🥾 ActiveDay trip · from Boise, ID

Payette River Whitewater & Boise Foothills

The Payette River north of Boise is one of the most accessible Class III-IV whitewater runs in the Pacific Northwest — the South Fork of the Payette near Banks drops 40 feet per mile through a granite canyon, and half a dozen commercial outfitters run full-day and half-day trips from the Banks put-in, 50 minutes from Boise. The Main Payette just downstream is a gentler float for beginners. On the drive home, Bogus Basin Road climbs from the valley floor into the Boise Foothills for mountain biking and hiking on the trail network above the city — the Ridge to Rivers trail system has 190 miles of multi-use trails, and the evening light over the Treasure Valley from the ridge is one of the better views in the Boise area.

Day 1 — Payette River: South Fork whitewater near Banks, Bogus Basin Foothills trails on return

Day 1 — Payette River

🚗 2 hr driving📍 4 stops

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Morning

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Drive

Boise, ID → Banks, ID — Payette River

50 min

South Fork Payette River — Cabarton Section

★ Reviews →

The Class III-IV South Fork of the Payette between Lowman and Banks is one of the premier whitewater runs in the Pacific Northwest — continuous rapids through a granite and Douglas-fir canyon dropping 40 feet per mile. Commercial outfitters at Banks run half-day and full-day guided raft trips; the Cabarton section above Banks is technical and requires prior river experience or a guide. The Banks to Beehive section downstream is Class II-III and appropriate for beginners on guided trips.

~4 hrs📍 See location

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Lunch

Longhorn Bar & Grill — Banks

★ Reviews →

The river community bar at the confluence of the North and South Fork Payette Rivers — a post-float institution for outfitter groups and independent paddlers. Burgers, beer, and a porch overlooking the river confluence. The only lunch option in Banks and a genuinely good one for what it is.

~1 hr📍 See location

☀️

Afternoon

🚗

Drive

Banks, ID → Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area

40 min

Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area

★ Reviews →

A ski area in summer operation as a mountain biking and hiking destination, 16 miles from downtown Boise — lift-accessed trails for mountain biking from June through September, plus a network of hiking trails through the sagebrush and pine forests of the Boise Foothills. The ridge views from 7,590 feet extend across the Treasure Valley to the Owyhee Mountains and the Oregon Desert.

~1.5 hrs📍 See location

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Evening

🚗

Drive

Bogus Basin → Percy

25 min