Boise has long been known as the gateway to Idaho’s wilderness playground. Whether you like to bike or hike, experience a zip line or get a salmon on the line, you can enjoy those activities and a lot more not far from Boise. But there is plenty to do inside the city limits too.

Boise hosts visitors from all over the world for the big Treefort Music Festival that takes place every March. Hundreds of performances from indie bands take place at various venues around downtown Boise during Treefort, and for a few days the whole city is awash in music. Music fans can satisfy their craving any time of year though; some of the big acts coming to Boise this summer include Boston, Ben Harper, Kansas, Testament, Sublime with Rome and Dashboard Confessional. For more intimate shows, fans can hit numerous Boise venues including the Knitting Factory where upcoming shows include the Violent Femmes, Baroness, Tech N9ne, Blue October and Ill Nino.

Boise sits at an apex between the Rocky Mountains and an endless expanse of desert stretching north from Nevada. When the brilliant colors of the setting sun fade over the rolling hills and towering mountains nearby, it’s no wonder Idaho’s dubbed the “Gem State”. The Payette, Boise and Snake rivers meet here – calling to adventurers of every form. The 25-mile long Boise River Greenbelt twists and turns through the city with abundant opportunity for exploration – from parks to pools, and even a zoo found near the city’s river bank. Too far to walk? The local Green Bike system makes cruising a breeze!

With more beards, trucker-hats and Edison bulbs than the state of Oregon combined, Boise is one hoppin’ city!

David Duro is CEO of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA, a busy nonprofit that delivers athletic and community programs at 90 locations around the Treasure Valley.

The YMCA is a big player in the Treasure Valley, employing about 1,300 people and running four large facilities that in January saw 250,000 visits. The Y cares for more than 1,000 children per day in its child development programs and recently opened a residential summer camp at Horsethief Reservoir in central Idaho. It has more than 56,000 members and an annual budget of $22 million.

These days, surfing is not just relegated to those of us fortunate enough to live in coastal towns with conditions that allow for it. You’ve got wave pools being built in Austin, Texas and surf vacations that can turn anyone with a little bit of money into a pro. But the sense of discovery is still out there for lots of people looking to get a thrill from riding water. Case in point, river surfing. It’s a fairly new pursuit within the last 20 or so years, but it’s gaining steam and is really helping people think outside the box in terms of what is possible.

This out of the box thinking has turned many inland cities around the world into top destinations for the surfing community. The list created by GrindTV includes exotic destinations like the Zambesee River in Africa and the Eisbach River in Germany. All of these river surfing destinations were ranked based on different factors. Boise came in at number 5 in the world, right behind the Snake River in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 

A team of Boise high school students made it into the final 16 at the National Science Bowl. Roughly 9,000 high school students and more than 5,000 middle school students from across the country took part in the annual competition, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Though they made it to the top tier of the competition, the team from Treasure Valley Math and Science Center was eliminated from the competition on Sunday. All of the teams reaching the top 16 will receive $1,000 for their schools' science departments. The championship rounds of the competition will take place Monday morning. The winning team will get an all-expense paid science trip to Alaska.

The Outbound Collective has ranked Boise #3 best college in the country for outdoor adventurers.

"Located in the city of trees and situated between Idaho’s Rocky Mountains and the Great Basin deserts, Boise State has abundant outdoor opportunities. Some of the country’s best mountain biking trails, three convergent rivers, and steeply pitched rock are located in Boise and the surrounding area.

Roughly 20 minutes from downtown Boise, winter sports-loving students can find some pretty deep powder. Students can travel to the Bogus Basin Ski Resort every Friday from the end of January to mid-March to night ski for only $25 per trip.

Aside from alpine and Nordic adventures, the Outdoor Program offers a variety of courses including rock climbing, backpacking, and rafting. The Outdoor Program offers an annual Season Pass for only $199, where students are able to attend one weekend trip each semester, one day trip each semester, one free scheduled night ski at Bogus Basin Ski Resort, and rental and trip discounts."