Where to live in Idaho as a mountain trail runner? (Boise: how much, train)

[watergirl80]

Looking to relocate and Idaho is a possibility.

-Need to be close enough to mountain trails for running, if I could run from my backyard that would be ideal, but 10 min away is okay.

-Prefer big mountains, not foothills.

-Need to be reasonable distance to job opportunities (45 min). I work in dental field, and husband in medical.

So far what I've found is that it's difficult to find all these parameters in one place. A lot of the towns or cities within reasonable distance to mountains are foothills, and the bigger mountains require a longer drive.

Thanks!

[banjomike]

The term "big mountains" may be different here than yours. We have some whacking big mountains here. I think it's all about how much you want to be challenged. I guess it's possible to run up the highest mountain in the state, Mt. Borah, at about 12,600 feet, but a person would need bionic legs to do it. Borah is often climbed, though, as it's really only a hard long hike to the top. We have other mountains that require technical climbing skills, and that includes most of the big ones.

With the possible exception of the southwest corner of the state, just about anywhere you are in Idaho is only about 20 minutes or less away from some mountains. And the southwest corner has a canyon that's deeper than a mile with waterfalls that are higher than Niagara to make up for the lack of upper elevation.

The major medical cities in the state are Boise in the middle, Coeur d'Alene in the north, Idaho Falls in the southeast, and Twin Falls in the southwest. The middle of the state is nothing but mountains, and much of it is wilderness. The Arco desert also separates the south end of the state into east and west halves; the desert is actually a high steppe with a huge lava field in the center of the desert.

The mountain belt in the middle separates the north from the south. There is only one north-south highway that lies completely inside state boundaries. All the rest leave the state to go around the central wilderness area.

[BucFan]

Pocatello

[banjomike]

Pocatello definitely qualifies.

[TohobitPeak]

Boise. The Foothills adjacent to town rise up to the forested Boise Mountains above the city and there are a lot of running and cycling trails in the foothills and mountains above town, and even more trails in the larger mountains behind the Boise Front.

Boise's a huge running town. Running here is as popular as mountain biking. Olympians train here.

Sun Valley/Ketchum is also another option if you are wealthy enough to live up there.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Pretty much anywhere in the north Idaho area will work for what you want. Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint, any of the Silver Valley, all have plenty of mountains around.

[nice2bfree]

Originally Posted by banjomike

.

The major medical cities in the state are Boise in the middle, Coeur d'Alene in the north, Idaho Falls in the southeast, and Twin Falls in the southwest. The middle of the state is nothing but mountains, and much of it is wilderness. The Arco desert also separates the south end of the state into east and west halves; the desert is actually a high steppe with a huge lava field in the center of the desert.

So is there much in the way of scenery for casual hiking in the middle of the state?

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by nice2bfree

So is there much in the way of scenery for casual hiking in the middle of the state?

Sure.
Anywhere you go in this state there is plenty of scenery. The thing you probably aren't ready for is the huge diversity of the scenery.
We have big ice caves, lava flows, a waterfall that's bigger than Niagara, a couple of canyons that are over a mile deep, big mountains, small mountains, a river that disappears and re-emerges as 10,000 springs 100 miles away. Big lakes, little lakes, every species of pine trees that grow in the west.

Once someone leaves the Interstates, wonderful surprises are everywhere, even in the most drab looking parts of the state. The Interstates were all constructed in the places where a high speed 4-lane could be built. Once you are on a 2-lane here, it's a completely different state. (Idahoans often use them over the Interstates, because most of the shortest routes are only 2-lane.)

….and that's just for starters. The entire middle of the state is quite literally nothing but mountains. It's the largest designated wilderness in the lower 48, and essentially divides Idaho into 2 states. Access is only by foot or horse (or lama) in most of it.

In fact, just about anywhere you go here, wilderness of some kind is never more than about 40 miles away.

[watergirl80]

Thank you everyone, these were all really helpful responses. We are looking at Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint.

[wooderhouse]

pocatello+best/most trail systems out of any idaho town/city.