🌿 RelaxedWeekend · from Boise, ID

Cambridge & Council — The Weiser River Trail, Zims Hot Springs & the Hells Canyon Foothills

Two hours north of Boise the Payette valley narrows into the quiet ranch country of Adams and Washington counties, a green pocket of the West Central Mountains that most travelers blow past on the way to McCall. This unhurried two-day escape follows the old railroad grade of the Weiser River Trail — the longest rail-trail in Idaho — through cottonwood bottoms and hayfields, then soaks away the day in the geothermal pools of Zims Hot Springs near Council. Day two lingers in the small towns of Council and Goodrich, drives up toward the forested foothills that fall away into the depths of Hells Canyon — the deepest river gorge in North America — and ambles back south through the valley. It's a slow, rural weekend of warm water, easy trails, and wide mountain-rimmed country.

Day 1 — Weiser River Trail & Zims Hot SpringsDay 2 — Council, Goodrich & the Hells Canyon foothills

Day 1 — Cambridge & Council, ID

🚗 2 hr driving📍 4 stops

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Morning

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Drive

Boise, ID → Cambridge, ID

2 hr8:00 AM → 10:00 AM

Weiser River Trail — Cambridge Trailhead

The Weiser River Trail is the longest rail-trail in Idaho — 84 miles of gentle, converted railroad grade following the Weiser River from Weiser up through Cambridge and on toward Rubicon. The Cambridge trailhead is a perfect, level place to walk or cruise a stretch of it, winding through cottonwood bottoms, hayfields, and low canyon country with the river close at hand. Because it follows an old rail bed, the grade never exceeds a couple of percent, making it an easy, meditative amble for any pace. Watch for herons, hawks, and deer along the water, and the ever-changing frame of the West Central Mountains ahead. Go as far as you like and turn back — this is a day for slowing down.

10:00 AM📍 See location

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Lunch

🍽️ Lunch11:00 AM

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The Hitching Post Cafe, Cambridge

Cambridge is a one-blink ranching town where the local cafe is the social hub, and a hearty diner-style plate here is exactly right for a midday break off the trail. Expect country cooking — burgers, chicken-fried steak, homemade pie — served in an unpretentious room full of locals and passing travelers. It's a genuine taste of small-town Idaho hospitality, generous and unhurried. Fuel up before the short drive north to Council and the hot springs.

$$restaurant📍 Maps →

2 options · tap to switch

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Afternoon

Zims Hot Springs, Near Council

★ 4.2

A few miles north of Council, Zims Hot Springs is a beloved old-fashioned geothermal resort where naturally heated mineral water — emerging from the ground at more than 150 degrees — feeds a large soaking pool and a swimming pool in a wide valley ringed by mountains. The water has drawn people here for well over a century, first the Native peoples of the region and later homesteaders and travelers. There's nothing fancy about it, and that's the appeal: a long, restful afternoon soak under open sky, with the West Central Mountains rising on every horizon. It's the perfect antidote to the drive up and the walk on the trail. Bring a towel and plan to stay a while.

12:00 PM📍 See location

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Evening

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Overnight in Council, ID

Council is the small, friendly seat of Adams County and the natural base for the night, with a handful of simple motels, cabins, and guest lodgings in and around town. For the full effect, look for a rustic cabin or campsite near Zims Hot Springs so you can soak again under the stars and at first light. Council itself offers a quiet main street, a local grocery, and easy access to the surrounding forest roads. Book ahead in summer, as rooms in this rural stretch are limited and fill on weekends.

Day 2 — Council & the Hells Canyon Foothills, ID

🚗 2 hr 20 min driving📍 3 stops

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Morning

🚗

Drive

Council, ID → Council Town Center & Goodrich

10 min8:00 AM → 8:10 AM

Council & the Adams County Museum

Start the day with a stroll through Council, a classic western Idaho ranch town whose history is bound up with logging, mining, and the railroad that once ran up the Weiser valley. The Adams County Museum, an open-air campus of restored historic buildings and pioneer equipment on the edge of town, tells that story with genuine local charm — homestead cabins, a schoolhouse, ranching and railroad artifacts. It's an unhurried morning wander that grounds the whole valley in its frontier past. The surrounding streets are quiet and walkable, with a cafe or two for coffee before heading toward Goodrich and the foothills.

8:10 AM📍 See location

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Lunch

🍽️ Lunch9:10 AM

Seven Devils Steakhouse & Brewery, Council

Named for the jagged Seven Devils peaks that guard the rim of Hells Canyon, this Council steakhouse and brewpub is the town's standout sit-down meal — hearty steaks, burgers, and house-brewed beer in a warm, woodsy dining room. It's a fitting midday stop that carries the spirit of the surrounding mountains right onto the plate. Settle in for a relaxed lunch before the afternoon drive up toward the canyon foothills.

★ 4.3$$bar📍 Maps →

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Afternoon

Council Mountain & the Hells Canyon Foothills Drive

★ 4.8

West of Council the land climbs into the forested foothills of the Payette National Forest that ultimately fall away into Hells Canyon — the deepest river gorge in North America, carved more than a mile down by the Snake River between Idaho and Oregon. A relaxed forest-road drive up toward Council Mountain and the Bench Creek country rewards you with cool pine air, meadows, and long views out toward the distant Seven Devils. This isn't a rush to the canyon rim itself, which lies well beyond, but a gentle sampling of the wild highlands that rise above the valley. Pull off at an overlook or a shady pullout, take in the immensity of the country, then turn back toward home.

12:00 PM📍 See location

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Evening

🚗

Drive

Council, ID → Boise, ID

2 hr 10 min5:00 PM → 7:10 PM

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