Don't Ruin Boise's Beautiful Trail System: STAY OFF MUDDY TRAILS

Raise your hand if you've killed a little bit of time in isolation by getting out for a hike or run in the foothills.

We're not surprised that quite a few of you with your hands up yelling "Me! Pick me!" According to the Ridge to Rivers Facebook page, the trail system is seeing an unprecedented number of users thanks to gorgeous weather and a huge lack of entertainment options for families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The foothills are a beautiful escape from all the overwhelming things that you're seeing in the news and on social media right now.

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Unfortunately, today and tomorrow might not be the best time to visit the trail system. We got a lot of rain overnight and rain this morning, so the trails will be muddy. Using muddy trails will damage them for future use. To preserve this amazing resource, you NEED TO STAY OFF MUDDY TRAILS!

If you jump off the trails to avoid slipping or getting your shoes muddy, you may kill the trail slide vegetation and widens the trails. When that happens, they start to erode more quickly and it's difficult for crews to repair that type of damage. And all those footprints and bike tracks that you're leaving behind in the mud? When those dry and harden, they leave huge divots that can lead to people twisting an ankle or having a rather teeth chattering mountain bike ride.

There are some all-weather trails that are usually ok to visit no matter what the conditions. We'll list them below. Click HERE to see which trails you should totally avoid during wet conditions. You can also get trail condition updates through the Ridge to Rivers Facebook page.

If you do get out, PLEASE remember to keep a safe social distance from other trail users. The sooner we all lean in to the "Stay at Home" movement, the sooner this will be over and we can FINALLY get back to our regular routines.