Avoid Boise Foothills Trails
Trail managers asked people to avoid all Boise Foothills trails after heavy April rain left paths saturated and unsafe. (Ridge to Rivers asked hikers to stay off even 'all‑weather' trails after the area picked up nearly an inch of rain in the prior 24 hours.) (ktvb.com)
Boise trail managers told people to stay off every Boise Foothills trail on Monday, April 13, after heavy rain left the system saturated. (ridgetorivers.cityofboise.org) Ridge to Rivers said it had recorded nearly an inch of rain in the previous 24 hours by 7 a.m. Monday. The agency said even the foothills’ “all-weather” trails had softened enough that they should be avoided. (ridgetorivers.cityofboise.org) The warning extended beyond one muddy morning. Ridge to Rivers said the trails would be “highly prone to damage” from any use that day and likely through the week because more rain was expected. (ridgetorivers.cityofboise.org) That matters in Boise because Ridge to Rivers manages the city’s heavily used foothills trail network, where spring storms can turn packed dirt into ruts and widen erosion when people keep walking or riding. The group had posted on April 10 that trails were in great shape, then warned conditions could change significantly over the weekend if rain arrived. (ridgetorivers.org) The latest closure was not the first this year. On February 25, KTVB reported that Ridge to Rivers had also urged people to avoid most low- and mid-elevation foothills trails after rain left them “saturated and extremely prone to damage.” (ktvb.com) Officials pointed people to other places instead of the foothills. Ridge to Rivers recommended the Boise Greenbelt or city parks on April 13, and Idaho News 6 reported on April 14 that managers were still calling it a “trail alternative day.” (ridgetorivers.cityofboise.org) (idahonews.com) By Tuesday morning, April 14, conditions were still bad enough that Idaho News 6 said many lower-foothill trails had standing or flowing water and heavily saturated soil. The station reported that some all-weather trails may have firmed up slightly overnight but remained soft and soggy in many areas. (idahonews.com) For now, the message from trail managers is simple: wait for the foothills to dry out, and check the Ridge to Rivers condition report before heading back. (ridgetorivers.org)
