Fall Colors Stack Rock Trail
Stack Rock Trail is located off Bogus Basin Rd near the Bogus Basin Ski Resort. We love this trail because we have seen it all and can hike as much or as little as we like. We wanted to take Asa on another adventure, but we wanted to test her limits a little more. This hike was perfect since we could theoretically go almost 10 miles round trip if Asa could manage it. Spoiler: we didn't make it that far. In all, we hiked 3 miles and carried Asa for about a quarter mile in the middle, shortly after starting our way back to the car.
Meet Asa! She is a 2-year-old Shiba-Inu who we adopted from the Humane Society less than a week ago. She has been doing great and has stolen our hearts. We hope to take her on more adventures, but we are learning what she can do, and this hike is a significant step.
Challenges
Be prepared to share the trail. This is a popular place for hiking, dog walking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Please observe good trail etiquette.
Equipment
Sunscreen
Water
Snack
Good hiking shoes or boots
The Approach
From Boise, head north on N Bogus Basin Rd. Stay on N Bogus Basin Rd for 13.3 miles. Turn right onto FS-297C Stack Rock Trailhead Spur. If there is room, you can park at the lower parking area to trim about 2 miles off the hike. You’ll see the lower parking area to your right 12.4 miles after turning onto N Bogus Basin Rd.
Upper Parking: 43.7376273, -116.1271908
Lower Parking: 43.734040, -116.127265
The Trail
The trail from the upper parking area winds down through the pines and bushes until it meets up with the lower parking area. This is an excellent little hike all on its own, but if you are uninterested or your time is limited, you can start from the lower parking area.
From the lower parking area, Cross N Bogus Basin Rd to the trailhead. The trail is well-established and usually dusty unless it has rained recently. The first hundred yards give you a great view down into the valley. After that, you’ll find yourself surrounded by fall colors. The bushes and trees surround you in yellow, orange, and red. Walking through this section in the afternoon sunlight is magical. The light bursts through the vegetation, creating a kaleidoscope of colors. You could walk no further and find contentment in this environment as it captured your soul.
If you continue, you’ll walk among green pines and golden grasses. The mostly flat trail with few tripping hazards requires little effort to navigate. The rock section produces a fantastic overlook of the foothills and the Boise Valley below. This section would be more challenging except for the years of wear from thousands of hikers that have created a comfortable path through the rocky surface. This section signals that the shade you have been enjoying is about to run out.
A short distance further, the trail view opens up to clear views of the valley. In the summer, this can be a scorching section to hike. With no shade, you’ll want to have that sunscreen applied, a hat, and some nice cool water to drink. This section of the trail seems to last longer than it does when the weather is against you. Even on this cooler fall day, the temperature difference was striking. This was when Asa decided to take a little break and bathe in the sunlight right in the middle of the trail. It was also our signal that we should probably begin heading back. After letting her rest for several minutes, we started to make our way back.
About the time we reached the rock section, Asa refused to go further. We tried letting her rest some more, but she refused to move. So we moved to plan B, carrying her. Asa is small, at only 20 pounds; she is not very difficult to carry, except for the awkward frame in your arms. And hiking while carrying her does make everything a little more complicated. Thankfully, after a quarter mile, she was ready to go again. For the rest of the hike out, she led the way with a skip in her step, right up to the last hundred yards, when she decided she was done again and had to be carried back to the car.
Summary
This trail is fantastic. With gorgeous views of the valley throughout the year and beautiful colors in the fall, we highly recommend hiking this trail. You can go all the way to stack rock, go as far as the Sasquatch hut, or just take in the initial fall colors and open views of the valley to your heart’s content. The choice is yours. If you are looking for a winter adventure, snowshoeing this trail in the winter is a popular activity as well. After a nice hike, stop at West Side Drive-In for a burger, curly fries, and an ice cream potato or fresh milkshake for dessert. It makes for a wonderful Idaho experience, which even an Idaho native can relish.
