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Idaho Hiking Maps – REI Hiking Project – Adventure Hiking

January 17, 2019 by Jim Lewis

REI Hiking Project

Hiking Maps
Hiking Maps for Idaho Trails!

We enjoy Hiking in Idaho So much that we decided to share the REI Hiking project. Download the Hiking Project applications to your mobile devices and take the Idaho hiking maps with you. See instructions Here!



Adventure at your own risk!

Idaho Hiking Maps Terms

These Idaho Hiking maps have been shared on this page for your use. Please use the REI Hiking Project hiking maps at your own risk. We are not responsible for the misuse of these maps. Please follow all terms on the Adventures Project website while using these hiking maps. You can find the Adventures Project Terms on their website at https://www.adventureprojects.net/terms.

Hiking Trails for Our IdahOutdoors.com Articles

We will be placing hiking trails on the REI Hiking Project – hiking maps in the near future. However, their administrative review process takes up to a month so please be patient with them.

Hiking project Applications

Also, you can get both Android and iPhone applications for the Hiking Project. First, just download the associated application for your device. Second, create an account on https://www.hikingproject.com/. Third, sign into the application from your mobile device. Finally, Now you will be able to take your hiking map with you.

Hiking Spanish Town Idaho Historical Site

If you like these maps, check our Hiking articles at https://www.idahoutdoors.com/category/hk/. If you are interested in old Idaho historical mining areas you can check out our Hiking Spanish Town article. We believe that Spanish Town is just one of those places in Idaho everyone must visit.

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Picking Our Christmas Tree – Our First Idaho Adventure!

December 24, 2016 by Brianne Melendez Leave a Comment

Do you remember your first Christmas tree?

Picking our Christmas Tree!
Picking our Christmas Tree!

As a kid growing up in Hawaii we didn’t have many options for finding Christmas trees. The closest my family ever came to picking our own tree was purchasing one shipped over in a refrigerated container from the mainland. The selection was usually limited to either Douglas or Noble firs, they cost anywhere from $30 to $75 and up.  If you wanted something that was grown on the islands, there were a couple of farms that grew “Hawaiian Christmas trees,” also known as Norfolk Island Pines (Araucaria heterophylla). However,  I always thought they were ugly and were unable to show the true potential of Christmas spirit.

When my husband and I made the decision to move to Idaho, one of the things we talked about wanting to do was to pick our own tree when the holiday came around. I had visions of our family going to a tree farm nearby, choosing what we wanted then going home to decorate it. The weekend after Thanksgiving we did some research and discovered that there were only two tree farms in the area. Also, the one we wanted to visit had only opened for business the weekend after Thanksgiving and was already sold out. Disappointed, we decided to just buy a pre-cut tree and try again the following year.

Never Give Up!

My husband, not satisfied with waiting another year, did some research and found out that we could get a permit from the Ranger District office and cut down our own tree. He went to work the next day and spoke with one of his coworkers, Jim Lewis, and they made plans for us to fulfill one of our many dreams as a family. After the plan was set, I went to the Mountain Home Ranger District office, paid $10 and we were set!

Christmas Tree Hunting
Christmas Tree Hunting

On Saturday (December 3rd) our family met Jim and his wife Heather along with their two granddaughters. Shortly after, we left Mountain Home on Highway 20 and headed north. We turned off Highway 20, onto Forest Road 61 towards Pine, then took a right onto Forest Road 114 towards Featherville. The drive was absolutely beautiful and took us along the northeastern tip of the Anderson Ranch Reservoir. We followed Jim and Heather to an old logging road off Cayuse Creek Road, parked our vehicles, bundled the kids up, and began hunting on foot in search of our trees. Our prospects were not great at first and we debated checking other locations, however, Jim felt that it would be hard to find an area that wasn’t affected by the endless fires that took place that previous Summer.

We Found Our Tree!

We continued up the road and spotted some trees on a steep hill above us, so we decided to hike towards them while Jim ran back to the truck to get the chainsaw.

Since my first experience with snow had happened only one week prior, I was completely unprepared for the uphill climb. I did not have many options as far as footwear went, so I had left home that morning wearing my cowgirl boots and hoping that there would be no hills to climb. Oops!

After slipping and sliding my way to the top, we walked around debating the merits of each tree we came across. Too sparse, too tall, too short, too crooked, finally settling on two 10 foot tall Rocky Mountain Douglas-firs and down they came. After dragging them back to the truck, we took a couple of quick pictures and then tagged them for transport back to Mountain Home. We were excited; we finally had our first, real Christmas tree!

If you’ve never done something like this before, I would recommend you try it at least once. It was a memory I will never forget and something I know we will do again. Mahalo to the Lewis’ for taking us on our first Idaho adventure in the mountains. We had a blast!

