Boise's trail system is a little worse for wear

Photo Courtesy: JD Garfield

Covid, an influx of new residents and cabin fever have all sent people to the trails but it could be destroying the trail system.

Take a walk though Boise’s trail system today and you might notice a little wear and tear…or a lot depending on where you go. With Covid restrictions limiting what we can do and a large influx of new residents into the Treasure Valley, the Boise trail system has seen a dramatic increase in the number of users. And, this influx is taking it’s toll.

Ridge to Rivers program manager David Gordon is saying, among other things, that overcrowding has led to damaged trails this year. In a quote to our news partner KTVB, Gordon had this to say of the situation.

"We’re certainly seeing trails widened, degrading of trails, vegetation lost along different parts of the different trails," Gordon said. "On any given weekday, our trailheads are full even during the middle of winter if it’s a sunny day."

In hopes of putting a stop to the damage, Ridge to Rivers is proposing two solutions and asking for the public’s help. The first solution would require a one-way direction on trails. The other solution would be to limit who can use trails on certain days. On certain days the trails would be open exclusively for hikers, on other days it they would be open exclusively for bikers.

If you’d like to voice your opinion on which direction they should take, keep a look out for a survey on the Ridge to Rivers WEBSITE and FACEBOOK PAGE.

Read more about this story when you visit our news partner KTVB.