I’m Ryan Thorne, part of the Marketing Team here at Maverick Car Company, and I love hiking.

As an Idaho native, I’ve always been mesmerized by the beauty and isolation our state has to offer, and the great thing is, activities like hiking are absolutely free (besides gas and food 😉). Living in Boise puts us within driving distance of some epic wilderness and city hiking trails, and if you’re new to hiking or recently relocated to the Gem State, you should get out there and explore.

Adventure in the great outdoors is at the core of what makes Idaho such an amazing place to live. Sharing outdoor experiences with a four-legged companion makes life here even better. But, what do you do when you can’t get out of “the burbs,” and you still want to blow off some steam with the pup? We’ve got you covered with helpful resources so you can make the most of your day-to-day “city” life with your best friend.

In this article, we’ve mapped out the 5 Must-Visit Boise Dog Parks you should go explore and we’ve curated some gear to help you transport your furry friend to and from the dog park, or wherever your adventures take you.

Idaho is perfect for bouldering. The state’s geological history includes massive deposits of magma that shape the landscape all along the Snake River Plain. Ancient super floods and the Snake River have carved canyons and filled them with large basalt boulders offering climbers the chance to practice the sport they love without the need for a partner or a slew of expensive equipment.

People have told me that bouldering is less intimidating than climbing with a rope. I’m not sure if I agree. Even though there are nice pillowy crash pads all along the base of the shorter walls at Asana gym in Garden City, a fall from a higher section could result in a nice broken ankle.

In 2021, the Boise River Greenbelt turns 52. The legacy Boise’s past leaders left us in the form of the riverside paths reminds me of this ancient Greek proverb:

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they will never sit.”

There’s just something wonderful about that combination of bread, cheese, and tomato sauce that makes pizza so alluring. And it’s highly customizable. You can pretty much throw anything on and toss it in the oven.

I’ve eaten hundreds of pizzas—both fresh and frozen—and nothing compares to a pizza fresh from a wood-fired oven. After watching several YouTube videos of Italian pizza makers and their mouthwatering techniques, my girlfriend and I decided to build our own oven as cheaply as possible using materials from the hardware store.