Seasonal Ridge To Rivers Trail Closures Begin In December To Prevent Damage, Protect Wildlife Habitat

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Seasonal Ridge To Rivers Trail Closures Begin In December To Prevent Damage, Protect Wildlife Habitat

November 26, 2024

Ridge to Rivers is closing some Boise Foothills trails for the winter in an effort to protect the trail system and support critical wildlife habitat in open space reserves. The length of each seasonal closure varies, although all closures are noted on the Ridge to Rivers interactive map as they are implemented.

Closures Starting Sunday, December 1, 2024

Three locations have closures that start annually on December 1:

• Landslide Loop Trail #70: The two-mile trail located above Hidden Springs is closed annually from December 1 to March 31 for wintering wildlife.
• Hawkins Range Reserve: The reserve, which is located off N. Bogus Basin Road, features a 5.7-mile directional trail called Hawkins Loop and a .6-mile nested trail called Harrow Trail. The reserve and all trail access are closed annually from December 1 to April 30 to protect habitat and important wildlife corridors.
• 8th Street Extension Road: The road is closed to vehicles from the 8th Street Motorcycle Trailhead to the Boise Ridge from December 1 to May 15 every year. The gate is locked annually, preventing full-size vehicles from accessing the unpaved road to protect the road and trailhead integrity.

"These seasonal closures play a vital role in our commitment to conserving Boise's open spaces and popular trail system," said Boise Parks and Recreation Director Doug Holloway. "The Boise Foothills provide habitat for diverse wildlife, and winter is an important time of year to protect this critical habitat."

Trails Closing Later This Year/Winter

In addition to the standing annual closures listed above, Ridge to Rivers is also preparing to close seven trails to prevent damage due to muddy conditions. The seasonal closures will go into effect when weather conditions deteriorate, and the trails become consistently muddy due to water saturation of the clay-heavy soil. Trail crews will place signage and update the interactive map when the closures go into effect, with the goal of keeping the trails open to users for as long as conditions permit:

• Ridge Crest Trail #20: The 200 yards from the trailhead parking area on Mountain Cove Road to the Military Reserve Archery Range parking lot will be closed. Users will be routed through the range parking lot to access other nearby trails.
• Old Pen Trail #15A: In partnership with the Idaho Department of Lands, the City of Boise has permitting authority to close the .6-mile trail again this winter to prevent damage to the trail. Trailhead parking will not be affected by this seasonal trail closure. This is the fourth winter the city will close the trail, in an effort to prevent further damage while slowly improving tread conditions over time.
• Who Now Loop Trail #51: A partial closure will be in place from the Harrison Hollow/Harrison Ridge/Connector Trail junction west to the junction with Buena Vista Trail and Kemper's Ridge Trail, and south to the Down and Out Trail junction.
• Heroes Trail #8: The three-quarters of a mile long trail will be closed from the entrance at the Boise VA Medical Center to the connection with Elephant Rock Loop Trail.
• Seamans Gulch Trail #110: A partial closure will be in place from the water tank at the trailhead to the Wild Phlox Trail junction.
• Bucktail and Two Point Trails: The separate pedestrian and cycling routes will be closed. Central Ridge Trail will continue to provide access from Military Reserve to Shane's Trail and Rocky Canyon Road.

The closure of these seven trails will be weather-dependent. They will start immediately once established and are expected to last through early-March, depending on conditions. Please stay out of signed and fenced areas to prevent trail damage. Using trails when they are muddy is the leading cause of trail damage on the Ridge to Rivers Trail System.

"We are grateful trail users continue to support our efforts to protect the trail tread in these popular areas," said Ridge to Rivers Trail Manager David Gordon. "We do not make decisions to close trails without a lot of careful consideration and appreciate the community's help in preserving our incredible open spaces for future use."

Additional trails could be closed seasonally to prevent damage during the muddy season. Ridge to Rivers will continue to monitor conditions and update trail users as decisions are made on both the Ridge to Rivers website and Facebook page. These are also great pages to bookmark to read trail condition reports before heading out for a hike or ride in the foothills.

All-Weather Trails

In recent years, the Ridge to Rivers trail crew has worked to increase the number of all-weather trails available to users within the trail system. These trails feature a special topsoil mix that is less susceptible to mud and long-term damage during wet weather. To view a list of Boise's 15 all-weather trails and brush up on trail etiquette tips to keep in mind during the winter months, click here.

To view the latest Ridge to Rivers trail condition report and updated interactive map, visit our website.

The Ridge to Rivers partnership consists of the City of Boise, Ada County, the Bureau of Land Management Four Rivers Field Office, the Boise National Forest and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

Contact: Parks and Recreation Media Relations

(208) 608-7600 | [email protected]

© 2024 City of Boise. All rights reserved.

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