Boise City Wire

Boise’s beautiful foothills offer a variety of recreational opportunities and now, thanks to a series of trail projects in Camel’s Back and Hulls Gulch Reserves, people of all abilities can more easily enjoy them. The Ridge to Rivers trail team recently completed improvements in Camel’s Back Reserve along the Red Fox and Red-Winged Blackbird Trails to widen and make the trails more accessible for people who use mobility devices. In addition, the brand new, fully accessible Grove Loop is completed and open for pedestrian use in Hulls Gulch Reserve.

These accessibility updates were completed based on recommendations and input from the City of Boise’s Cross Disability Task Force – a group of community members living with disabilities who work to ensure Boise is truly welcoming and accessible for everyone.

“Being out in nature and enjoying the beauty of the Boise Foothills is a restorative experience that should be available to everyone,” said Mayor Lauren McLean. “I look forward to enjoying these new trail experiences alongside our community and appreciate the Cross Disability Task Force’s partnership with our Ridge to Rivers trail team to make them a reality.”Here is a breakdown of the three projects:

• Grove Loop Fully Accessible Trail Build – This brand new .4-mile trail creates a loop when combined with a short section of the wide, all-weather Owl’s Roost Trail in Hull’s Gulch Reserve. The Grove Loop meets USDA guidelines for natural surfaced accessible trails. The trail is topped with all-weather surface material. New trail signage has been installed with accessibility in mind. Posted QR codes link to web pages featuring in-depth trail information so users of all abilities can understand their route and what they will encounter before hitting the trail.
• Red Fox Trail Reroute – A 100-foot section of the trail (formerly the location of a chicane) was rerouted to mitigate the buildup of sand that can inhibit use for those in wheelchairs and people with mobility devices. This improvement increases safety at the site and opens up connectivity to other accessible trails near Camel’s Back Park
• Red-Winged Blackbird Trail Widening and Resurfacing – This trail connection is now wider, and a short realignment was completed to enhance accessibility. Surface material was added to the trail to make it easier for people who use mobility devices to navigate. This project opens up an additional loop opportunity for users of all abilities in the Camel’s Back/Hulls Gulch Reserve area.

Improvements in both reserves include the addition of paved ADA parking stalls at the Grove Trailhead and 9th Street Trailhead parking lots.

The accessible Grove Loop Trail build and additional trail accessibility enhancement projects were made possible, in part, due to funding from the city’s Open Space and Clean Water Levy

.“We are committed to innovating and improving our Parks and Recreation offerings so that everyone, no matter their ability or use of mobility devices, can participate,” said Boise Parks and Recreation Director Doug Holloway. “This is an important step for Ridge to Rivers and the City of Boise as we work to create a city for everyone.

For more information on accessible trail features within the Ridge to Rivers system, click here. Visit the City of Boise’s Accessible Recreation webpage to learn more about opportunities for people of all abilities to explore and engage in the City of Trees.

The Ridge to Rivers partnership consists of the City of Boise, Ada County, the Bureau of Land Management Four Rivers Field Office, the Boise National Forest and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. The Ridge to Rivers Trail System currently manages more than 210 miles of trails located throughout the Boise Foothills.

Original source can be found here.