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Polecat Loop Trail
Hiking in the Boise, Idaho foothills
Are there polecats in Idaho? What is a polecat, anyway? I had to Google the word, having only a vague sense that it was not in the same category as a mountain lion or a bobcat. An internet search revealed that a polecat is similar to a weasel, and despite its name, is more related to a dog than a cat. In any case, there may or may not be polecats in Idaho. But there is a place called Polecat Gulch Reserve with around 7 miles of trails that are great for hiking, mountain biking, and trail running. The trails are not too hard but have enough grade to get in a good workout. You can bring your dog, too! I hiked Polecat Loop Trail in spring and found rolling hills, great views of the city, and high desert springtime flowers.
Why I Love This Hike
The amazing thing about Boise is, there are tons of trail right outside of the city. It took me only 15 minutes to drive from my house in Boise’s North End to Polecat Gulch Reserve. Polecat Loop Trail has diverse views and high desert landscape. And, I was so excited to do this hike because I’d finally found a place to live in Boise after looking for two months. I could finally stop the house search and start exploring Idaho! House hunting and winter weather had sidelined me from hiking. Polecat Loop Trail was a good way to get my hiking mojo back, because the terrain is easy-to-traverse packed sand, and the grade not too strenuous. Also, even for a Sunday, the trail was not crazy busy.
Post-Hike Hops: Sun Ray Cafe in Hyde Park
Polecat Loop Trail Hike Details
Polecat Loop Trail is the longest trail in Polecat Gulch Reserve at around 6 miles. There are several shorter loop options in the reserve. Check out the Ridge to Rivers website for more details and an interactive trail map. You can access Polecat Loop Trail from two parking lots, Polecat Trailhead on Cartwright Road and Collister Trailhead at the end of Collister Road. For my hike, I started from Collister Trailhead. The trailheads don’t have trail maps you can take with you, but the reserve is small and trail markers are prevalent.
- Hike Distance: 6.4 miles
- Duration: 2 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
