Picture lush purple fireweed blooming in an alpine meadow. Think tufts of red and yellow sedge and canopies of willow trees lining rocky creek banks, or wide blue lakes surrounded by towering ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. The natural wonders found in Boise are built into its very name, derived from the French word for wood. And all just an hour's drive north and east of Idaho's capital city.

Most of the forest lies within the Idaho Batholith -- a large and highly erosive geologic formation. After eons of heaving, cracking, and carving -- the latter service performed by waterways such as the Boise, Payette, and Salmon Rivers -- a mountainous landscape arose. Big game such as mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk roam this region, ranging across large areas of the forest during the summer. Ocean-going salmon and steelhead ply the Salmon's many tributaries, and trout inhabit most of the forest's lakes and streams. With so much to offer, Boise National Forest is a natural playground for outdoor enthusiasts of every stripe.