Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reserve
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reserve is a 53-acre urban wildlife sanctuary in Boise offering easy walks and abundant opportunities for wildlife observation, including birds, bats, and small animals. It features stocked ponds for fishing, making it a unique outdoor activity right in the middle of town.
Key Highlights
- ✓Serves as a sanctuary for diverse wildlife including birds, bats, ducks, frogs, cranes, fish, and occasional muskrats and deer (especially early morning).
- ✓Features stocked ponds, making it suitable for family fishing trips.
- ✓Trails are described as 'fairly easy walk' and 'great easy hike for Girl Scouts', suitable for various activity levels.
- ✓Offers a quiet atmosphere, providing a quick nature escape within city limits.
- ✓Restrooms are available on-site, though their exact location (e.g., lower parking lot) may require some searching.
Standout Features
- ⭐Opportunity to spot a wide variety of wildlife including bats, ducks, frogs, cranes, fish, and potentially muskrats and deer.
- ⭐Stocked ponds provide a dedicated area for children to try fishing.
- ⭐Conveniently located in the middle of town, offering a quick and accessible nature experience.
- ⭐The trails are generally easy and can be completed in about two hours, or extended by repeating loops.
- ⭐Restroom facilities are available for visitor convenience.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Visit in the early morning for the best chance to spot deer and other wildlife.
- →Bring fishing gear if your children are interested in fishing in the stocked ponds.
- →Be prepared for some background noise from nearby traffic, as trails are adjacent to a road.
- →Note that the trail is not a continuous dirt loop; a segment requires walking on a sidewalk next to the road.
- →If looking for restrooms, check the lower parking lot if you don't see them at the upper one.
Things to Consider
- ⚠A portion of the trails run directly next to a road, leading to car noise disrupting the natural ambiance.
- ⚠The dirt trail does not form a complete loop; visitors need to transition onto a sidewalk next to the road to continue their walk.
- ⚠One reviewer found the area 'not particularly pretty' or 'interesting', possibly influenced by the time of year visited.
- ⚠Only service dogs are permitted on the trails.
Price & Value
Likely free, as it is described as a public park and no entry fees are mentioned, offering excellent value for a family outdoor activity.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •The trails are described as a 'fairly easy walk', suggesting they are generally flat and not overly strenuous. Specific information on wheelchair accessibility is not provided.
- •No specific sensory-friendly hours or accommodations are mentioned.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Not explicitly mentioned in reviews, but as a public park, bringing outside food and drinks for picnics or snacks is generally permitted.
🚗Parking Info
- •A dedicated parking lot is available, with mentions of both an 'upper' and 'lower' lot.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Described as 'quiet', suggesting it is generally not overly crowded, making it suitable for a peaceful outing.
🛡️Safety Features
- •No specific safety features beyond what would be expected in a general public park are mentioned in the reviews.
⏰When to Avoid
- • Families sensitive to road noise or those seeking a completely secluded, pristine nature experience.
- • Individuals or groups looking for long, strenuous, or challenging hiking trails.
- • Bringing non-service pets, as only service dogs are permitted.
- • Visiting if you expect aesthetically stunning landscapes year-round, as one reviewer found it uninteresting at a certain time of year.
What People Say
What's Great
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 3 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Juli S.
7 months agoBoise has more than 90 developed parks. Last week I visited Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reserve. It’s a 53 acre park that serves as a sanctuary for birds, bats, and animals. If I had known about the bats, I would’ve visited sooner. This park has stocked ponds and fishing. I was there for almost 2 hours. All of these photos are taken in sequence with the intention of giving you a sense of what it’s like to walk through the park and loop around to the sidewalk that runs down Maple, then re-enter the park and exit. I’ve even included a couple of short videos. Enjoy!
Joanie Benham
a month agoThis is a nice beautiful place for a quick walk in the middle of town when you don't have time to get to the foothills or someplace else to walk. There is a parking lot but no bathrooms. I stand corrected it says bathrooms are open year round, but I've never seen the bathrooms? Im guessing they are at the lower parking lot, and I've always parked at the upper lot. It is a bird reserve, so there are lots of birds but only service dogs aloud. This is a short walk, but if you repeat it, obviously, you can make it as long as you want.
Serena Edson
7 months agoI love walking the trails here. Fairly easy walk with lots of small wildlife to spy: ducks, frogs, other birds including cranes, fish, and once what looked like a muskrat. Early in the morning, you might spot the deer. Great easy hike for Girl Scouts, too. My troop enjoys the hike.
Thanthiwa Rattha
3 months agoThis place is quiet and has many birds! Also, there’s restroom available.
Willow
a year agoA decent place to walk around but not particularly pretty, perhaps I went at the wrong time of year but i didn't find it interesting. The trails are all right next to the road so you hear the cars pass you by. The dirt trail isn't a complete loop either so you do have to get onto the sidewalk right next to the road to continue walking.