Boise-area sledding hill will open after all. Here’s where else you can tube or sled
Editor’s note: The following story was written on Dec. 10 when officials announced Steamboat Gulch would be closed. A new permit holder has since announced operations will be open by Christmas. Find more details on Steamboat Gulch here.
Idaho will be without one popular sledding area this winter thanks to funding issues and restoration efforts necessitated by littering and vandalism last season.
In a news release Tuesday, the Idaho Department of Lands announced that Steamboat Gulch — a sledding hill on state endowment land about a mile north of Idaho City — would not be open this year.
“In previous years, the sled hill was operated by the Mores Creek Recreational Foundation through a permit from the IDL,” the release said. “However, the foundation ran out of funding last year, and there isn’t currently a permit holder to operate and fund the sled hill this year.”
In the past, the foundation has provided funding to operate the sledding hill, including supervision and plowing the nearby parking lot. According to a statement on the Steamboat Gulch website, funds were short last year, but the sledding hill remained open and unsupervised.
“We have had folks dumping garbage, and then in the spring they have taken the sled hill and ... there’s a few folks with full-size and recreation vehicles that have run up the sled hill,” said Todd Wernex, IDL’s recreation program specialist, in a video attached to the news release.
The vandalism, which included trees that were shot at, forced restoration efforts to remove the ruts on the hill and reseed the area. Wernex said without supervision, “it kind of became a free-for-all” at the sledding hill.
“We don’t have all kinds of extra money to go back and fix this year after year,” Wernex said.
Idaho’s constitution mandates that IDL manage state-owned lands “to secure the maximum long-term financial return” for beneficiaries, such as Idaho public schools.
“Money to repair damaged land comes from funds that should be supporting K-12 education,” the agency said in its news release. “... While the closed hill is a disappointment, it is not appropriate for IDL to take money out of the public school endowment fund to operate the sled hill.”
The Mores Creek Recreational Foundation said it’s looking at options to secure funding to operate the sledding hill in the future. IDL said it would also welcome a new permit holder to manage sledding operations.
This year, the hill is blocked off by a gate and fencing. There are also obstacles on the sledding slope itself.
“If you decide to hike in you will be disappointed as the hill itself has barriers for the ATV training course, so you cannot sled there,” the statement on the Steamboat Gulch website said.
Places to sled, tube near Boise
Eagle Island State Park: This Eagle tubing hill opened on Dec. 1 thanks to snowmaking operations. A magic carpet lift takes riders — and their park-provided tubes — to the top of the hill.
The hill is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Park officials advise making a reservation 24 to 48 hours in advance, particularly if you plan to come as a large group or on potentially busy weekends. Tickets are also available at the check-in kiosk near the parking lots. It costs $5 per vehicle to enter Eagle Island State Park, and tubing tickets are $17 during regular hours or $13.50 during “twilight” hours (9 to 10:30 a.m. and 5:45 to 9 p.m.).
Visit the park at 165 S. Eagle Island Parkway in Eagle. Call 208-800-2108 or visit gatewayparks.com for more information.
Bogus Basin: The 800-foot Pepsi Goldrush Tubing Hill at Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area near Boise is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Reservations are required at this popular hill, which features a conveyor belt to take riders up to the top. Tickets are $15 per person for 90 minutes of tubing. Tubes are provided.
Visit bogusbasin.org or call 208-332-5162 for more information on tubing at Bogus, located at 2600 N. Bogus Basin Road in Boise.
McCall: The McCall Activity Barn opened on Friday, Dec. 20. It operates on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
A two-hour tubing session is $18. Check brundage.com for more details.
Camel’s Back Park: When enough snow is on the ground in Boise, Camel’s Back Park, 1200 Heron St., becomes a popular spot to sled. There’s no lift here and no tubes or sleds provided, so plan to bring your own equipment and pack it uphill.
Be careful of fencing and closures on the hillside, as well as the newly installed stairs at the top of the Camel’s Back.
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 4:51 PM.
