Hi everybody. I was wondering if anybody here lives in the Boise ID area and what the hiking is like close to town? I've been backpacking in the Sawtooths, but never anywhere else close to Boise. I'm moving out there from MN in a few months and I really hope there is a lot of hiking close to the city (within 30-45 min or so).

Lee,

Lots of hiking opportunities. I did some work at one of the car dealerships in the area a couple years ago, and did some day hikes. Can't give you a lot of particulars about the area, but I really, really like the Boise area. If you enjoy any outdoor activity, you can find it around Boise.

Boise sits at the base of the Boise mountainsm and the Snake River runs through town.

Boise seems to have a reasonable cost of living, and flying in and out of the Boise airport is a piece of cake. You may also want to check out the Idaho Shakespeare Festival Amphitheater which is right in town. There is an eagle preserve close to town, but I did not have time to check it out.

One thing about Boise... you need to get up to speed on BSU Football, the town is consumed with it :)

You are going to like Boise!!

Thanks for the info. My wife and I are heading out there next week to start looking for houses. We're excited because everybody seems to love the area. Plus you can't beat being so close to so much wilderness.

You have a wealth of hiking/exploring opportunites to check out all within a short distance of town.
Besides the obvious wilderness areas that are all within 2-3 hours, there is the local foothills, that are riddled with hiking trails, and then there is also the less traveled desert where you can wander the canyons at will. You will have tons of stuff for your to go to list!

I'm a former Boise resident, and miss it a bunch. A heads-up: while Boise is not a giant metropolis, it has become big enough that travel time is a consideration for your outdoor activities. I can't say enough about the North End neighborhoods... I lived about three blocks from Bogus Basin road, and could easily get hiking and mountain biking within 5 minutes of walking out the door, and not need a car for it. If, on the other hand, one lived in Meridian, Kuna, or much of SW Boise (which are the rapidly growing parts with the most affordable housing), you might spend a half-hour each way getting to the same terrain. I-184 (locally known as The Connector) will shoot you into town pretty quickly, but the surface streets are slow going. Just an FYI while house hunting - have fun!