Oh man, oh man, oh man--all of the heart eyes! (Not the easiest thing in the world to get to, but…read morelike a hidden treasure, once you find it, the hunt is so worth it!) How to get there(ish): 1. Head up ID 55 like you're going towards McCall 2. Hang a right on Banks Lowman Highway 3. Drive for 28 miles and then you'll see Pine Flats Campground on the right 4. (Now getting to the hot springs is a bit tricky. Side note: I definitely would NOT recommend attempting this in snowy weather, that just would not be smart or safe.) Anyways, you're going to take a trail that runs sort of by the river and is towards the rightmost part of the campground. You'll walk for what I assume to be a quarter mile, and then voila! You'll arrive at a beach along the river with massive boulders and pools stacked against the hillside (this is all natural by the way)! The Campground: Parking is $5/day, and I am not sure about the cost of overnight camping as we only made a day trip here. They have one bathroom here, and, well, it's totally a public park bathroom. The Views: We went on an October weekend, so we had a view that combined all things beautiful that Idaho has to offer in one--snow on mountains in the distance, lush green hills, stunning fall foliage, a rushing river running along the hot springs, and clean mountain air. The Hot Springs: A good amount of the pools of water were warm and I would only recommend sitting in them if the weather is above 80 degrees, or else you'll get chilly real quick. But for the most part, they were toasty, especially if you sat underneath the ones with waterfalls--those will heat you right up! Pro Tip(s): 1. Make sure you have more than enough gas in your car--you're out of service up here and out of luck if you run out of gas. 2. Bring a big water bottle! Sitting in hot water will dehydrate ya real quick.

For anyone feeling super adventurous and spontaneous. Maybe even wanting to just get out and…read moreexperience something new this beginning of spring Pine Flats is definitely the perfect spot. When you arrive it can be a little confusing but don't be overwhelmed with the long walking trail! Overall our experience for first timers was great. We did have to walk a little and if your a first timer also like us you may want to be ready with some hiking shoes, warm clothes/swimming clothes if your using the hot springs and a happy motivation(: The hot springs pool overall is pretty smaller then expected but good maybe for couples if you need a nice date idea. The temperature is perfect if you land in the right spot. (Lower ones are better) would we do this again ? 10/10 yes.

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.

Fun, super short trail (takes about 15 minutes) to get to the Falls where you can take a dip in the…read morebeautiful little lake if you're not afraid of the freezing cold! The trail was super picturesque. I loved how because it's in a gorge, it is almost all shaded. We chose it since we have young kids and needed a short trail. I had read that this was super kid friendly and do be warned there are some short steep dusty slopes, and ledgy areas, that made us very nervous with our 5 year old and our 83 year old relative. It's kid friendly in terms of it being short, but there are some nerve racking spots for sure! The best type of shoes for this would be something like hiking sandals that you can get wet since there are areas you need a good grip for hiking, and others where you literally have to hop over stones. The waterfall is breathtaking and we sat there for some time enjoying the view.

Nice 20 minute hike to the water falls once you get to the creek…read more Here are a few suggestions from a First Responder that assists when needed. Wear appropriate foot wear!! DO NOT WEAR FLIP FLOPS!!!!! Trail can have poison Ivy along the path. Do not veer from the trail. You will probably get your feet wet. You will have to walk over wet rocks and can fall into creek. Not handicap accessible. If you become injured, expect that it can take over an hour to get volunteer Ambulance and Fire personal to get you to the ambulance, then another 30 minutes to a hospital. the Volunteer EMS service can not give pain medications, so better be tough butter cup!! If you decide to take a path that goes above the falls and you get injured, expect an extra long recovery. Intermountain search and Rescue *IMSR) will have to respond from Boise assist you off of the hill. In the case of severe injury, Life flight will probably be dispatched to expedite transportation to a hospital. I have every thing from a broken wrist, broken legs, ankles, to severe injury from a person falling 30 feet from a cliff. That recovery took over six hours, IMSR, four wheelers, and life flight. Please remember that if you do call for emergency services, we are volunteer community Fire/Ems personal that respond. We take time out of our day to assist in your worst time. Please treat us with respect and if you feel you can donate to our agencies, it is greatly appreciated.

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!

Wow, the view at dedication point was amazing! It's a great place to birdwatch and a nice place to…read morejust go and destress. The view from above looking down at the River is breathtaking. It takes about 5 min to walk from the parking lot to the overlook. Restrooms nearby. We saw some coyote tracks, but didn't see any unfortunately.

Short walk to a beautiful view! Visiting family they insisted we see this area. They said it was…read morebetter than Grand Canyon. I've never been so couldn't say. But this was beautiful

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.

