Time to try these 7 popular Boise hiking trails, now reopened after winter closures
Ridge to Rivers announced Thursday that it has reopened several Boise Foothills trails that were closed to prevent winter damage — and the seasonal closures appear to have been a success.
In a news release, the trail management agency said seven trails — Ridge Crest, Old Pen, Heroes, Bucktail, Two Points, Seaman’s Gulch and the north side of Who Now Loop — were open after about four months of closures.
Officials said the closures, which were a first for many of the trails, succeeded in preventing rutting and trail widening.
The agency closed the trails in late November, citing a risk of “irreversible damage” to the routes if they were used while muddy. In recent years, Ridge to Rivers has frequently urged trail users to stay off wet trails, where clay-heavy soil can be churned into ruts that harden and create unsafe conditions.
Ridge to Rivers previously tried to close popular routes at Table Rock but later scrapped the program after hikers and mountain bikers repeatedly disregarded signs and fencing to use the trails anyway.
Officials urged trail users to keep an eye on weather and conditions when hiking this spring and turn back if a trail becomes muddy. Trail condition reports are posted daily on Ridge to Rivers’ Facebook page and on the agency’s interactive trail map.
Other Foothills trails remain closed to protect wintering wildlife. Landslide Loop will reopen April 1, and Hawkins Range Reserve, which includes Hawkins Loop and Harrow Trail, will reopen May 1.
