The Boise Valley was initially occupied by people from the Bannock and Shoshone tribes. Formal European settlement efforts didn't thrive until after the joint ownership agreement with the British Hudson's Bay Company ended in the 1840s. The Oregon Territory first became popular during the California Gold Rush of the 1850s. After many conflicts with the local tribes, the United States military established Fort Boise in 1863 to take advantage of a nearby gold vein. This fort would eventually become the state's capital city of Boise, home to more than 235,000 people today.
Downtown Boise is the cultural center of the city. Visit 8th Street to check out the many sidewalk cafes and restaurants. The surrounding neighborhood is known for its thriving nightclubs, boutiques and bars. Other downtown attractions include the Idaho State Capital, Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial and the Boise Art Museum. The Alive After 5 event is a summer concert series held downtown in the Grove Plaza.
Stop by in the spring to take part in the Gene Harris Jazz Festival. The five-day Treefort Music Fest in late March is another exciting celebration of music. Many seasonal events are held at the Boise Centre, the largest convention center in the state. This 85,000-square-foot space often hosts local, national, and international consumer shows; conventions; and banquets.
You can't visit Boise without planning at least one afternoon at Zoo Boise and the Aquarium of Boise. Zoo Boise is located within the massive Julia Davis Park and is home to more than 200 animals and 80 distinct species. In 2008, the zoo added a new African Village, which is home to lemurs, lions, red pandas, giraffes and more. The Aquarium of Boise has several interactive touch tanks. The main exhibit houses a shark nursery, stingray pool, giant octopus tank and jellyfish tank.
Campgrounds Near Boise, Idaho
You'll find Mountain View RV Park right in the middle of Boise. This campground is in a great location near several fantastic restaurants, Boise Towne Square Mall and the Green Belt. The park is well-maintained, clean and friendly. If you don't want to spend a night out on the town, you can use your full-hookup campsite to have a quiet dinner inside. Other campground amenities include bathrooms, showers, and coin-operated laundry facilities.
Hi Valley RV Park is about a half hour away in Garden City. This facility has easy-to-traverse paved streets as well as a seasonal pool and hot tub. All the campsites come with high-speed Wi-Fi and cable. Every camper is sure to love the exercise room, off-leash dog park, library and modern laundry room. You'll find a total of 192 pull-through campsites here with full hookups.
The Ambassador RV Resort in Caldwell, a half-hour northwest of Boise, features a spacious 5,000-square-foot recreation hall open to guests. There's even a model RV available for rent. Head here in the summer to enjoy the sauna, pool and spa. The 188 full-service RV sites can be reserved for as low as $40 a night. Each of these sites comes with a sizable grass area. The campground hosts various events like potlucks, card games and charming doughnut socials.
State Parks Near Boise, Idaho
An hour south of Boise, Bruneau Dunes State Park is home to the largest single-structure sand dune on the continent. Strap on your best hiking boots, and head out for a few hours of dune exploration. Adults and children are welcome to grab a sandboard for some exhilarating sand sledding. Bluegill fishing is particularly popular in the park's few lakes. You can also stargaze, picnic and view the wildlife. Additionally, the park boasts modern equestrian facilities like water spigots and corrals next to a 15-site campground.
The 500-acre Lake Cascade State Park, an hour and a half north of Boise, draws thousands of boaters, fishers and swimmers every year. Lake Cascade, which encompasses 27,000 acres, is the fourth-largest lake in the state. It's surrounded by hiking and biking trails that wind their way into the nearby Boise National Forest. Many visitors spend the summer indulging in water sports like windsurfing, Jet Skiing and sailing. Anglers are welcome to catch perch, rainbow trout and coho salmon year-round. Anyone over the age of 14 must have a valid fishing license to fish on public Idaho lands.
Ponderosa State Park spans 1,500 acres right outside the resort town of McCall, two hours and 20 minutes north of Boise. This park mostly consists of thick woods conducive to hiking, picnicking and bird-watching. You'll find a total of 12 miles of established walking trails. Visitors are encouraged to take kayaks and canoes out on the water for a peaceful view of the stunning landscape. The beach is open to sunbathing and swimming during the warm months. The main campground here has 113 sites with water and electric hookups. There's an additional RV campground with 50 full-hookup campsites.
National Sites Near Boise, Idaho
Back in the 1930s, the Smithsonian Institution found some of the most famous fossils ever unearthed in the rolling hills of Idaho. Today, the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument represents a bygone era when one-toed horses and mastodons roamed the land. Many of the fossils found at this site, which is an hour and a half southeast of Boise, date back at least 3 million years with species like river otters being more recent discoveries. Make sure to view the fossils of bears, ground sloths and saber-toothed tigers at the visitor center.
The Nez Perce National Historical Park includes 38 significant historic sites across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. Over the years, archaeologists have found several pieces of evidence of Nez Perce's habitation that dates back at least 1,000 years. This park allows you to explore the culture of this tribe and learn about its 1,200-mile journey to escape the United States military in the 1800s. There are also several short hiking trails, like the one-mile Buffalo Eddy Trail that gives you views of old native petroglyphs.
Two hours southeast of Boise, the 210-acre Minidoka National Historic Site was once home to almost 10,000 Japanese American citizens between 1942 and 1945. These citizens were moved here after the attack on Pearl Harbor, which increased the country's distrust of those of Japanese descent. When the families first arrived, the camp was incomplete, forcing them to live in outdoor barracks. People kept arriving over time, and even after the living quarters were completed, they were still full of drafty holes. The 1.6-mile Minidoka Interpretive Trail takes you down the main route through the dilapidated community.
National Forests Near Boise, Idaho
Boise National Forest encompasses 2.2 million acres of land near the state's capital city. You'll find about 9,600 miles of streams with an additional 15,600 acres of lakes and reservoirs. While dispersed camping is permitted, you'll have no problem finding a site at one of the forest's 70 campgrounds. Stack Rock Trail is incredibly popular between spring and fall. It's an intermediate-level trail open to hikers, horseback riders and bikers.
You'll find the 750,000-acre Sawtooth National Forest in the southern region of Idaho, two hours and 15 minutes east of Boise. Salmon and trout fishing is popular on the Salmon River. Fishing and boating are permitted on Redfish Lake. Some of the park's best geocaching can be found on the Snake River Canyon Rim Trail. This national forest does not permit any new unauthorized geocaches. While walking between the aspen and subalpine fir trees, keep an eye out for weasels, pine martens, mule deer and porcupines.
Payette National Forest covers more than 2.3 million acres of rugged mountains and dense woodland. This forest, four hours north of Boise, is home to more than 300 species of mammals and birds as well as eight species of conifer trees. Try fishing from the 4,000 miles of fishable streams or nearly 400 lakes. The high elevations at Payette National Forest are also perfect for stargazing. Far away from city pollution and smog, you'll have access to thousands of stars you may have never seen before.
