Boise National Forest is the largest of the state’s forest reserves and covers thousands of square miles of untouched, untamed wilderness. There are endless hiking and outdoor opportunities to be had in the forest, with raging rivers offering rafting and kayaking spots for the brave. In winter, the whole area receives snowfall and the activities switch to skiing and snowshoeing. The attraction of Boise National Forest is that some of the most epic car drives can be found here from Boise, as paved roads pass through large portions of the forest and along incredible sections of the scenic landscape here. A truly unbelievable drive away from the city.

The U.S. Forest Service Facebook page is a combined effort of the National Forest Foundation and the USDA Forest Service. The National Forest Foundation, chartered by Congress, engages Americans in community-based and national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the 193-million-acre National Forest System, administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of the National Forests. http://www.nationalforests.org/ The Forest Service manages a system of 155 national forests, 20 national grasslands, and 222 research and experimental forests, as well as other special areas, covering more than 192 million acres of public land. The Forest Service has evolved into a 30,000 employee agency that manages the national forests for a number of multiple uses, including recreation, timber, wilderness, minerals, water, grazing, fish, and wildlife. Make Boise National Forest a part of your Boise vacation plans using our Boise trip itinerary planner.

Boise National Forest is a National Forest covering of the U.S. state of Idaho. Created on July 1, 1908, from part of Sawtooth National Forest, it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service as five units: the Cascade, Emmett, Idaho City, Lowman, and Mountain Home ranger districts. The Idaho Batholith underlies most of Boise National Forest, forming the forest's Boise, Salmon River, and West mountain ranges; the forest reaches a maximum elevation of on Steel Mountain. Common land cover includes sagebrush steppe and spruce-fir forests; there are of streams and rivers and of lakes and reservoirs. Boise National Forest contains 75 percent of the known populations of Sacajawea's bitterroot, a flowering plant endemic to Idaho. The Shoshone people occupied the forest before European settlers arrived in the early 19th century. Many of the early settlers were trappers and prospectors before gold was discovered in 1862. After the 1860s Boise Basin gold rush ended, mining of tungsten, silver, antimony, and gold continued in the forest until the mid-twentieth century. Recreation facilities include over 70 campgrounds, whitewater and flatwater boating, cabin rentals, and of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and motorized off-road vehicle use. The Forest Service has an objective to maintain timber, range, water, recreation, and wildlife for multiple use and sustained yield of its resources.