Your Unofficial Guide to Cooling Down

It’s that time of year — that 100 degree plus time of year! When it’s this hot in Boise, your day might look like pointing a fan directly at your face, standing in front of the fridge with the freezer door open or plopping down on a vent hoping the A/C does its job. But you don’t have to spend your summer days inside. We’ve put together a few spots around Boise that can help keep you cool even on the hottest days.

Fountains

There are several splash pads and fountains in city parks including Ann Morrison  and the square at The Grove that you can jump into when you need to cool down. You can also take a quick ride to Settler’s Park in Meridian or, if you want the full experience, check out Roaring Springs Water Park. Just make sure you wear sunscreen!

Ice cream & snow cones

On a sweltering summer day there’s nothing better to cool you down than an ice cold snow cone or ice cream. Thankfully, there are snow cone shacks scattered across the Treasure Valley. You can often find them near parks, like Hyde Park or Veterans Memorial Park. As for ice cream, check out our Boise food hubs article because there’s ice cream to be found at several of those stops — like BODO, Hyde Park, and 8th street. Now, which flavor are you gonna get?

Lakes, rivers, and ponds

If there’s one thing Idaho has plenty of, it’s bodies of water. If you’re having one of those days where you just need to jump in the first pool you can find, you don’t have to travel far to find the Boise River that hugs the Greenbelt. However, if you’re willing to drive a little bit farther from campus, you’ve got options like Esther Simplot Pond,  Lucky Peak, Lake Lowell, Lake Cascade, Redfish Lake and even McCall or Coeur d’Alene if you’re willing to make a day (or weekend) trip.

Springs

OK, hear me out. I know you’re thinking, “Hot springs? In the summer?”, but not all springs are hot! And even the ones that are lukewarm still feel really nice – especially if you go to some up in the mountains. I went to one in Idaho City on a day where it was almost 100 degrees down in the valley, but it was overcast and around 80 degrees up in Idaho City. The water was pure bliss! The spring I visited, for example, is only 45 minutes from Boise. A lot of springs will have a slightly warm pool as well as separate hot springs. Some good options are in Buhl, Lowman, Stanley, Crouch, Sun Valley, Cascade and McCall. 

Stay cool out there, Broncos!