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Eagle Island State Park
Retaliate against those hot, dry Boise summers and head off to this nearby state park. Located in the town of Eagle, only eight miles west of the city, the park offers swimming, picnic spots, a waterslide, horseshoe pits and a sandy beach on which to stretch out. On warm summer days, smiling children disappear in and out of the bright blue waterslide's winding tunnels. There is a $3 vehicle entrance fee and the water slide is $4 for 10 rides.

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Swan Falls Park/Snake River
The Swan Falls Park is on the Snake River about 40 miles south of Boise. The park is next to the Swan Falls Dam which was built in 1901 to provide electricity to nearby mines, it is a historical point of interest because it's the oldest hydroelectric generating site on the Snake River. A new power plant was built in the mid-1990s. The old plant was decommissioned and converted into a historical display. For security reasons, tours of the facilities may be available by appointment only by calling 208-736-3458.

Swan Falls Park lies within the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area and is home to falcons, eagles, owls, and hawks to name a few. Be sure to stop off as well at the Scenic Overlook and Birds of Prey Lookout Area, both have breathtaking views.

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Black Canyon Reservoir
Black Canyon Reservoir, near Emmett, was formed by Black Canyon Diversion Dam. This 1,100-acre reservoir offers 12 miles of shoreline with boating and fishing being the major recreation activities. Anglers fish for largemouth bass, rainbow trout, carppie, white fish, bullhead and channel catfish. Site offers: restrooms, boat ramps, campground (for reservations call 208-365-2682), parking, picnic tables, swimming, and disabled angler facilities.

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Lucky Peak State Park
Four distinct units can be found at this state park, three of which are located near Lucky Peak reservoir just 8 miles east of Boise. Discovery Park is a popular roadside park to picnic in, walk your pet or fish the Boise River. Sandy Point, below the foot of Lucky Peak Dam is most popular for its sandy beach and clear, cool water. The Spring Shores unit offers lakeside access for water enthusiast by providing 2 boat ramps, ample parking, a full service marina, on site watercraft rentals and convenience store. Visitors looking for a quick escape from the city should check out this large park. You can build sand castles or enjoy a picnic at Sandy Point at the base of the Lucky Peak Dam. Named one of the best parks in the Northwest by a travel magazine, the area also offers fishing, boat slips and wildlife watching. There is a $3 vehicle entrance fee.

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Boise River Greenbelt, Ann Morrison Park, Kathryn Albertson Park, Julia Davis Park
Connected by the Boise River Greenbelt, Ann Morrison Park, Kathryn Albertson Park and Julia Davis Regional Park are the grand dames of Boise's park system. Visitors can spend a morning or afternoon exploring the park's attractions or viewing wildlife while following the smooth, paved Greenbelt pathway.

Beginning at Boise's largest park Ann Morrison Park, between Capitol and Americana boulevards and a short distance from downtown, visitors can stroll next to a cascading pool and fountain while admiring the homes that overlook the park along the Boise Bench. Here you'll see hundreds of Canadian geese coming up to your for a hand out.

Continuing across Americana Boulevard, you next come to the Kathryn Albertson Park. The park is home to many migratory birds and boasts a section of the largest Ponderosa Pine in the world. Careful watchers might see raccoons, beavers, or even the occasional fox. Pathways twist through the park with informational signs about the resident wildlife.

Julia Davis Park, the last park on the tour, is a short distance away on the Greenbelt. Crossing over the Boise River and passing by the Boise Public Library, you come to the park. Located between Capitol Boulevard and Broadway Avenue, the park offers many attractions including Zoo Boise, the Boise Art Museum, Pioneer Village, Idaho State Historical Museum and Discovery Center.

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Barber Park
Hugging the Boise River, this park invites visitors to take a dip in the river's blue waters. Most visitors accept the invitation, with about 250,000 people beginning Boise's summer river-rafting ritual at the park. But river-rafting is not the only attraction. Fox, muskrat and beaver make the park their home. Developed sections of the park provide wildlife-viewing opportunities and educational information. Picnic facilities are scattered throughout the park. If you don't feel like packing a lunch, a concession stand is also available. Admission is free.

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Bogus Basin Ski Resort
During the Summer, driving up to Bogus Basin is the highlight of the trip; spectacular views within the foothills and the best views of aerial views of downtown Boise and looking out toward Meridian. Once at the top there are still great views but due to the Ski Resort (and no snow) being closed it's pretty barren.