While the outfit may have had bad reviews in the past it is now under new ownership. The new…read moreoutfitters Caleb and Cooper and their team were fantastic. They have a wealth of hunting and guiding experience all over the country and world. We booked a bear hunt for 4 hunters. The accommodations at the lodge were amazing. Very comfortable cabins to stay in with home cooked meals every day. The guides worked their tails off for us, and wanted to see us punch our tags as much as we did. While their guiding abilities were great their personalities were even greater. I'd be happy to share a camp fire and beers with these guys any day of the week. Based on this trip we will be looking forward to hunting with Sawtooth Wilderness Outfitters every spring. You can ignore the bad review from the past owners and book with these guys with confidence.

Booked a hunt with Sawtooth this past fall, outfitter forget to get our tags, agreed to 'make it…read moreup' with a future discounted hunt. (We ended up going on a last minute hunt that was sub par at best but paying full price.) Gave it to us in writing. Found out he is no longer willing to honor his word. Says there are new owners and they don't care about the agreement. So, if you book with these guys, this is the type of organization you are dealing with. Their work cannot be trusted. Side note, my buddy did go on his hunt with Sawtooth, week after I was going. He was not impressed at all. They did not see a single deer. They did see a few elk, but way off. Avoid, there are other more honorable outfits

It was my first time river rafting so I was a bit nervous but Im glad I did it…read more We booked the half day one for beginners. There were a ton of people in our time schedule, but they managed everyone well. It looks like it's about 6ish adults/raft + the guide. Be prepared to paddle hard depending on who's in your group. They provide life vests and a water jacket - the water is COLD in June. You don't need to worry too much about your glasses falling off, maybe your hat but all our sunnies stayed in place with no problem. We opted for the morning slot (100% would do it again). Benett brought the ENERGY at 9am. He gave everyone a speech about the area and safety tips - including what to do if you fall overboard. No one on our trip fell out unwillingly. They had a few spots for you to jump in and swim. We were lucky enough to get Benett as our guide as well. He let us ride in the front if we were brave enough to! I will be recommending this spot to anyone visiting the area- if there's a way to recommend a guide, I would recommend Benett as well. Thank you for making our trip memorable!

Our friends booked a river raft trip for the four of us with Cascade Raft & Kayak. They are located…read moreon 55 just north of Horseshoe Bend. You can book online. You park at their facility, which has lockers and dressing rooms, as well as food and drink. Everyone was very nice. You are fitted with a lifevest, offered the use of a splash guard pullover and water socks, and then taken by bus up to Banks to unload the rafts and start your trip. You get to help the guide move the raft from the trailer to the water. I'm detailing all this because this was my first river rafting trip. Our guide was Tucker, and he was the best! He fitted us with our lifejackets and splash guards, and then came and talked to the four of us prior to boarding the bus, giving a lot of valuable information. Once on the river, he was very good about explaining what to expect, and giving detailed information about each rapid and other landmarks as well. He was very knowledgable, friendly, polite, and engaging. Tucker made my first experience thoroughly enjoyable. My wife and our friends also enjoyed the trip immensely. I would definitely do another trip with Cascade Raft & Kayak!

Greatest week of my life. Humbled by the beauty, power and grace of the river. Forever grateful…read moreto the guides for the gift of their leadership that included not just the requisite skill and knowledge, but also a tremendous joy and love that permeated our entire group from the start. I am a changed person and will cherish these memories for the rest of my days.

If you are interested in the most amazing river trip ever, you might want to book a trip with…read morecanyons right freaking now! The guides were the perfect hosts, keeping everyone safe on the river and wanting for nothing in the camp. Props to Wren and Chris as the mother ducks keeping us safe. Tess rules the kitchen with lasagne, New York strips, and salmon dinners. Colin was an excellent oarsman and bartender (wicked recipe on the tequila shot!) Tyler kept everyone organized and brought the Patty's! How in the hell Timmy kept up with this group at almost 80 is beyond comprehension. We enjoyed perfect weather mid June for a 6 day trip, our crew had 3 kids who absolutely thrived on all of the water activities. They can't wait to get back on the river with this group of guides. Way to go canyons crew, we love you all for life! Thank you for letting us be part of your family!

I love this park and have been coming here since I was a kid- as of late the park is in desperate…read moreneed of some landscape work and needs to be green again as it was all the years I have enjoyed it - it has been the place of some of my greatest joys with my kiddos- I would like to continue to share that and hope other families can return to enjoy the park---I genuinely hope the park can come back into it's beauty.....

Couldn't be a more picturesque place... we visited in late April and the trees were not full yet so…read morecan't comment on the shade trees Bathrooms were clean! Easy access from 84 Cows were grazing on the hillside train in the distance, not noisy but fun for my granddaughter to watch Good space between TVs