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Hiking Spanish Town | One of Idaho’s Great Mysteries!

September 21, 2016 by Jim Lewis Leave a Comment

Hiking | Spanish Town is just one of those places in Idaho you must visit.

How to get there?

Hiking Spanish Town
Camshaft for the Stamp Mill Spanish Town Idaho by Wayne Spaerling in the 1950’s.

We had been planning on hiking into Spanish Town for several years. It was one of those trips you just had to do once in your lifetime.  So on September 4th, 2016 we packed up all of our goodies, loaded up the dog, threw in our backpacks in the pickup and headed for Featherville Idaho.

A few years earlier my father-in-law had given me a copy of the Diary of Jules Defoe.  It was a short read, but wow did it make me think.  Ever since reading that diary I have devoured every bit of knowledge that I could find about Spanish town.

Finding the trail

As my wife and I left Featherville we continued to travel up the Boise river over the feather river bridge.  We turned left by the dredge ponds and the gravel pits, then we headed up Cayuse creek road north (also known as forest service road 135).  We continued to follow forest service road 135 up Cayuse creek to the switch-back.  When we hit the switch-back the forest service road number changed to 132 (however, I don’t believe there is a sign to designate this).  We then followed forest service road 132 to the end.  There was a small area to park at the end of the road.

At the Trail Head

Trail 200 - Trail-head Sign | Hiking Spanish Town Idaho
Trail 200 – Trail-head Sign

After we parked at the end of the road we found the trail marker for trail 200.  That is where the Spanish Town trail starts.  As we pulled up we could see the marker from the parking area.  The first section of the trail on the way down is a little steep.  However, if a 46-year-old guy like me can muster the energy to traverse the trail, just about anyone can.  As we approached the bottom of the hill we got our first look at Alta creek.

We love Idaho Outdoors

The area around the trail is beautiful.  There was a fire that went through this country a few years ago.  The tree canopies are wide open with lush green vegetation below.  The trail is very well maintained.  I would recommend this hike to anyone.  Take a look at some of the pictures I took.  Hopefully, you will be as impressed by this area as my wife and I was.

We had to cross Alta creek 3 times.  After the third time, we started back up another hill.  The path the trail took was very gradual.  We had no problems traveling up the ridge and then down into Elk Creek on the other side.  While we traveled into the canyon where Elk Creek is located, the canyon gradually gets wider.  As the canyon was getting wider we were finding old items and structures.

Spanish Town Antiques!

camshaft_for_stamp_mill_by_james_m-_lewis1

One of the best examples of old items is the camshaft in the image at the top of the page.  This camshaft was used in a stamp mill. Stamp mills were used in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s to crush or mill quartz ore into a powder.  This allowed them to run the crushed ore through a sluice box to recover gold.  The steel portions of the camshaft are still intact.  However, the wood portions of the camshaft have long since deteriorated.  

What makes this so interesting is: According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago Fraser and Chalmers (the manufacturer of the camshaft) merged with Edward P. Allis & Co. of Milwaukee in 1901 to form Allis-Chalmers Co.  So this camshaft has to be over 100 years old.

On The Trail

My Wife | On the Trail Hiking Down Into Spanish Town
My Wife | On the Trail Hiking Down Into Spanish Town

As we passed two log lean-to structures on the right we approached the east fork of Elk Creek.  After crossing the creek we continued up the canyon and eventually crossed Elk Creek.

Please note: if you hike into Spanish Town.  When you get to the main fork of Elk Creek which is much larger than all the surrounding creeks.  You have gone too far.  

Spanish Town Site
Spanish Town Site

We continued up the canyon until it started back up the hill towards James creek road to Atlanta.  After a short discussion, I figured we must have walked right by Spanish Town.  So we turned back and crossed Elk creek headed downstream.  As we were getting close to the east fork of Elk Creek we figured we would never find Spanish Town.  We were still 25 yards from the creek and my wife says “where does that trail lead”.  Well, I didn’t know, so we took a turn to the left.  There sitting right below the ridge approximately 45 yards from where Elk Creek and the East fork of Elk creek meet sat Spanish Town.

Spanish Town

My Wife and I at Spanish Town Idaho
My Wife and I at Spanish Town Idaho

I am not sure what I was expecting.  Maybe a few buildings, an old sluice maybe an old octagon bottle discolored from age.  We found none of those items.   Spanish Town is a collection of rock foundations, old siding, and roofing that has had the buildings fall down around them.  Even though there are no buildings left standing Spanish Town is still a great place to visit.  The GPS coordinates are 43.710180, -115.254206.  I hope they help the next adventurer find the Spanish Townsite.

