Adventure #1,006: Road Trip to Boise, Idaho

In search of a quick adventure that'll get you off the couch and out in the wide open for the weekend? Try a road trip to Boise, Idaho. It only takes 6 - 6.5 hours from the Reno/Sparks area. Well a little longer if you go the speed limit through Oregon and Jordan Valley: 55 mph.

Start your trip off Friday evening and try to get to Winnemucca before 9pm. Try staying at the Red Lion...they offer shuttle service to anywhere you'd like to go within the Winnemucca limits and be sure not to eat a thing and save room for some fine dining Basque style at The Martin (Railroad & Melarkey Streets, Winnemucca, Nevada, 89445, (775) 623-3197).

Plan to leave early in the morning around 6:30AM and begin heading North on US 95 towards the Oregon border. Look for Antelope throughout the valley as you pass Orovada and Fort McDermitt. We came across a few hundred directly off the side of the road. It was an amazing site.



Once out of Fort McDermitt, you've entered into the lower right corner of Oregon. It's a gorgeous transition to watch the mountains change from high snowy peaks, Crooked Creek Range to the left, to flat platues that look like a minature version of the Grand Canyon. The Owhyee River originates in Nevada and flows through Oregon which is said to be what had caused some of these deep cuts through the platuea's.



If you want to fish for a bit, there is a place to camp and even launch small boats directly on the Owyhee River. A quick side note: The word Owyhee applies to the River as well as the surrounding mountains and is an outdated spelling of the word Hawaii.

As you continue on US 95, you'll pass several small ranches and probably see quite a bit of wildlife directly off the sides of the road. For instance in our short drive we saw: 25+ deer, a couple hundred antelope, free range chickens, chukar, quail, pheasants, coyotes and lots and lots of road kill.

As soon as you see the Welcome to Idaho sign, your not too far from Boise now. You'll continue to drive through the out lying ranch areas for a few miles working your way towards a more congested area called Marsing, Idaho. Once you drive through the small town of Marsing, you'll see the very large and very wide river called The Snake River. There is a small park to the right of the road in Marsing, that is setup for anglers, boaters and people who like to picnic.



Allthough the trip to Boise is short, it allows you to be able to relax and enjoy several different terrains and landscapes, rivers, animals, and finally you meet some really nice people. Oh and one final note...on your way home to Nevada, if you have time, try and stop by Rye Patch Reservoir it hasn't been this full in years. Click here to see more photos.



For more photos of this trip and other trips, Click here.

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