Out, About and Around Treasure Valley: Ideas on How to Spend Your Spare Time While at the Show By Alayne Blickle, Sweet Pepper Ranch, Nampa, ID
The Treasure Valley, part of the larger Snake River Valley, experiences the wonderful high desert climate of hot, dry days and cool evenings—perfect for trail riding, swimming, rafting, hiking, birding, mountain biking, fishing… Whether you are showing or a non-showing family member there are plenty of things to do, see and visit in the Treasure Valley. Nearby activities abound from visiting rodeos and wineries to trail riding at sunset near waterfalls or hiking painted desert canyons. There are wildlife refuges to visit, hot springs to relax in, wilderness mountains to explore, scenic rivers to raft, railways to travel --and North America’s largest concentration of breeding raptors to dazzle you, all in Treasure Valley! Here’s more details…
****************** For the trail rides, hikes or mountain biking one nearby option is Celebration Park, a beautiful desert park about 30 minutes from Nampa. It boarders the Snake River and is lined with large melon ball rocks with ancient petroglyphs and an occasional gold miner’s old rock cabins. This area’s rocky cliffs support many raptors nests and there’s a lake and waterfall – lots of breathtaking scenery. Also at Celebration Park is the brand new “plein air” desert museum, Crossroads Museum. Wilson Creek, in the Owyhee Mountains to the south, has thousands acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, as well as wild horses (BLM mustangs) which freely roam the area. Nearby Kuna Butte is a great local spot to go for an evening trail ride or hike and watch the sun set. At the south end of Kuna Butte is Kuna Cave, an underground lava tube cave . According to locals, at one time the system was much larger and composed of multiple caves—even stretching to the Snake River—until the Army Corps of Engineers blocked it off by detonating dynamite and collapsing a portion of the cave. Although the entrance has a ladder to get down into the cavern, it is not maintained and the official Bureau of Land Management position on the cave is that it should not be visited by the general public.
The spectacular Owyhee Canyonlands in western Oregon, often considered the Grand Canyon of this region, and is only a short drive south of Nampa. Backpacking, canoeing, rock hunting, fishing and horseback trips are all possibilities in this unique and stunning wilderness land.
For birders, there are several Idaho Bird Trails. Here is a birding map specific to southwestern Idaho.
Ridge to Rivers Trails all along the Boise Foothills sports many, many miles of scenic trails for hikers, birders, dog walkers, mountain bikers and equestrians.
Area day trips to consider include Silver City, a working ghost town from the mid-1800’s, to the south in the Owyhee Mountains, an easy 1.5 hour drive from Nampa. Refreshments and camping sites are available in this old mining town where a handful of residents still live year around. Idaho City is another “real” ghost town in the Idaho Foothills north of Boise, along hwy 21 about 45 minutes from Boise. Lots of Idaho wineries surround Treasure Valley, mostly clustered in the Marsing, Caldwell, Nampa and Eagle areas. Bitners Vineyards and Ste Chapelle are two wineries that offer special events and entertainment particularly throughout summer weekends. If hops are your thing instead, the Boise area is well-known for its local breweries. Idaho rodeos are another highlight of summers in Southwester Idaho, including the famous Jordan Valley Big Loop Rodeo, always held the third weekend in May.
Plenty of entertainment options abound in Boise. Mornings are a great time to visit one of Boise’s famous farmers markets with food, crafts, produce and entertainment. For those really hot summer afternoons, consider tubing the Boise River. Zoo Boise is another popular attraction as well as a living science facility home to over 200 animals. Boise, the capitol of Idaho, has an impressive capitol building and offers tours. The Idaho Shakespeare Festival is Idaho's premier professional repertory theatre located on the east end of Boise. The world-class outdoor amphitheatre is nestled beside the Boise River with performances June through September.
The World Center for Birds of Prey, just south of Boise, is absolutely wonderful with all their daily live bird presentations and the falconry tours. In October they feature incredible outdoor educational displays and events in their stunning open air auditorium. And while you’re in the area, stop by for a walking tour of the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse Corrals to see the beautiful wild horses available for adoption.
The Nampa-Caldwell areas boasts several wonderful restaurants. Many of these use locally grown, sustainable produce. Brick 29 Bistro uses local produce and has live music on M, Tu & Wed evenings. Copper Canyon is fabulous food located on a golf course. The Orchard House open seven days/week is sooo yummy with pastries, deserts and breakfasts to die for! Plan for outside dinning with a lovely view of the surrounding vineyards. Epi's Basque Restaurant in Meridian is an eating experience -- go hungry! Call ahead for reservations as they only seat a small group each night. Wonderful food and you'll leave feeling like family. Gino’s Ristorante, also in Meridian, features traditional Italian favorites, wood-fired pizza and outdoor seating. Also in Meridian: Rick’s Pressroom and Flatbread Pizza. MMany, many more special places to eat are in Boise.
More info on things to do in Southwestern Idaho—and another good map on the Visit Idaho website. The exciting part about visiting Treasure Valley is that it’s not commercialized--no crowds and plenty of outdoors activities!