Barber Park

People standing in line at a window to get tickets for the Boise River Raft and Tube

Entrance to Park with stop signs and wooden pergola over the road

Rocky river with fall leaves in the water with brown foothills in the background

Building with a pink pergola and rock pillars and entry doors

river with people floating down on tubes and rafts with foothills in the background

Tree with Golden yellow leaves and a dirt path on the lower left.

Baber Park Welcome Board that depicts and aerial map of barber park

Location & Hours

Barber Park is nestled along the Boise River 5 miles southeast of downtown Boise in the Barber Valley. The park entrance is located at the Eckert Road bridge near Boise Avenue. In addition to the amenities featured below, Barber Park is also the headquarters for the Ada County Parks & Waterways Department and associated staff.

4049 S. Eckert Rd.
Boise, Idaho 83716

Park Hours: 7:30 a.m. – Sunset (gates closed)

Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

ARPA Funded Project

Just before the 2022 Boise River float season, we underwent a construction project in the forested loop portion of Barber Park near the river. Over the course of the late spring, the old asphalt pathway was stripped away and replaced with a new material called Stalok. This new constructed pathway is much easier to maintain and repair than asphalt, is very sturdy, and has been revamped to be ADA accessible. Over the course of a normal year, a project like this would completely expend the department budget making it nearly impossible to complete any other maintenance of Ada County property, especially due to lower revenue during COVID years. With this ARPA grant, our department was able to successfully fund this project and be able to complete other major projects for Parks & Waterways. In the early days of November 2022, the new ADA accessible bridges were craned in where the old wooden bridges once stood, with final adjustments being made in early 2023.

This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP3408 awarded to Ada County, Idaho by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. https://adacounty.id.gov/clerk/budget-finance/arpa/

Path leading to the deck off the Boise river.

Construction on a small bridge with snow

Barber Park Interactive Map

View our interactive map

Pads and Picnic Shelter

Barber Park has six pad areas located at the front of the park east of the Boise River rafting launch area. Three of these pads have the BBQ grills at them. The picnic shelter is located at the west end of the park off of the parking field it has two BBQ grills. These areas are first to come use areas.

Playground and Basketball Court

Barber Park has a basketball court and a children’s playground. The areas are located at the west end of the park off of the parking field.

Barber Park Wildlife

Barber Park is an excellent place for wildlife watching. More than 121 species of birds live here, from bald eagles to Black-chinned hummingbirds. Fox, squirrels, and garter snakes are prevalent. Mule and whitetail deer, beaver, raccoon and mink are also common. Barber Parks large cottonwood forest provides important habitat for tree-nesting birds (wood ducks, owls, flickers, etc…) and even an occasional elk.

Barber Park and the Greenbelt is a wonderful place to view birds. If you are interested in learning more about birding in Idaho and the Idaho Birding Trail, see http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ifwis/ibt/

Stay on the trails as you explore and keep your dog(s) contained. Enjoy the beauty of Barber Park!

All pets must be kept on a leash while in the park. Ada County Ordinance

Great horned Owl sitting on a branch in a green tree squinting its eyes

Black and white bird sitting on the surface of the water flapping its wings

Golden Hawk Sitting a field of green grass

Wild Life Photos Courtesy of Daniel Gonzalez

Fishing

The Idaho Department of Fish & Game stocks fish in the Boise River. For the stocking schedule, see Idaho Fish & Game Stocking Information.

Green Roof and Solar Panels

Aerial Office shot showing the buildings solar panels

Green Roof Ada County Parks & Waterways Administration Office Solar Panels

What is LEED ®?

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System™ is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.

LEED® promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: Sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

To earn certifications, a building project must meet certain prerequisites and performance benchmarks (“credits”) within each category. Projects are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum certifications depending on the number of credits they achieve.

This comprehensive approach is the reason LEED-certified buildings have reduced operating costs, healthier and more productive occupants, and conserve our natural resources.

The five types of plants that were used for the Barber Park project.

Sedum spurium Fuldaghut
Sedum ternstum
Sedum acra
Sedum album
Sedum hybridum immergrunchen

View System Sheet for plants

Find continued updates on our Master Plan by clicking this link: Ada County Parks and Waterways Master Plan | Social Pinpoint (mysocialpinpoint.com)