Boise, ID: Watchman Trail Loop
Escape the bustle of the city on this 9.5-mile foothills loop that's minutes from downtown Boise. The loop connects five trails in the Ridge to Rivers trail network and serves up sweet vistas of the city and the surrounding mountains along the way. From Shane's Trailhead, hike north past parched, sagebrush-dotted foothills on Shaw Mountain Road.
Roughly 2 miles in, the route turns left onto 5-Mile Gulch Trail. Following Fivemile Creek, the trail travels through dense, low-lying vegetation before cutting uphill and turning onto Watchman Trail just past mile 3. After a short climb to a ridgeline with overhead views of 5-Mile Gulch, pick up the Curlew Ridge Trail and head south. Grab endless panoramas of Boise and the surrounding plains as you trek south on the rolling ridgeline toward the Three Bears Trail. After 8.6 miles, savor your last views of the city to the west and the Danskin Mountains to the southeast before swinging a left onto Shane's Trail and returning to the trailhead.
Info: Ridge to Rivers Trail System
-Mapped by Mike Lanza
Trail Facts
- Distance: 15.1
- Miles from city center: 4
Waypoints
WAT001
Location: 43.6234559, -116.1368179
Starting from the parking lot at Shane's Trailhead, head north on the dusty Shaw Mountain Road. The dirt road travels through a valley flanked by sparse brown hills.
WAT002
Location: 43.6307638, -116.1062086
Turn left onto 5-Mile Gulch Trail @ the 3-way junction. Leave Shaw Mountain Road and head north between rolling hills dotted with arid shrubbery and low-lying vegetation. Expect to come across mountain bikers and runners on this stretch of trail.
WAT003
Location: 43.6430049, -116.0985053
Continue straight on 5-Mile Gulch Trail.
WAT004
Location: 43.6467121, -116.0925508
Continue straight on Watchman Trail. Completed in December 2008, the Watchman Trail is the newest section of Boise's extensive Ridge to Rivers trail system. It follows the Fivemile Creek before cutting uphill to link the Three Bear and 5-Mile Gulch trails.
WAT005
Location: 43.6520958, -116.0919338
After 3.7 miles, the trail cuts left and climbs out of the gulch. Ahead, the trail traverses rolling foothills and offers views of the gully below.
WAT006
Location: 43.6445538, -116.1100066
Nab sweeping panoramas of Boise from this ridgeline vantage point before swinging left onto Curlew Ridge Trail.
WAT007
Location: 43.6431718, -116.1108327
Bear left onto Three Bears Trail. Heading south, you'll trace the ridgeline above Curlew Gulch. Although Boise's foothills are relatively barren, the creek drainages are home to a bounty of native flora.
WAT008
Location: 43.6359509, -116.1143732
Bear right to stay on Three Bears Trail. To the east, savor scenic vistas of the Danskin Mountains.
WAT009
Location: 43.6280574, -116.1442101
Turn left onto Shane's Trail to complete the last mile of the hike. To the west, catch expansive panoramas of downtown Boise and the seemingly endless plains.