House filled with holiday visitors? Take them on an Idaho outdoors adventure. | Idaho Outdoors | Idaho Statesman
Part of the fun of the holidays is entertaining out-of-town guests and showing off all the cool things to do in Idaho.
Even if the weather outside is frightful, you can still get them outdoors and have a lot of fun. All you need are warm clothes, a slightly adventurous spirit and some common sense.
Make sure people are dressed properly, limit the time outdoors so the kids don’t get cold and miserable, and mix the outing with indoor activities, such as eating at a restaurant or stopping by a store to get souvenirs.
Also, be flexible and tailor your plans according to the weather and road conditions. A little winter weather is bearable, but if there’s a blizzard or freezing rain in the forecast, postpone your trip or stay closer to home.
MK NATURE CENTER
This is an easy stroll to see some urban wildlife behind the Idaho Department of Fish and Game headquarters at 600 S. Walnut St. in Boise.
Out-of-towners are always impressed with the underwater trout-viewing stations, and the pond is a great place to spot ducks, herons and other birds. The chorus of honking geese in nearby parks makes it sound like nature in the city. The indoor visitor center lets you duck out of the weather and see more nature exhibits and browse the gift shop.
For more: fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/education/mknc
KATHRYN ALBERTSON PARK Located at 1000 Americana Blvd. in Boise, this is one of the most relaxing and easily accessible areas for a walk in the park. It’s a natural area with minimal development, and paths take you around several ponds where you’ll see lots of waterfowl and other birds. It only takes about a 15- to 30-minute walk to see the park. Take a few laps around it and you’ll see something new each time.
PEPSI GOLD RUSH TUBING HILL AT BOGUS BASIN
Taking the family skiing or snowboarding requires a lot of gear and money for lift tickets.
Not so for a tubing hill. Everyone can have a blast flying downhill on the tubes and getting effortlessly towed back up the slope. Day passes are a fraction of the cost of a lift ticket on the ski hill.
Don’t even think about heading up during the holidays without a reservation (www.bogusbasin.org). If you want to make a whole day of it, there are more lift-assisted tubing hills in McCall, Garden Valley and Sun Valley.
For more: www.activitybarn.com, www.idahoxsports.com, or www.sunvalley.com
GREENBELT AND THE FOOTHILLS
These are really a no-brainer, but perfect for a stroll that blends natural and urban landscapes.
Whether you want to walk one mile or 20, the Greenbelt from Glenwood Bridge on the Boise River to Discovery Park is the place to do it.
You will see lots of waterfowl, birds, squirrels and other kinds of wildlife, as well as joggers, bikers, walkers and possibly anglers along the river.
You can stop at one of the many restaurants along the Greenbelt for lunch or a warm beverage.
Hulls Gulch Reserve off Eighth Street in North Boise is a good place to take visitors on a short hike in the Foothills. The trails are mostly sandy and usable in most weather conditions.
GOLD FORK HOT SPRINGS
Your relatives may think you’re crazy for suggesting an outdoor swim, but once they dip into a hot spring, their skepticism will melt away as quickly as a snowflake in steam.
Gold Fork Hot Springs is located between Cascade and Donnelly less than a two-hour drive from the Treasure Valley.
The springs are privately owned, but open to the public and developed with a yurt and six pools of different temperatures. You can stare at a lush forest and snowy mountains as snowflakes melt on your head while you’re toasty warm in a naturally heated pool.
Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for kids (debit or credit cards are not accepted, but checks are). For hours, directions and details, go to www.goldforkhotsprings.com or call 866-453-3675.
DEDICATION POINT SNAKE RIVER OVERLOOK
Combine a scenic drive and a short hike to see an impressive view of the steep, rocky Snake River canyon.
The hike is only about a quarter-mile to the edge of the canyon, where you will see beautiful views of basalt cliffs, the river and the expanse of the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area.
This is also typically a hassle-free drive because the road is usually free of snow and ice.
From Kuna go south on Swan Falls Road about 18 miles to Dedication Point. You can also continue down the road to the dam and the river.
BIRDING AT DEER FLAT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Even if you’re not a serious bird watcher, it’s fun to hide in the blind and peek out to see what’s wintering at the refuge, which is visited by about 250 bird species, as well as 30 different mammals.
The refuge, located at Lake Lowell south of Nampa and Caldwell, has a permanent, weatherproof viewing blind where volunteers stock feeders to attract birds. The blind is on the nature trail about a half-mile hike from visitors center.
The visitors center also has nature exhibits and an indoors viewing area so you can spot birds on Lake Lowell.
For directions to the visitors center and details about the refuge go to www.fws. gov/deerflat/index.html or call 467-9278.
BANKS-TO-LOWMAN HIGHWAY
Take a scenic drive and show off one of Idaho’s most scenic river canyons, which also has abundant wildlife. Take Idaho 55 north to Banks and then head east to Lowman — on less-snowy days if you’re concerned about the safety of the road.
The canyon of the South Fork of the Payette River is scenic by itself, but keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles along the river and deer and elk in the meadows and on grassy hillsides along the canyon.
You can also stop for lunch or dinner at Banks, Garden Valley or Lowman.
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