This is a quiet, hidden place for a nature walk off Maple Grove and McMillan Rd. Lots of ducks,…read morewater views, Mountain View's and well established paths to walk on. They also have some benches and clean accessible bathrooms. No dogs allowed unless they are service dogs.

Boise has more than 90 developed parks. Last week I visited Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reserve. It's a 53…read moreacre park that serves as a sanctuary for birds, bats, and animals. If I had known about the bats, I would've visited sooner. This park has stocked ponds and fishing. I was there for almost 2 hours. All of these photos are taken in sequence with the intention of giving you a sense of what it's like to walk through the park and loop around to the sidewalk that runs down Maple, then re-enter the park and exit. I've included a couple of short videos for your Moment of Zen. Enjoy!

Come out and see some Nature and nice walks. The formation…read morecenter is nice too. Friendly staff.

Deer flat wildlife refuge is a beautiful area to visit and walk. They have a building along the…read morepath for birdwatching. The visitor center was open and the workers inside were very nice and informative. The visitor center educates you on the nearby wildlife you can expect to see. Definitely recommend you stop by for a little hike.

One of my absolute favorite parks in the treasure valley. I love that they also have the seasonal…read morecoffee/ice cream cart to get an affogato while the kiddos are playing and running around. I highly recommend!!

Nice sized playground that also has a splash pad! Visited here in the spring before the splash pad…read morewas available. Greenbelt area is beautiful with a ton of green and bathrooms are near the park area. Great place to picnic and enjoy being outside with kiddos

Hull's Gulch is one of the many trails behind Camelback park and is one of the main reasons why…read moreliving in Boise is so amazing. Proximity from downtown to this well-kept trail makes it fun for everyone and a great hike for visitors and locals. This trail starts a bit after the main parking lots and takes a dirt road- an SUV or truck type of car is probably best for this. I would say this is for the intermediate/expert hiker. It's around 7 miles and has some steep hills. So, hiking boots or athletic shoes are a must. It takes around 2.5-3 hours and there are tons of very picturesque places to stop along the creek (or crick, as many Idahoans say). During the summer months here in Boise, it stays light out until 9-10 pm. So I love starting this hike after work hours, without the worry of it getting too dark before getting back. You can see a lot of wildlife- birds, snakes, bugs, etc. There are usually a decent amount of people who walk their dog off-leash here. Hull's Gulch Interpretive Trail vs. the other foothill trails, there tend to be more bikers and fewer hikers. If you're into mountain biking, this would be a great trail for you!

Hull's Gulch Interpretive Trail is a roughly 7 mile (there and back) trail that meanders through…read morethe Boise foothills. It is uphill, though not steeply so (the elevation increase throughout the duration of the trail is roughly 1000 feet). We came midmorning on a Saturday and it took our party of 3 roughly 3 hours to complete (with some stopping for picture taking). The trail follows alongside a creek and so there are some picturesque spots. At the top of the trail there is a small waterfall (the amount of water depends on the time of year and snowmelt). There are informative and poetic signs (I'm not being sarcastic--truly--they have signs with poetry!) sprinkled throughout the trail and a few lovely (wide and sturdy) foot bridges along the path as well. The road to drive to the trail head isn't paved and though could be traversed by car, there were a couple of ruts that made me glad we drove our CRV and not our Accord, so something to think about if you have a low vehicle. Also, it is quite long, so I wouldn't recommend it for little ones and the path isn't wide enough in some areas for a jogger type stroller (and too rough for a conventional one). But, for older kids with stamina, it's great! Plus, given it's a there and back hike--you could always turn around at any point if it proves to much for some! The proximity to downtown is great and at the top where the waterfall is, there is also a gorgeous vantage, through a valley between the foothills, of the downtown skyline. Fresh air, gurgling creek, and nature poetry-- Get to it!

Fun little area for paddle boards. Not too busy, easy to find. Parking can be tricky if it does…read morehappen to be busy.

We spent two afternoons here fishing and playing! The highlight was sitting at the edge of the dock…read moretrying to catch some fish! It is absolutely beautiful out on the lake, and the views can't be beat. Here are some thoughts/recommendations for your visit: -The dock is NOT the place to fish with young children. It sways back and forth and kids are likely to fall in if they aren't watched carefully! Also be careful- there is lots of bird and deer poop on the dock! -It's hard to guess what might make the fish bite. Salmon eggs seemed to attract the most fish, but we still only caught one. We tried worms and fishing cheese as well. -The playground is really fun for kids, but the grassy area is filled with poop that make it hard to walk safely -The parking is so close to the lake, which was awesome!! Overall, we really enjoyed our experience here, and would recommend a visit! It's not a terribly far drive from Boise, either.

You guys remember that scene in the classic movie "George and the Dragon" where they stumble upon…read moresome dragon pooty and George has to stick his hand in to see how old it was? Well, that stack of pooty is this rock. In a good way. Honestly, our total hike was 11 miles and that killed me a little. A lot. But, it was overall a shady, pleasant hike with a great view at the end! I maybe would've go alone, just because you'd be hiking 4 hours by yourself. There's a parking lot at the trail head or street parking below that if the lot is full. Bring water and a snack!

Wow, oh, wow. This hike is a gem. The signs posted throughout the trail refer to it as "Freddy's…read moreStack Rock Trail", and this is considered an intermediate hike. To Stack Rock and back from the trailhead, this hike is just shy of 9 miles. I went with a group of friends and it took us roughly 6 hours from start to finish. How to get there: You'll find the trailhead about 13 miles up Bogus Basin rd on the left hand side. There's a larger gravel parking area on the side of the road. If you're going in the summer months, there is likely to be a lot of cars there. If you're not sure you're at the right spot, take a look at the map posted at the trailhead to ensure that it says "Freddy's Stack Rock Trail". I went with someone who had been before, so we made it there and back with no trouble. However, if it's your first time going, I recommend you read up on this loop or go with someone who has done it before. The loop breaks off into lots of other trails and it appears that it could be easy to get lost if you go into it ill-prepared. Scenery: STUNNING. There are gorgeous Ponderosa pine, and Douglas Firs surrounding the trail, as well as plentiful amounts of wildflowers. There are also lots of spots that overlook the forest and give you the opportunity to take in its grandeur. The photos I've posted give you an idea, but don't do it justice. From start to finish, this hike is beautiful. Stack Rock: I mean the trees and wildflowers are gorgeous, but this is what you do the hike for! After hiking 4-5 miles, you'll arrive at the stack rock formation. It's a bit daunting to climb, so take your steps wisely and consider how you'll get down before you go up! The views from here are truly remarkable though and absolutely worth the climb. Other things: - It's about 20 degrees cooler up here than it is down in Boise (and it's a bit windy). Bring a jacket, you'll probably want it at some point. Even if it is in the middle of the summer. - Also, bring snacks, bug spray, and sunscreen! - I had (limited) cell service for a good amount of the hike. - Lastly, for the sake of safety...don't do this hike alone. You go pretty deep into the forest. Bring a buddy. Better yet, bring 3 or 4.

Barber Park is the perfect place to start your float on the Boise River. The official floating…read moreseason ends on Labor Day, but you can still float from here afterward. Just keep in mind there are no rentals or shuttles back and forth to Ann Morrison Park after that date. Parking is $7 and the park has nice restrooms, a playground, and a convenient staging area to unload your gear before you park. The float ends at Ann Morrison Park, which makes it really easy to plan your trip. I highly recommend floating the Boise River starting from Barber Park. It is a fun and memorable experience!

This was our first time going river rafting and it was such a journey. They have an area where you…read morecan stop the car and pull out any tubes or rafts to blow up. Once you are done, you can drive around and park your car. We had one car waiting at the end so that we could get back to this park. They do have restrooms in two separate spots as well. It is super easy to load the rafts into the water. The season is over right now, so there wasn't too many people into the water. The water was a little cold, but it was refreshing. Along the way, we saw people on hikes and in hammocks. We also saw people fishing as well. This is such a great park. I would love to do this again!

This was a little confusing. I wasn't expecting to come across it on my way to a job site, but it…read morewas a nice little surprise & immediately made me want to stop- my Mom is a history aficionado, so documenting this stop for her was necessary. What I found here, though, was quite underwhelming & almost awkward. Besides the posts outlining the trails & historical bio- it's literally a set of steep, trail stairs down to a dirt path that expands according to the map. So, you'd actually need to plan on being able to do one of the hiking trails to see much of anything significant or worthwhile, I guess? I think it would be fun to try & hike, but hopefully there is something better beyond the trailhead view.

Very cool history behind the site…read more Cool signs to read, and a decent walk between all three sites, maybe about a 1-1.5 mi long. Cool oversight of the mountain range. Definitely not a days worth of activity, but a cool quick stop.