The Ridge to Rivers partnership is moving forward with the design and construction of two new trails within the popular Ridge to Rivers Trail System. The partnership is led by the City of Boise and includes the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Ada County Parks & Waterways, the Boise National Forest, and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. These two new trails will provide additional recreational opportunities for a variety of users and allow for important connections within the Boise Foothills.
CURLEW CONNECTION TRAIL
The Curlew Connection Trail is approximately 1.8 miles long and is located between Watchman Trail #3 and Femrite’s Patrol Trail #6. The addition of this connection will provide a long, mid-elevation trail experience linking Hulls Gulch Reserve trails to trails in the Rocky Canyon area when users combine it with Fat Tire Traverse #42 and Watchman Trail #3. Construction of the non-motorized trail is expected to take place this fall, with completion by the end of November 2024. This trail may be closed during the winter months to protect wintering wildlife. The trail will be located on land managed by the BLM.
8TH STREET DOWNHILL PURPOSE-BUILT MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL
A new trail is planned west of upper 8th Street Road, linking Corrals Trail #30 with lower Bob’s Trail #31 and it will be built specifically for downhill mountain bikers. The trail is approximately 1.7 miles long and is the first downhill mountain bike trail constructed within the Ridge to Rivers Trail System. The trail will be constructed wide enough to accommodate adaptive bikes. In addition to providing a downhill mountain biking opportunity for users, the goal of this project is also to take pressure off of popular nearby hiking and biking trails including Bob’s Trail #30, Lower Hulls Gulch Trail #29 and Sidewinder Trail #24. The seasonal trail will be open annually from April through November and is located on property owned by the Bureau of Land Management and Highland Livestock and Land Company via a revocable easement. Construction is expected to take place in 2025 with completion by the end of September. Ridge to Rivers will utilize a qualified contractor specializing in design and construction of purpose built mountain bike trails for this project.
Both of the new trails were evaluated and approved by the BLM through an environmental assessment in 2019. Click here to view and explore existing trails on the Ridge to Rivers interactive map.
“These two trails are incredible additions to the Ridge to Rivers Trail System and they include experiences that have been highly requested by our users in recent years,” said Ridge to Rivers Program Manager David Gordon. “The popularity of Boise’s foothills trails continues to grow and we’re confident these new trails will improve the recreational experience in two high use areas.”
NEXT STEPS
The Ridge to Rivers team will work to finalize designs and construction schedules with contractors hired to complete these two new trails over the next year and a half. The City of Boise is funding both trail projects.