.46 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Intermediate
Distance: 13.36 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Intermediate
Distance: 6.82 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Difficult
Winter
When it comes to hiking during the winter, the most important rule is to stay off muddy trails. Hiking on muddy trails can damage the trails, kill trailside vegetation and flatten the drainage channels, resulting in erosion.
Rain is often a bigger issue for trails than snow or ice. Unless snow starts to melt, it can be packed down into a layer that protects the trail underneath. In those cases, it’s OK to hike on top of the snow or ice — though you’ll want to wear shoes with good tread. But rain and light snowfall that soon melts lead to wet soil with no protection.
Fortunately, some Ridge to Rivers trails are more weather resistant than others, and there are plenty of “all-weather” trails around Boise to explore. You can also stay up to date with trail conditions using Ridge to Rivers’ interactive map. Here are the routes that officials recommend for winter hiking, but here are some of our recommendations:
Distance: 0.71 mile loop
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1.94 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1.38 mile loop
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 4.04 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 15.24 miles out-and-back
Difficulty: Difficult
»» Read more of our hiking and outdoors coverage at idahostatesman.com/outdoors.
This story was originally published June 19, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
