Boise River Greenbelt
Julia Davis Park
Boise, ID
A shady, car-free riverside path that threads the whole length of Boise, stringing together parks, downtown, and the cool green Boise River.
The Boise River Greenbelt is the green spine of Idaho's capital, a tree-shaded, car-free path that follows the Boise River clear across the city. All told the system runs more than twenty-five miles, and with both banks and side spurs it adds up to over thirty, linking more than eight hundred acres of parks and natural areas as it goes. You can step onto it in a downtown park and, within minutes, be walking a cool river corridor under big cottonwoods with the city hidden behind the trees.
It is the kind of civic amenity that quietly defines a place. Cyclists commute on it, families push strollers along it, runners and dog walkers use it every day, and in summer the river beside it fills with people floating and paddling. For a visitor it is the single best way to get a feel for Boise: flat, shaded, and beautiful, stitching together the parks, the river, and the downtown into one continuous, walkable ribbon.
What Guests Love
- Miles of flat, paved, car-free path shaded by cottonwoods right along the cool river
- A green corridor that connects a whole chain of riverside parks and reaches downtown
- Watching floaters, kayakers, herons, and cyclists share the river on a summer day
- How easy it is to walk, run, bike, or push a stroller, all mostly level and family-friendly
Worth Knowing
- The full system runs many miles along both banks, so pick a park to start from rather than trying to do it all
- Summers in the valley get hot and sunny, so bring water and sun protection even on the shaded stretches
- The path is shared by walkers, runners, and cyclists, so keep right, pass on the left, and watch for bikes
- Some segments can close or reroute after high water or spring runoff, so check current conditions in wet months
Details
Boise, ID
Learn about Boise River Greenbelt
A vision from the 1960s
The Greenbelt grew out of a forward-looking idea. In 1962 the city hired planners to draw up Boise's first comprehensive plan, and out of that work came the notion of protecting the riverfront as public green space rather than letting it be walled off by private development. It was a farsighted choice for the era, treating the river as a shared asset for everyone.
Construction got underway in earnest in the 1970s, building outward along the banks and stretching year by year from the east side of town toward the west. By the 1980s the path reached all the way up to Lucky Peak Dam at the valley's edge. In 2019 the city celebrated fifty years of the Greenbelt, marking a half-century of a plan that has shaped how Boiseans live along their river.
A string of parks along the water
The Greenbelt is really a connector, and much of its charm is what it links together. It threads past a whole chain of riverside parks, among them Barber Park at the upstream end, where floaters put in, and the cluster of beloved central parks: Julia Davis Park with its museums and zoo, Ann Morrison Park with its big lawns and fountain, and the flower-filled Kathryn Albertson Park nearby.
Because so many parks sit right on the path, it is easy to build an outing to taste. Start at one park, walk or ride to the next, stop for a picnic, watch the river, and turn around whenever you like. A short segment following an old Union Pacific railroad right-of-way even makes part of the route a true rail-trail, another layer of the city's history folded into the walk.
How to enjoy the Greenbelt
The smartest way to use the Greenbelt as a visitor is to pick a park and start there, rather than trying to cover the whole system. From the downtown parks you can head upriver toward the foothills or downriver toward the quieter west end, on paved, mostly level path the entire way. It is welcoming to every pace: an easy stroll, a long run, a family bike ride, or a stroller push all work equally well.
The path is shared, so keep to the right and watch for cyclists coming past on the left, especially in the busy central stretches. Bring water and sun protection, because the high-desert valley gets hot and bright in summer even where the cottonwoods throw shade, and check conditions in spring, when high runoff can close or reroute low sections. Do that, and the Greenbelt gives you the cool, green, moving heart of Boise on foot.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Boise
Julia Davis Park
On the path
Boise's central riverside park, home to the art museum, history museum, rose garden, and Zoo Boise, right on the Greenbelt.
Boise Foothills trails
About 2 miles
The Ridge to Rivers network of hiking and mountain-biking trails climbing the hills just north of downtown, with big valley views.
Downtown Boise
About 1 mile
The lively, walkable core with the Basque Block, capitol building, and plenty of places to eat, just up from the river.
Kathryn Albertson Park
On the path
A quiet nature-focused park of ponds, pathways, and gardens along the Greenbelt, a favorite for birdwatching.