One Last thing: Just a little note to self.  If there is a 20% chance of rain when you are out for a hike, you will spend a good portion of your hike in a torrential downpour.  

After we finally found Spanish town our entire hike back to the pickup was in a downpour.  None of that matters though.  We had a great day!

Our Motivation to Visit Spanish town

After I read the Diary of Jules Defoe.  I found an article from the Idaho Avalanche newspaper that could date right around December 1895 to January 1896 time frame.  Both of the documents (Diary of Jules Defoe “1789”) (Avalanche News Paper Article “1895 to 1896”) were talking about arrastras that are found in Idaho around the Rocky Bar / Boise basin area with no apparent settlements to explain them prior to the 1860’s.  An arrastra is an industrial-sized grinder or mortar and pestle used to crush quartz ore for gold mining.

Steel Base Placed Next to an old lean-to | Spanish Town Area
Steel Base Placed Next to an old lean-to | Spanish Town Area

We did not find an old arrastra when we visited Spanish Town.  We did find a steel base that could have been used for an arrastra.  However, I do not believe that an arrastra from either 1866 or 1789 would have been built with a steel base.

Take all of this information, link it to the remote location that Spanish Town is located in, and even the most UN-inquisitive person would wonder just what happened at that location in the past 250 years.  We consider our hike into Spanish Town one of the best trips of our lives.

Evaluating What We Know (Or Don’t Know)

We may never know!  As far as I know, there is no real hard evidence as to where the Diary of Jules Defoe came from.  No discoveries of Spanish prospecting tools, copper helmets, or muskets have been linked to any of these locations.  As far as we know the stories, as fantastic as they are, and as much as we would like to believe they are just that stories.

My Wife and I Cam Shaft in the Background.
My Wife and I Cam Shaft in the Background.

It is however very interesting that the library of Congress has an entry for Jules Defoe. Also, there are arrastras located in Idaho’s Boise basin in several locations, who is to say how old they really are?  According to The Book Southern Idaho Ghost Towns, there were 53 arrastras operating in the Boise basin in 1864.  All the mystery surrounding the Boise Basin just makes Spanish Town a more interesting place to go hiking.

According to the Idaho Historical Society Rocky Bar Spanish Legend publication, they believe it is “fantastic” to even consider anyone of Spanish speaking origin to have inhabited this area prior to 1866.

I believe that “fantastic” is a really strong word to use in this reference.  According to Wikipedia the first Spanish speaking settlement was established in Mexico in February, 1519.  Is it really such a fantastic story to believe that the Spanish explored North Western America prior to the United States settling the area.  I dont believe that this is so far fetched.

Research Sources

Research sources for this article include Rocky Bar Idaho Community on Facebook.  A special thanks to Wayne Spaerling for the use of his Cam Shaft photo.  A special thank you to Idahomojo.com for allowing us to link to their Diary of Jules Defoe and Idaho Avalanche Newspaper article.  Wikipedia, The Idaho Historical Society, the book Southern Idaho Ghost Towns <– Click on the link to get your copy today, the Encyclopedia of Chicago, and the Great Idaho Outdoors.

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Idaho Parks and a Metal Detector: Great Family Fun

August 2, 2016 by Josh Snow Leave a Comment

Just where can you use your metal detector?

Metal Detector Permit
A permit to metal Detect in Boise, Idaho Parks.

Our Bounty Hunter metal detector had finally arrived and I was more excited than my kids were. Since we hadn’t given any thought to rules and regulations until we were at the park feeling a little sheepish about tearing up turf that was so perfectly manicured in search of our first find with the new metal detector.  Consequently we were questioning the legalities of what we were about to do.  So we jumped on the internet and searched for any rules or regulations that we could find for metal detecting Boise Idaho. Sure enough, there are rules that regulate where you can metal detect in Boise.

During our search we learned that you have to be licensed to metal detect in Boise parks. So We left the park feeling relieved that we hadn’t torn up the nice grass yet and had avoided getting into trouble.  One thing was for sure!  We wanted to get a license to metal detect in Boise parks.  It took us quite a bit of searching to figure out where we were supposed to go to get this license.

During our search we stumbled upon Boise Park and Recreation’s policies and procedures page where we located a document outlining what was needed to acquire the metal detector license. Unfortunately, the document didn’t list any contact information regarding where to get the permit.  Only after making a few phone calls were we able to acquire the information we needed.

We Were Told that Conn’s Wampum Hut provides metal detector training and issues the permits.