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Banks Beach
Banks Beach provides access to the Payette River off Hwy 55 near the town of Banks. The park area is on a windy part of Hwy 55 and is easy to pass up, it's on the left side coming from Boise. There is a small "Banks Beach" brown forest sign, a bathroom, and you may see a few cars parked there. Parking at the top you walk shortly down to the Payette River where you can sit at the picnic benches, use the barbecue grills, or do what most people do which is to wade out to the island sandbar. The sand here, and elsewhere in this area, is extremely soft, almost powder feeling. Visiting in the late afternoon starts to set over the West mountain and provides a more relaxing temperature and view. This is a $3 fee area.

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Lake Cascade
Lake Cascade State Park is nestled in the majestic mountains of central Idaho approximately 75 miles north of Boise on State Highway 55. This large park provides diverse and exciting recreational opportunities throughout all four seasons. Popular for all types of boating, prevailing winds on the water make it especially well suited for sailing and windsurfing. Rainbow trout, Coho salmon, and small mouth bass and perch can be caught from the shore or by boat in the summer or through the ice in the winter.

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Silver Creek Plunge; Natural Geothermal Hot Springs
Website: http://www.silvercreekplunge.com (opens in new window)
Famous for it's large hot springs pool, Silver Creek Plunge is located inside the Boise National Forest, Peace Valley, Idaho. Only 2 hours from Boise by highway and gravel mountain roads, we are nestled on the floor of Peace Valley, surrounded by mountain, trees, wildlife and Silver Creek, which runs through the middle of the campground. Features include the large hot springs pool, camping, cabins, swimming, fishing, hiking, playground. Fishing in Silver Creek is good all summer. Idaho Fish and Game stocks 8 to 12 inch Rainbow Trout every two weeks.

Hells Canyon (West of Cambridge) and Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
Website: http://www.fs.fed.us/hellscanyon/ (opens in new window)
Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America and offers more than 70 miles of rugged river country. In 1975, Congress established the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area in west central Idaho and northeastern Oregon. Consider exploring this remote canyon in a jet boat or raft, or try a hike or trail ride. Nez Perce Indian petroglyphs and pictographs can be found in the caves and on rock walls in the canyon. The Pittsburg Landing hike, accessible all year, takes you up the river 5 miles to Historic Kirkwood Ranch. Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, which takes you to Hells Canyon Dam, is accessed by traveling north of Cambridge on Highway 71.

For the Hells Canyon area west of Cambridge, follow Interstate 84, 50 miles west of Boise, to Exit 3 and head north on U.S. 95 for about 50 miles to Cambridge, Idaho. From Cambridge, turn west on Idaho 71 for about 28 miles until you reach the Hells Canyon area. Follow the signs for access to Hells Canyon reservoirs and parks.

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Payette River National Scenic Byway
A drive along the Payette River Scenic Byway can be very distracting for motorists. Rather than watching the road, you may be more inclined to watch the river as it crashes and tumbles its way over the rocks through the narrow river valley. The best thing to do is take advantage of the occasional pull-offs that allow you to view wilder parts of the river and treat your senses to the sight, sound, smell, and rhythm of Idaho's famous whitewater.

Enjoy the scenic drive along the river through the Boise and Payette National Forests before arriving high in a long and exceedingly picturesque mountain valley dotted with the resort towns of Cascade, McCall, and New Meadows. Between the thunderous roll of the whitewater and the quiet serenity of the valley landscapes, you will find a thrilling adventure as you travel this mountain Byway.

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Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway
With the wild turbulent force of the South Fork of the Payette River leading the way, visitors revel not only in the beauty of the canyon formed by the powerful river, but also in the roaming wildlife that call this area home.

Herds of elk numbering near one hundred are not an unusual sight when traveling along the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway. Their winter range is located near the middle of the route close to the Danskin river access. Along with elk are mule deer, whitetail deer, chukers, wild turkeys, eagles, ospreys, cougars, bears and wolves that frequent this area. Soaring eagles and leaping fish entertain visitors who stop and enjoy the area.

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Owyhee Uplands Back Country Byway
Starting through hay meadows, rolling hills and the winding course of Jordan Creek, you'll soon climb into the mountains and gnarled stands of juniper woodlands. Numerous mountain ranges frame the picturesque desert, with Idaho's Owyhees rising to the north. From expanses of sagebrush and wildflowers, to rough, rock-walled rivers and streams, the Owyhee Uplands represent what many people believe the real West is all about. Photographers can't resist shooting from an overlook point above the North Fork gorge. The mahogany woodlands offer sweeping views, with the Owyhee Mountains as a backdrop.

