Totally Boise Blog

Not sure about you, but we love springtime! The snow has melted and the clouds have disappeared welcoming post-winter blues and pre-summer heat. It’s the perfect medium!

Boise in the springtime is pretty great. There are endless adventures to take, places to see, and yummy restaurants to try. Spring break is your chance to enjoy time with friends and family, doing things you love in the city we love! Before it gets too late, plan out your spring break activities. Grab your notebook, these recommendations for spring break 2023 are going to be everything you need!

1. Outdoor Adventures

Take advantage of the sun-filled weather. Walk along the Greenbelt, hike in the foothills or paddleboard at Quinn's pond. The Boise Greenbelt can be a great way to enjoy Boise wildlife, Boise weather, or the place to find your new favorite hidden spot. Take the Greenbelt for access to downtown, golf clubs, pool amenities, and much more. The Boise River Greenbelt has the best routes, hidden gems, and beautiful spots for scenery and serenity.

For a better workout, different Boise views, and longer trails, check out the amazing hiking spots all throughout the area! There are trails for all skill levels; find something easy, medium, or hard. From, the famous local spot, Table Rock, you can enjoy a great view of Boise and along the way, the foothill wildlife. Other hikes include Camel's Back or Hulls Gulch. For some great hiking trail recommendations check out:

A bit further out of town is Bogus Basin. Bogus Basin Activities are endless, even in the springtime it’s fun to visit with families of all ages. There are trails for horseback riding, mountain biking, and hiking. Activities with a little more adventure include the mountain coaster, bungy jumping, or mining. The chair lift runs through this season and has a beautiful view at the top, perfect for taking in the beauty of Idaho!

Continuing out-of-town outdoor adventures are Shoshone falls, Jump Creek Canyon, or the Bruneau Sand Dunes. Each of these are within a 2-hour drive from Boise, making them the perfect day-trip escape from the city.

On a warmer day, swim, paddleboard, kayak or fish! Check out Quinn’s Pond, the Boise River at the Whitewater Park, Eagle Island, or Lucky Peak. For the best local fishing, we recommend finding a spot along the Boise River Greenbelt and popping down for a few hours.

2. Patio Dining

As Boise continues to boom, so are the many restaurants. Grab your buds and check out a fun dining experience or take them to the newest spot you’ve been dying to try.

If you’re a big fan of enjoying a meal along with riverfront views you might want to try Luccianos, Barbacoa, or head to Bown Crossing for The Tavern, Boise Fry Company or Flatbread. Any of these places would make for a great evening under warm weather, blue skies, and nice scenery.

Photo Credit: Barbacoa Grill

Downtown Boise is home to many restaurants that offer rooftop dining with views of downtown and the Boise Foothills. Zee’s Rooftop dining is something special, so we suggest you add it to your list of places to go next! They are known for their views and renowned chef. In fact, this restaurant was just awarded the 2019 Best Small Businesses of the Year.

Research the best restaurants throughout Boise on our:

3. Take a Mini Trip

Make this spring break one to remember! Be spontaneous and explore Idaho! Take a road trip with your best friends or family. There are many different beautiful places to visit, not far outside of the Boise area. Camp or take a few days to relax in McCall, Sun Valley or at Redfish Lake. Redfish Lake is known for its beautiful lake and outdoor activities including fishing, swimming, hiking or mountain climbing. McCall and Sun Valley are fun small towns with plenty of quaint shops, yummy restaurants, and amazing scenery. These ski resort towns are the perfect excuse to get out of town for a mini getaway!

Photo Credits: Oliver Guy

If you want to learn more about the 5 best getaway towns within 3 hours of Boise, we’ve got you covered!

4. If You Are 21+

Did someone say SPRANG BREAK? Pedal and sip with a group of your best friends, 15 or so recommended, to fill one of the bike bars that you can find cruising along the streets of downtown Boise. Grab a group of friends and reserve a bike bar for an afternoon of pedaling around downtown with a few drinks on the side. On the bike bars, a tour guide will help guide your journey through downtown, stopping at different bars all around. This is one of the best ways to enjoy the Boise Night Life scene.

You may not know this, but Boise is booming with local breweries. Idaho is known for farming, producing, and growing hops, which makes this a great place to find some of the best beers. Along the river and through downtown there are some great pubs and breweries waiting for you and your buds to give them a try. To name a few we have Payette Brewing Company, Western Collective, and White Dog Brewing, but there’s a ton more for you to check out also!

Along with some pretty amazing breweries, Boise is filled with localized wineries. Sit along the Greenbelt and enjoy a glass of wine on a warm spring afternoon at Telaya Wines, Cinder Wines or Split Rail Winery. If you haven't already experienced the Chinden wine tour, why keep waiting? The wine tour will take you to 5 different wineries where you can drink and enjoy some of Boise’s most delicious wines.

5. Spring Camps for the Kids

A childhood classic, we will always remember the joy and excitement that comes with getting to spend a week with your camp friends. Camps are an amazing way for children to learn new skills, try new things, and experience the things that bring them utmost joy. Boise is thriving with kids camps from sports to arts to educational, there's something to fit every kiddo's interests.

While social distancing might've changed the way children's camps are held this year, many organizations have found ways to go virtual or limit the camp sizes.

6. Local Boise Events

Boise is always looking for a reason to throw an event and celebrate with the community. There are always events happening and since spring is the start of great weather, the Boise community takes advantage of experiencing local. Saturday markets begin again, First Thursday evenings downtown warm up, and the streets will be filled with walkers and bikers. We recommend checking out our events calendar for suggestions, or for those of you who love to be spontaneous, take a stroll around town and pop into events as you see them!

Don't forget this spring break is the perfect time to explore some of Boise's biggest landmarks including Freak Alley, Hyde Park and JUMP.

Save this blog, so if you get bored one day this spring break you can refer back to it to gather ideas of how to spend your free days! There is no reason to be bored this spring break with all the things Boise has to experience, see, and do. We hope your spring break is fun and one for the books!

For even more spring ideas, check out our guide to spring in Boise.