Backyard Adventures

Discover what awaits you right here in Eagle

Story and Photos by Kirk Cheney, Jason Delgadillo and Danny Adair

Eagle residents are a lucky bunch. Most can lace their shoes or hop on their bike and — within minutes of their front door — be on ribbons of singletrack trails that wind through scenic, golden foothills without driving to the trailhead! This is a rare treat, even amongst cities considered to be top outdoor destinations.

With that, here are some of our favorite places to ride, run and hike in the Eagle area:

Spring Valley Creek at Avimor

Spring Valley Creek is a fantastic trail — a classic Idaho gulch trail that follows a creek at a moderate, steady grade. It’s reminiscent of Hulls Gulch, a popular trail behind Boise’s Camelsback Park, 15 years ago before Hulls was widened by consistent overuse. Spring Valley Creek trail ascends from a craggy gulch near the Avimor streets to open, rolling hills with excellent views of Stack Rock. It’s popular with a variety of trail users — joggers, hikers and mountain bikers — but it’s rarely crowded. Mountain bikers are drawn to its excellent “flow,” with just enough rocks and other obstacles sprinkled in to make it interesting. There’s one particularly tricky rock that few bikers can ride; if you clear that section, pat yourself on the back!

Ada/Eagle Bike Park Trails

Don’t be fooled by the name: the Ada/Eagle Bike Park isn’t just for bikers. Go there at any time of day and you’ll find hikers and joggers scattered across the system of cross country trails (Rabbit Run and Veteran’s Trail are particularly popular). That said, this place is a dream if you’re on two wheels! The Boise/Eagle area is blessed with miles and miles of accessible trails, but they’re a bit homogeneous: the natural composition of the foothills (sand) doesn’t lend itself well to unique trail features. The bike park fills that void with trails for riders of all abilities, all the way up to advanced double black diamond trails where advance riders can really “send it.” If you like drops, jumps, berms and all-around gnar, the bike park should be your go-to spot. Check out Shake-N-Bake or Stormin’ Mormon. If advanced trails aren’t your thing, no worries. There are plenty of beginner and intermediate trails with smaller, optional features to test your skills. The Flow Trail is an intermediate trail that rides like a dirt roller coaster with berms, whoops and rollable jumps. Junkyard is a short, fun, beginner-friendly loop with a few small berms and whoops mixed in for kicks. An added benefit is that the park is very family friendly. Load up the kids, from toddlers to teenagers, and go explore!