Boise National Forest

Boise, ID U.S.A.

The Boise received its named from the French word "bois," which means forest. Occupying about 2.6 million acres of land near Idaho's capital city, it is usually the first national forest port of call for Idaho visitors.

Its steep mountains are carved by fast rivers. There are streams and rivers filled with steelhead and trout.

Visitors can explore sagebrush country and deep forests or try snow skiing at Bogus Basin. A half-million acres of Boise are ancient, old-growth forests, standing untouched for centuries.

Just outside the city of Boise, visitors can ride for miles on mountain bikes, hike and backpack on dozens of trails, cross-country or downhill ski, camp in 81 campgrounds, fish, boat on reservoirs and whitewater rivers and water ski.

The forest's TTY phone number is 208-373-4265.

Fishing is popular in the national forest.

A kayaker slices through whitewater in Boise National Forest.

Mountain bikers explore the foothills north of Boise.