16 Outdoor & Sports Activities #GetOutAndPlay #ThingsToDoBoise

So, after you have spent your time in cultural activities in the Boise area, what is next? The great outdoors!

1. Nature At Its Finest
   The single most important activity you can do is to visit the Idaho Fish & Game MK Nature Center, just east of downtown Boise. Trout, whitefish, bass, ducks, geese, kingfishers and songbirds are just some of the wildlife that live here
2. Check out South Central Idaho’s Birds of Prey
   The Peregrine Fund is a four-star 501(c)(3) non-profit that was founded in 1970 to restore the Peregrine Falcon, which was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species List in 1999. Since then, the Peregrine Fund has expanded its focus and apply its experience and understanding to raptor conservation efforts on behalf of more than 100 species in 65 countries worldwide.
3. Feeling a Nature Experience Away from the City?
   The Boise Foothills provide a postcard backdrop that inspires and soothes the soul. In town or out of town, you have a number of choices for walking, biking, horseback riding or hiking. Visit Ridge to Rivers, managed by Boise City Parks & Rec Department. Other nearby areas for day trips for outdoor activities can be found at the Idaho Department of Tourism website https://visitidaho.org/
4. Get Wet or Wild
   Lucky Peak State Park, just minutes from Boise to the east, was created by the construction of Lucky Peak Dam, beginning in 1949 and completed in 1955, now managed by Idaho State Parks & Rec Department. There is so much to do there that you will just have to click the link!
5. White Water Rapids Spells F-U-N
   In Southwestern Idaho, we have more than enough bodies of water to keep you occupied. However, if adventure is your game, we have an answer! White water rafting or kayaking! Just outside of the Treasure Valley, you can drive along the Payette River and take part in day trips offered by Idaho outfitters. Rather than list them all, please visit https://visitidaho.org/things-to-do/rafting-kayaking/ for ideas and other locations in Idaho.
6. Sports Nights! Concert Nights!
   Just because we do not have a major sports team in the Treasure Valley does not mean we don’t appreciate our spectator sports or music concerts! Century Link Arena features ice hockey, basketball, major concerts, events. The Ada County Fairgrounds is home to a minor league baseball team, the Boise Hawks, and features outdoor concerts in the summer and fall. For a complete list of sports events: http://boise.org/meet/sports
7. Become Your Own Ice Skating Protégé
   At Idaho Ice World you and your family can find an activity for each person’s skill set. Not to mention, enroll in skating lessons to break into a new sport of ice hockey!
8. Public Golf Courses and Other Options
   There are three private country club golf courses, one private, the rest are public. Hillcrest County Club in the lower Bench area is most likely the oldest. This is the best link I could find for you, Boise Area Golf Courses
   but if you currently belong to a private course, you may want to check reciprocity from your club to an area club here.
9. Here in the Summer? Float the Boise River!
   Floating the Boise River is the perfect way to spend a hot summer afternoon in Boise, especially when the temperatures reach the 90’s. Convenient rest stops , plus a shuttle service is available at the end of your float.
10. What?! 55 Acres of Outdoor Fun?
    Another thoughtfully planned Boise Park, Esther Simplot Park is partly due to a $1 million gift from JR and Esther Simplot to the City of Boise. This generous donation allowed Boise Parks and Recreation Department to connect open space to the Whitewater Park along the river as well as Quinn’s Pond to the east.
11. Whitewater Park
    Boise’s Whitewater Park was the dream of the late Ray Neef, M.D. Dr. Neef’s family and friends created a volunteer group called Friends of the Parks to raise money for the River Recreation Park, now known as Boise’s Whitewater Park. For more Boise Parks & Rec information, here is a handy map:
    https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=4c9ac4005c464ab5928d5e6c8fe519ab
12. Rhodes Skate Park
    And yet another crown jewel of Boise Parks & Rec, Rhodes Skate Park is one of the largest skateboard parks in the Northwest! The link above is from Boise’s Skateboard Association website, with more information for skaters. Park also features a qualifier event for the Road to X Games, which occurred the past two years, hopefully to become an annual event!
13. Fishing Reservoirs or Streams
    Want to go fishing nearby, just ask a local! https://www.idahostatesman.com/outdoors/fishing/article204060394.html

14. Boise River Greenbelt System
    If casual biking is your gig, then we have a safe place to ride. The Boise River Greenbelt path system https://parks.cityofboise.org/parks-and-facilities/parks/greenbelt/

15. Tennis Anyone?
    Tennis, yes tennis. Of course we have outdoor courts in most parks throughout the Treasure Valley. But we have indoor choices, too!

Boise Racquet & Swim Club
Eagle Tennis Club

For more details on all courts, https://tennisround.com/tennis-courts/id/boise

16. Day Trips Outside Bois
    And who would know better about a day trip than Idaho’s state visitor bureau?

https://visitidaho.org/travel-tips/3-easy-day-trip-adventures-near-boise/

Pictures courtesy of yours truly! #thisismyhoodandiloveit

#ThingsToDo #BoiseIdaho #OutdoorActivities #OutdoorSports