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Boise tourist information
Boise tourist information
Although the exact origin is disputed, the name "Boise" is unquestionably derived from the French "les bois," or "the trees." The name is a reference to the tree-lined Boise River which passes through the heart of the city. To this day the city takes its "City of Trees" moniker very seriously.
Boise started its life as Fort Boise, a U.S. Army installation located at a strategic junction on the Oregon Trail between what were then the major settlements in southern Idaho Territory, the mining camps of Silver City to the south and Idaho City to the northeast. A city grew quickly around the fort and by 1865 was the new capital of Idaho Territory (much to the chagrin of northern Idahoans). By the dawn of the 20th Century Boise was far and away the dominant city in the region, having long eclipsed the likes of Silver City and Idaho City.
Today Boise is sometimes seen as the eastern enclave of the Pacific Northwest, or the western enclave of the Rocky Mountains, or both, depending on who you ask. Downtown Boise and the North End neighborhood offer a PNW feel every bit as strong as anything in Portland or Seattle, while suburbs such as Meridian and Nampa steadfastly cling to the decidedly self-reliant ethos of the Intermountain West.
Boise is a sports town strongly supporting its local teams, including the NBA D-League Idaho Stampede, the ECHL Idaho Steelheads, and of course its emerging college football powerhouse at Boise State University - all with recent league and conference championships. Slowly but surely Boise is beginning to accept its role as a new major metropolitan area in the western United States, while at the same time embracing its small town past.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Boise
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Boise - updated May 2024
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Boise Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.