Want to try backpacking near Boise? These 5 trails are fit for beginners in Idaho

Looking for an adventure? There’s still time this summer to try something new outdoors, and if you’re a fan of hiking and car camping, backpacking could be a logical next step.

It’s a bit of a change from driving into a campsite — for starters, you’ll have to be able to carry all the gear you need to stay for the night. Packing lighter can mean leaving some creature comforts behind, but backpacking is also a chance for a unique, often isolated experience in the Idaho wilderness.

Before you head out on an overnight trip, be sure to check for trail closures or other restrictions, such as campfire bans, at your destination. The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management discourage building new fire rings at dispersed camping sites. Instead, look for existing fire rings, use a fire pan or camp stove and go without a fire.

If you’re interested in backpacking but aren’t sure where to start, here are some less challenging routes for a single-night stay within a few hours of the Boise area.

▪ Jennie Lake: This 8.8-mile round trip hike is nestled in the Boise National Forest northeast of Idaho City. Like all our recommendations, Jennie Lake has ample access to water via Bear Creek and the trail’s namesake lake (though you should plan to bring a water filtration system or other means of purifying any water you plan to consume).

The trail has moments of fairly steep elevation gain as it follows the creek, winds through a burn scar and meadow and finally rises to the view of teal water and Wolf Mountain.

It’s 4.4 miles to the lake, where primitive campsites dot the perimeter. This hike can be popular on weekends, so it may make for a better weekday trip if you hope to use one of the existing sites.

▪ Blue Lake: Blue Lake is a short, steep hike in the Boise National Forest near Cascade. It’s around 1.5 miles round trip, so an overnight trek to the lake is less than half a mile.

Blue Lake is described as an all-ages trail — just be prepared for a fairly steep elevation gain on your way back to the trailhead.

The Forest Service notes that Blue Lake is a very popular trail, so this may not be your best option for solitude. However, it’s a scenic route with abundant wildflowers, stream crossings and a waterfall.

▪ Loon Lake: This Payette National Forest trail near McCall starts at Chinook Campground and offers two routes to the lake, one 4.6 miles long and the other 5.7 miles long.

The real appeal is off-trail, though. A World War II-era B-23 Dragon bomber crashed in the forest near the lake in 1943, and its wreckage remains nearby with interpretive signs that tell the story of the eight survivors. The wreckage is accessible via an unmaintained trail, so plan to bushwhack to the site.

Another route to the plane is bushwhacking from Duck Lake Trail. The Idaho Trails Association suggested Duck Lake as a good option for beginning backpackers in a blog post earlier this year. The Forest Service notes online that there are dispersed camping sites along the shores of Duck Lake.

▪ Rapid Lake: Another McCall-area hike, Rapid Lake is one of the longer options on the list. The trail is just under 8 miles round trip, and Forest Service documents say it’s a popular day hike.

You’ll pass Boulder Lake on the way in. Both lakes are good options for fishing and swimming, and you’ll have plenty of time for both if you plan to stay the night.

Hikers have described this trail as family-friendly and say its 1,400 feet of elevation gain is spread evenly through the trek so it doesn’t feel too steep.

▪ Rainbow Basin: The Rainbow Basin Trail is 8 miles round trip with a steep elevation gain early on, followed by a dramatic descent into a glacial cirque dotted with shallow alpine lakes.

The trail begins near Big Trinity Lake Campground northeast of Mountain Home. It winds past Green Island, Fiddle, Heart and Big Lookout lakes before getting to the trio of Big, Middle and Little Rainbow lakes. You can detour at any of the lakes, and several have existing primitive sites if you don’t want to follow the trail all the way to Hideaway Lake.