A dad and young kids out on the Surprise Valley-Oregon Trail Loop |
Highlands Trail hugs the foothills, climbing up to the Corrals Trail on a moderate grade. |
The weather looks promising in the Treasure Valley area on Friday and Saturday, but now it's supposed to rain on Sunday, so that's unfortunate ... but that's springtime for you in the Rockies!
There seemed to be a ton of interest in spring kid-friendly hikes based on the number of web hits my blog had last week, so I'm going to dish up another list of spring hikes for my outdoor tip of the week. Because of all the Greenbelt closures, I'll recommend five kid-friendly spring hikes in the Boise Foothills. All of them are featured in my book, Boise Trail Guide: 90 Hiking and Running Routes Close to Home.
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Dry Creek Trail |
2. Dry Creek out and back - This is a nice hike because you're following a creek the whole way, but you might get your feet wet on crossings. It's up to you how far you go on this hike ... it's almost 7 miles to the top of the Boise Ridge, and you'd run into snow before reaching the top. I'd plan to walk up the creek about an hour or so, stop for lunch, and then head back. Dry Creek is a scenic hike because of the rock hoo doos that you'll see along the way, and eventually, you'll get into the pine trees as you gain elevation. Dry Creek is the only perennial stream in the foothills.
3. Surprise Valley - Oregon Trail Loop - Distance 2.6 miles, vertical gain: 190 feet, travel time 1 hour or slightly more. Rated easy. The residents of Columbia Village and Surprise Valley know about these trails because they live next to them, but for other folks, this is a cool destination that provides a history lesson/teachable moment about the Oregon Trail, with interpretive signs and an historic rock ramp that the emigrants used to drop into the Boise River Valley from the dusty trail on the upper bench. Go to Surprise Valley in SE Boise and park at the Trinity Presbyterian Church. Pick up the gravel trail behind the church and hike toward the east along the base of the hill. It's about a mile to the Kelton Ramp grade. Follow the grade to the top of the rim, turn right on top, and follow Trail #102 along the rim, walking in a westerly direction. At mile 2, you'll see a right-hand fork in a break in the cliff where you can descend to the big white water tank, and follow the road back to the church.
4. Military Reserve Easy Double Loop - Distance 3 miles, vertical gain: 300 feet, travel time 1:30. Rated easy to moderate. Doing this double loop is a great way to get to know Military Reserve Park very close to downtown Boise. Go to Reserve Street by Fort Boise and St. Luke's and drive toward the footies. Turn left on Mountain Cove Road. Follow the road about a half-mile, follow a sharp right-hand curve and then park on the right at the main trailhead. Head up Toll Road Trail #27A, cross the creek, and hike on a gentle uphill to a trail junction at .6 miles. Turn right, cross the creek, and go back the other direction along the Cottonwood Creek Trail. It's 1.3 miles to do this short loop. As you near the trailhead, bear left on a trail going into the Black Forest. You'll pop out on a concrete apron. Pick up the trail to the left of the concrete on the edge of the hill and you'll come to Eagle Trail #25. Climb up the paved road for a short bit to the top of the hill at mile 2. Bear left on #25 and take Eagle Ridge back to the Toll Road-Cottonwood junction. Return to the trailhead on either Toll Road Trail or Cottonwood Creek Trail, your choice.
Shanes Trail courtesy Ridge to Rivers |
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The annual Spring Whitewater Equipment Sale, sponsored by the Idaho Whitewater Association, will be held at Cascade Outfitters this weekend. That means it will be INDOORS in their giant warehouse. Check in your equipment from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday, and the sale is on Saturday. This is a great place to find used kayaks, paddles, inflatable kayaks, rafts and SUPs.
The Idaho Statesman is sponsoring a trails discussion at Payette Brewing next Wednesday, from 5-7 p.m., to get some new ideas on where to go hiking and trail-running. The event is sponsored by The Pulse, Running and Fitness shop in Meridian. Sara Arkle, Foothills Open Space manager, Leo Hennessy of IDPR, Holly Finch of The Pulse, and Dennis Swift of SWIMBA are the panelists. The discussion will be moderated by Statesman outdoors writer Chadd Cripe.
- SS
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