About Treasure Valley
But decades of migration from a much more famous western cousin has made Idaho, especially Boise, an almost household name across the country. In the past decade however, Idaho has become known for the Treasure Valley, an area in the southern half of the state that is home to 4 cities that together comprise the largest population in the state. If you start in the capitol of Boise, 54 minutes from the Oregon border, and head west you will pass through Meridian, Nampa, and finally Caldwell. As you take this drive, the natural landscape will change from mountains and foothills that gird a small but lovely urban city, to moderately dense suburban Meridian which stretches out over former dairy farms, to Nampa and Caldwell, still fairly rural and home to onion farms, mint farms and hops growers.
Things To Do Around Boise
Running roughly along the northern and southern edges of the Treasure Valley are the Boise River and the mighty Snake River. Water sports abound canoeing, paddle boarding, fly fishing, steelhead fishing from jet boats, plain old-toss-a-line-from-the-riverbank fishing, day-long rafting, week-long rafting, risk-life-and-limb whitewater rafting, even outboard motor-boating and sailing if you make use of Lucky Peak Reservoir on the far end of Boise. The mountains that back up to Boise are playgrounds in winter, spring, summer, and fall. Downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and tubing often start around late November and can all be had in less time than it takes to make a round-trip coffee run in some cities. Spring skiing in Bogus Basin is abundant depending on the winter’s snowfall. But even better than that, in late spring as all the snow melts, the Boise Range is transformed into a lush, green focal point for the surrounding area. Driving east into Boise in the morning, the foothills are breathtaking and yet still accessible. In summer and fall the mountains turn into hiking and biking meccas. Camping is a favorite pastime for many local Idahoans too. It is not unusual to get to remote locations where you can breathe easily in less than two hours.