The Conn’s have been located at the same location for close to 50 years with the whole family involved in the metal detecting hobby. When we called ahead to schedule an appointment Pat Conn, answered the phone and gave us the information we needed.  Donna Conn, 85 years old, issues the permits. She informed us that she has regular hours but you should always call ahead. She taught us how to retrieve (not dig), our finds with a flat head screwdriver. A flat head screw driver is the only tool you can use in Boise City Parks. She also gave us a great tip: by recommending we dull the ends of our screw drivers to prevent scratching a potential find.

Wheelchair bound using a modified long screwdriver, Donna Conn showed us how to roll the turf, extract the dirt, replace the disturbed grass and heel in the area. This retrieval method assures that you don’t damage the turf. With our metal detector in hand, Donna had us locate finds in her yard. She has lots of coins buried including some older ones that she lets you keep. She required us to properly retrieve three coins prior to issuing the metal detector permit.  We found a couple wheat pennies that we were pretty excited about!

There is an initial fee of $10 for the permit and a $3 annual renewal fee. She assured us that she provides the training and permits as a community service and doesn’t profit from the fees. We spent about an hour and a half, some of it visiting, while we earned our permits.  Our family had a great time!  Donna gave us some good advice and a few perfect spots to start detecting!

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Treasure Hunting Idaho!

May 12, 2016 by Josh Snow 1 Comment

Hiking for Treasure with your family!

Ready to bring out your inner kid? Try turning your next hike into a treasure hunt adventure! You can find all sorts of exciting and valuable treasures right beneath your feet. Jewelry, old coins, relics, you never know what you will find.

About Me

My First Treasure Find!
My First Treasure Find!

I was in 6th grade, going to school in the north end of Boise. It was then that I had my first real “find”. While out at recess I caught a glimmer of something shiny out of the corner of my eye. I went to investigate and picked up a diamond wedding ring! I remember it well, traditional engagement ring; gold with a princess cut diamond. I was so excited thinking about how popular I was going to be with whoever had lost it!

I proudly walked into the principal’s office to turn it in. The principal informed me that if no one claimed it, I would be able to have it at the end of the year. I stopped by the office often to check on the status of the ring. Sure enough, I completed 6th grade with a pretty sweet graduation present! It felt great giving my mom more than a card for her birthday that year!

Treasure Hunt Finds!
Treasure Hunt Finds!

My First Metal Detector

At eleven years old it wasn’t easy coming up with money to buy things, especially something as expensive as a diamond ring. I remember spending a good part of that summer with my eyes on the ground, hoping to get lucky again. One can only assume it was my elaborate gift that prompted my mother to get me my very own metal detector.

Perhaps she was tired of watching me walk into stuff because my eyes were glued to the ground.  I searched for valuables everywhere I went. Either way, I was ready to start hunting for treasure! I loved detecting at my local parks and the schoolyard. Metal detecting taught me a lot about history, through the research of prospective sites that could prove promising. I also learned a lot about old coins and antiques that I would find.

Our Family Pastime

Treasure Hunting is Family Fun!
Treasure Hunting is Family Fun!

With a family of my own, I’ve enjoyed sharing in the excitement of treasure hunting with my kids. One of our favorite things to do is go for a hike and hunt for treasure. It gets us outdoors as a family and makes every hike an adventure. We take turns swinging the metal detector in front of us as we search for treasure. You’ll be amazed at the treasures you’ll unearth!

We’ve found tons of old coins, antiques, jewelry, military relics, you just never know. I’ve been able to teach my kids a lot about history and numismatics. We’ve built a pretty decent coin collection over the years that will help pay for their college education.

Treasure Hunting How Too

Things to bring: If you’re looking for something different to do outside, incorporate treasure hunting into your outdoor activities. It has proven to be a lot of fun for us and turns our hike into an exciting adventure! I wanted to include a list of items that I’ve found useful in our outings. Keep in mind that I’m hiking with a five and six-year-old and our outings are usually under four hours.

Lately, we’ve been hitting the trails around the Military Reserve in Boise. It’s close to our house and we always find something interesting. Just make sure you don’t dig on private property.

  • Used to fill with the items listed below.
  • Food and drinks. You’ll find that a break (or five) is necessary. I like to plan for a mid-hike lunch. Sandwiches and bananas are my go-to, snacks if it’s an evening hike.
  • Metal Detector. Metal detectors are not that heavy and we are carting it around the entire time. If you are worried about the weight purchase a lightweight detector.
  • Small Shovel. To unearth your treasure!
  • This is a great time to make memories. My five and six-year-old love to take pictures along the way.
  • Sun Block. I didn’t think about this the first time I went, lesson learned.
  • Comfortable shoes and clothing. Dress them appropriately. Warm clothing is a must-have on your metal detecting trips.
  • My backpack fills up quickly and fitting a blanket in there just isn’t going to happen. When it is time to eat we throw the towel in.
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