Boise Parks & Recreation Department

Boise Parks & Recreation Department's mission is to enhance Boise's quality of life by working in partnership with the community to foster and support citizen well being and healthy community environments.

Description:
The Boise Parks & Recreation Department serves city residents by maintaining 107 parks and 1,000 acres of open space with 85 miles of trails. We operate Fort Boise Community Center, Zoo Boise, Warm Springs Golf Course, seven swimming pools, 22.5 miles of Boise River Greenbelt, Idaho Ice World, Idaho Ann Frank Human Rights Memorial, and three cemeteries. The Department provides art, dance, fitness and adapted recreation programs for children, teens and adults, and coordinates basketball, volleyball and softball leagues throughout the city.

History:
Prior to 1956, the Parks Department was basically a caretaker agency, devoted to keeping the grass green for picnicking, band concerts, and passive recreation. There were two large parks, Julia Davis and Municipal Park, and a few small parks like Capitol, Elm Grove, and Fairview. Two medium size park sites, Camel's Back and Fort Boise were undeveloped. The rest consisted of various odds and ends, donated to the city because they were not usable for anything else. New additions were mostly happenstance, and little thought was given to logical acquisition to fit local needs.

This attitude began to change in the 1960s with the adoption of a policy to focus on acquisition and development of specific park sites for specific neighborhoods. Over a period of about 13 years, from 1965 to 1978, 27 neighborhood or community park sites had been acquired, of which 12 had been developed. The total park acreage grew from about 250 acres in 1956 to over 1,600 in 1978. Much of this remained undeveloped, including two large reserves, Flying Hawk Park and Military Reserve Park.

A related but separate program developed following the city council's adoption in 1956 of a twenty-year plan. The plan included a proposal for a Boise River Greenbelt. This program also called for extensive acquisition and development. It was actively pursued from about 1968 to 1987, after which there remained only a few potential tracts not acquired or developed.

Since the Department put an emphasis on acquisition and development, the Boise City Parks & Recreation Department has grown by leaps and bounds into what is seen today. The Department continues to find new and innovative ways to service the Community, by both acquiring and developing new parks, facilities, and programs. Because of the efforts of hundreds of hard working people, Boise can boast of having one of the greatest parks systems in the country.

Contact person: Jerry Pugh, Volunteer Coordinator, (208) 384-4060 ext. 319, (email)

Office fax number: (208) 384-4127

Address:

1104 Royal Boulevard Boise, ID 83706 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.cityofboise.org/parks

Last updated on August 24, 2009