Hells Canyon Scenic Byway
The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway winds its way along the east side of this massive rift that separates Idaho from neighboring Oregon. The road along Brownlee, Oxbow and Hells Canyon Reservoirs only gives a hint at the spectacular view that is to come at Hells Canyon Dam. If you plan this drive, consider adding a float trip offered by one of Idaho's many licensed outfitters. It is the best way to experience the towering cliffs of black and green basalt that form the walls of this famous canyon. From Cambridge to Hells Canyon Dam the road is about 40 miles with 22 miles of it narrow and winding. Full services are available in Cambridge and only partial services available along the route. While RVs can handle the paved road, turnarounds are few and there are tight right-angle turns at Hells Canyon Dam. There are campgrounds at all three reservoirs.

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World Center for Birds of Prey
5668 West Flying Hawk Lane
Website: http://www.peregrinefund.org (opens in new window)
The majestic eagles, falcons, hawks, owls, and vultures at the center are living ambassadors for their kind. Visitors learn the important role birds of prey have in maintaining a healthy, well-balanced world. Close contact with these regal birds is awe-inspiring.

Take exit 50 off I-84 to South Cole Road. Travel south approximately six miles to the private road on the right called Flying Hawk Lane. The visitors center is at the top of the hill.

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The Idaho Botanical Garden
2355 N. Penitentiary Rd.
Website: http://www.idahobotanicalgarden.org (opens in new window)
The Idaho Botanical Garden is a private, non-profit organization, providing a beautiful environment for garden lovers. The Garden is a living museum, dedicated to the advancement and appreciation of gardening, horticulture and conservation.

The Garden occupies 50 acres that originally served as the farm and nursery for the Idaho State Penitentiary. Included are a contemporary English Garden, a Meditation Garden, a Children's Garden, and an Heirloom Rose Garden, among others. New in 2006 is the Lewis and Clark Native Plant Garden. This garden offers visitors the opportunity to "experience the journey," as they move through 4 different habitats and their representative plants as described by Meriwether Lewis in his journals. A demonstration garden will display the many potential uses of native plants in modern western landscapes.

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Zoo Boise
355 Julia Davis Drive
Website: Zoo information, hours, and admission > (opens in new window)

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North End Area
1100 West Washington St
Located just north of downtown Boise is a neighborhood brimming with 19th- and early 20th-century charm. Beginning at the 1100 block of West Washington Street, visitors can stroll to Hays Street a few blocks away, admiring many quaint old homes. Two blocks north, at 1020 West Franklin Street the Bush Mansion, built for $6,000, can be found. On Hays Street, one block further north, the 900-1000 blocks offer more early 1900s homes. Keep in mind that none of these homes are open for tours and respect the homeowner's privacy.

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Boise Capitol Building
700 West Jefferson St (corner of Capitol Boulevard and Jefferson Street)
Website: http://www.idahocapitolcommission.org/capitol/ (opens in new window)
The Idaho Capitol Building is open 7:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekends and holidays.

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Old Idaho Penitentiary
2445 Old Penitentiary Road
Website: http://www.idahohistory.net/oldpen.html (opens in new window)
The Old Pen is a view of prison life in the West over the span of 100 years. The castle-like fortress was built in 1870 and was enlarged over the years, often with prisoner labor, until 1973 when a new prison replaced this one. Visitors take a 90-minute tour through solitary confinement cells, death row and the gallows, site of Idaho's only hanging in 1957. The building also houses several museums within the museum. Entrance fees run $4 for adults; $3 for seniors and children; and, it is free for children 5 and younger.

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Ste. Chapelle Winery
19348 Lowell Rd. Caldwell, ID
Website: http://www.stechapelle.com (opens in new window)
Our winery is open to visitors Monday thru Saturday from 10am to 5pm, Sunday noon to 5pm.
We are closed on New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. We offer daily complimentary tours and tastings guided by our knowledgeable and friendly Guest Services staff. They are eager to share their passion for wine as well as the history of our winery. Guests are welcome to picnic on our beautiful grounds and enjoy the view of the famous Snake River winding through the valley below. We offer light picnic fare and, of course, our award winning wines.