The 5 Best Things to Do in Boise

Boise is a clean, attractive and undercrowded city.  The Boise River runs on one side of the town, and the Boise Mountain Foothills backdrop the other.  The downtown vibe is self-aware and family friendly.  There are a lot of good reasons to visit or move here, and we’re going to tell you about Boise sights and five fun things to do in Boise, Idaho this weekend.

When we travel, we inevitably ask ourselves if we would consider moving to the town, region, etc. we are currently exploring.  Boise gets an uncomplicated yes.  Whether you like to hike, ski, or fish, or drink microbrews and walk your dog down safe, city streets, Boise is an unblemished area to explore the wilderness, raise your kids, and chase your little city dreams.

If you’re spending a few days in the area, there are some original things to do within a half hour drive.  Below are five of the best things we did while spending a four-day weekend with local family.

Many of the blurbs below have additional links (in blue) that connect to other articles we’ve written or helpful websites associated with the attraction. We hope you’ll enjoy reading!

Must Do: Things to Do in Boise

Must-Do attractions are typically the reason we’ve decided to visit. We try to spend enough time at the location to visit every Must-Do excursion on the list.

1. Boise River Greenbelt

A 25-mile stretch of parked-out river runs from Lucky Peak State Park to the town of Eagle, northwest of Boise.  The trail is endlessly gorgeous, even from the road.  You can enjoy a leisurely stroll minutes from downtown yet feel miles away from the buildings.  This is arguably the best thing to do in Boise, Idaho.

If you’re a fisherman, find a quiet stretch and drop a line in the evening water.  If you own or rent a bike, cycle the path from one end to the other.  Bring your inflatable swan and float the summer day away.  If you don’t own an innertube you can rent one at Barber Park.  Stretches of the river have sandy shore to lay down a towel or plant a camping chair in the water.  We found several rope swings and spent the evening launching ourselves from the trees.  It doesn’t really matter where you park along the river.  This is the easiest way to have a good time in Boise.

If you’d like to learn more about amazing things to see and do in the Pacific NW, check out Things to do in Washington, or Things to do on the Oregon Coast.

2. Table Rock — Things to do in Boise

The Boise Mountain foothills form the northern border to Idaho’s largest city, and Table Rock is the most popular hike in the foothills and one of the best things to do in Boise, Idaho.  The moderate, 3.7-mile RT hike gains 900 ft. of elevation, and leads to a large, flat rock surface overlooking the city.   A 4,500 lb., six-story cross punctuates the landmark.

Views from the top are expansive and satisfying.  Boise looks green and healthy from up here.  The neighborhood to the right has some magnificent properties to covet.  

Hang your feet over the granite cliffs and enjoy a Coke-Zero with your fellow, dry-mouthed laborers.  Be sure to bring plenty of liquids because it’s a dusty shuffle back to civilization.  

3. Old Penitentiary — Things to do in Boise

Old prisons make very cool tours.  The Old Idaho Penitentiary opened its doors in 1872 and housed Idaho’s most wanted inmates for 101 years.  The prison grounds have been transformed into rose gardens, so strolling these institutional walls can be an oddly beautiful experience.  

Some of the highlights are:  the wall of shanks; “Siberia” and “The Cooler”, where groups of men were crammed into closet-sized cells to “recall their manners”; a museum of wicked machine guns and grenades from WWI/WWII; the gallows; the Merci Train from France; and the women’s prison.  

Perhaps the greatest part of the tour are the myriad stories of the prisoners that decorate the walls.  Each placard has a picture of the inmate and lists their history and crime descriptions.  I have a new favorite crime:  Burglary in the nighttime.  And guess which state (other than Idaho) produced the most criminal inmates?  It was Missouri.  The “show me your hands” state.  Congrats, Missouri, on your many traveling felons!

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Should Do: Things to Do in Boise

Should-Do attractions receive a strong recommend and are what we would prioritize after seeing the Must-Do attractions. Not every Should-Do sight will appeal to everyone.

4. Kuna Caves

The Kuna Caves are lava tubes about 20 miles south of Boise.  At the end of a tricky dirt road is a steel ladder that descends about fifty feet into an unmaintained cavern.  The Bureau of Land Management says the cave should not be visited by the general public… yet it is frequently visited, and no barriers prevent one from doing so.

What makes this cave special is the subtle, human touch of spray paint.   The entire quarter-mile cave is decorated with a galaxy of graffiti.  Everything from names and gang tags to beautiful designs and profane personal statements cover the course of the dusty cavern.  You will need to scamper through a few low points to see the whole cave, but the dirty pants are worth it.  

Could Do: Things to do in Boise

Could-Do attractions are worthwhile, but we don’t strongly recommend them for one reason or another. The excursion might be middling entertainment, or there are issues that kept us from loving it.

5. Kathryn Albertson Park

Just outside downtown Boise, along the Boise River, are two parks across the road from one another.  Ann Morrison Memorial Park is a large, grassy space full of trees and geese.  On one end is a spectacular dog park — it is literally an island with foot bridges — and the dogs behave as if they’re running the place.  Our autistic boys were in wild dog heaven.  If you have kids who love dogs this is definitely one of the things to do in Boise, Idaho.

Kathryn McCurry met her husband, Joe Albertson (of Albertsons Grocery fame), at the University of Idaho.  In what sounds like a Romantic-Horror movie plot device, Joe “accidentally” spilled acid on her leg in a chemistry class, and they fell in burning love.  Can’t you hear the voiceover guy now?  

The riverside park is considered part of Boise’s Ribbon of Jewels named after prominent local women.  Kathryn was strong and caring and the Albertson family donated lots of money to local universities.  K.A. Park was dedicated in 1989 and designed to be an attractive home for wildlife in downtown Boise.  The park is full of water features, gazebos, lily pads, birds and wildflowers.  It takes about an hour to slowly stroll the grounds.  

An Honest Conclusion for Things to Do in Boise

Housing prices indicate that Boise is a city on the upswing. Folks fleeing the costs, crime, and congestion of west coast cities have made Boise a prime destination. We don’t think anyone intended for this rural, Idaho town to become something “trendy”, and that’s okay.

What Boise lacks in big city action, or stunning region majesty, it makes up in down-hominess. We wouldn’t recommend anyone go out of their way to plan their next big vacay here, still, when you do come, be sure to check these things out.

Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages.