BOISE, Idaho — The City of Boise held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the improvements to the Hillside to Hollow trailhead.
The new improvements include a new bathroom, a drinking fountain for humans and dogs, bike racks, ADA accessible parking and a parking lot with 25 spaces.
The ribbon-cutting was a special day because it culminated all the work that went into creating this reserve that has become one of the most popular places for people to take their dogs.
Today was the official ribbon cutting for the new trailhead at Hillside to Hollow Reserve.
— Mayor McLean (@boisemayor) May 12, 2021
Thank you to @Healthwise, @LandTrustLTTV and @boiseparks for making this all come together—and to all the dogs and neighbors who helped us celebrate today! pic.twitter.com/rDxrKPdG19
"It certainly is, I don’t know the actual number of folks who come out here on an annual basis, but it is in the scores of thousands of people who come to walk their dogs," said Eric Grace of the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley. "It’s going to enhance what is already a wonderful public access opportunity."
In 2011, the Land Trust purchased 58 acres and in 2013, the City of Boise acquired another 258 acres to create the Hillside to Hollow Reserve which stretches from close to Bogus Basin Road over to Hill Road and almost to Quail Hollow Golf Course.
"We wanted to have a special ribbon cutting for this trailhead because of the sheer number of people that made this possible," said Boise Mayor Lauren McLean.
Mayor McLean credited the Land Trust, the neighborhood associations that donated funds and Healthwise who sold the final piece of the puzzle to the city in 2019, that is the area where the new trailhead improvements are located.
The city purchased those final eight acres for $435,000 using the foothill levy fund.
If you take your dog hiking out on this Ridge to Rivers trails system there is a good chance that you might run into Mayor McLean and her dog Moose.
“We bring Moose up here almost every day," said McLean. "I was out here last night with her and my husband and we are going to take a quick walk before I go back to City Hall."
The City of Boise also announced they will join an effort called Campaign for Nature 30 X 30, this effort spearheaded by National Geographic and the Biden administration has a goal to conserve 30 percent of the land and water all over the world by 2030.
