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I live in Boise and hike and have hiked outside of Portland too. I feel both cities are equal for hiking options and variations of landscape, but Boise has quicker access and it's not as crowded up on the trails compared to the trails near Portland.
Within less than a 30 minutes drive from Boise you can be up above the city on the forested Boise Ridge (Bogus Basin area) and there are several trails winding through the evergreens of the Boise National Forest with views of the valley and there are basically limitless options in the mountains and forests on the backside of Bogus and the mountains go on forever. Or you could drive up Highway 21 and choose between desert or forested hikes within a 30 minutes drive. The lower Foothills adjacent to town are not forested as up on the Ridge, but there are great hiking trails in the gulches and several of these have small streams with trees along those streams. Another option is in the desert south of town in the Snake River Canyon ~ Birds of Prey area but not in the heat of July unless you go out there on a hot summers night to hike around and watch the sunset.
Last edited by TohobitPeak; 05-31-2015 at 04:46 PM..
I agree with Boisefan that it really comes down to whether you want to hike along the greenbelt/river or foothills scrub, or in the trees and forests that Portland provides. Both cities have more miles of trails than you can ever hike.
With in 30 minutes there is great scenery to hike in: deserts, thick forests, mountains and majestic views looking down into the valley. If one chooses to hike along the river, the Boise River Greenbelt is an urban forest in itself.
Last edited by Syringaloid; 06-09-2015 at 09:59 AM..
TohobitPeak, Great post, thanks for all the good info.
You are welcome. The Foothills above town are diverse in landscape and flora and I am up there a lot and love it for the evergreen forests and the sagebrush and bitterbrush. It is a unique landscape and beautiful in all 4 seasons.
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