Generating enthusiasm for outdoor recreation in a disinvested neighborhood, and providing an array of educational opportunities for families and children of all ages.

The Veteran’s Park neighborhood is populated by families with children in Whittier School, three blocks from the site. Whittier has the highest percentage of any Boise school – 98% of children receiving free and reduced lunches. Taft School, which is located about 1 mile away at State and 36th, has the next highest rate.

Children living in the Veteran’s Park neighborhood have ready access to the Greenbelt and thus the Boise River Recreation Park as spectators, and participants in educational and recreational activities.

Boise Parks and Recreation partnerships produce high-quality educational and community programs. The park has already been identified as a possible site for YMCA boating classes, summer day camps and other programs operated by Boise Parks & Recreation and its partners, with the objective of putting children in touch with the natural world.

Providing a family-friendly and accessible river amenity

Anglers, hikers, bikers and pedestrians will benefit from the Boise River Recreation Park. Similar parks in other cities have proven popular with spectators as well as paddlers. Our designers plan amenities that allow spectators to view and participate in river activity.

Currently, the closest whitewater is an hour’s drive from downtown. Spectators park along the narrow shoulder of the highway to enjoy the view or assess rapids. This new river recreation park will provide a high-quality experience five minutes from downtown office buildings with vastly improved and safer vantage points for spectators.