Oregon Trail Recreation Area

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Welcome to the Historic Oregon Trail Recreation Area!

This recreation area has a trailhead, interpretive kiosk, and a public restroom. There is over 4.5 miles of trail to enjoy while you are at this historic site. The trails include the Historic Oregon Trail, the Kelton Freight Trail, and several other historic trails with informational kiosks along the way. In the interpretive kiosk shaped like a covered wagon, you can learn about people who travelled these very trails over 150 years ago! You will enjoy hiking, mountain biking, bird-watching, and equestrian riding to access the Oregon Trail ruts. Upriver you can access Lucky Peak Recreation area and Bonneville Point by continuing to follow the trails that begin at our site.

Directions:

From I-84 take Gowen Rd./Hwy 21 exit east toward Lucky Peak;

follow Hwy 21 for 2.5 miles to trailhead entrance on right;

From downtown Boise

Take Warm Springs Blvd. all the way east to Hwy 21 intersection; turn right and head 1 mile across the bridge and up the hill to the trailhead entrance on left.

In the Recent Past

Prior to the mid-2000s, some people unfortunately used this recreation area as an illegal dumping area for trash. From campers to couches, pockets of rubbish were littered around the trails. In addition, the trails were in severe disrepair due to huge ruts from illegal vehicle use on the trails. Due to all of these factors, the Oregon Trail became an unpleasing and uninviting recreation area. Over the past decade and a half, Ada County Parks & Waterways has lead major volunteer efforts and construction projects to improve the site, add interpretive kiosks, and public restrooms to make the area more welcoming and ease public use. Some of these past efforts are pictured below.

Key features: You can see some of the best preserved Oregon Trail ruts in Boise, the Kelton Trail, and a great overlook of the Barber Pool area, the Diversion Dam, and Downtown Boise all from the same spot!

Traffic: There is plenty of trail and isn’t too terribly busy. We ask that you please keep your dogs on leash and pick up after them.

Best time of year to visit: Most times of the year are the best times! In the spring you get to see all of the beautiful trees in Peace Valley turn a vibrant green and the river is beginning to run extra high, in the fall you can see the valley turn all shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown. In the winter you get to see snow everywhere and the sun doesn’t beat down to hard on you. The summer time is fine to go out there as well, however it must be noted that there is little to no shade out on the trails so make sure to pack extra water!

Fun Facts: Around the trails, there are educational kiosks that detail what an average pioneer went through, what women on the Oregon Trail experienced, and people who put in extraordinary effort to keep the Oregon Trail preserved.

Thank you to the following: Simplot, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Idaho State Historical Society, and Idaho Department of Transportation

Parking Availability: There is a huge parking lot that has bus/trailer parking with many passenger vehicle parking spots as well

Wildlife in the Area: In this area, watch out for snakes slithering around, insects jumping about, and the occasional deer that may show up.

Amenities: At this Parks & Waterways sight we offer a vault restroom for public use.