Outdoor Hiking in Idaho
By Vicki Mau
My husband and I and our four daughters, now 20, 15, 13, and 10, moved to Moscow almost three years ago. One thing that drew us to Idaho was easy access to some of our favorite outdoor activities. We were excited to take advantage of what the Palouse has to offer in its lakes, fields, streams, and trails. Before we moved to Moscow, we lived in the suburbs of Seattle where we worked and homeschooled. As a kid growing up with mountains and water everywhere in Washington, I played in trees, hiked, swam, and camped. So when I had my own kids and we were homeschooling, I felt strongly that it was important to get my girls outside exploring nature as part of their education.
There are things one learns outside that cannot be taught inside. You learn to persevere up a hard trail. You learn to carry on when freezing and in pain or dealing with bugs and sleeping in the elements. But most importantly, you experience the joy of reaching the top of a mountain. You learn to observe and appreciate the variety of trees, flowers, plants, bugs, and animals outside your ignorant daily encounters with nature. You see things tangibly rather than on a page.
Though sometimes it is hard to get out of the house to hike with little kids, the fresh air, exercise, time with friends and nature make it all worthwhile. When our kids were younger, my friend coined the term “Fresh Air Fridays,” as she and I set out to help our kids build their chops for bigger hikes. It is also much more fun to hike with friends. Hikes aren’t as long or hard if you are talking and walking alongside a friend. By having a regular hike day, it is just an expected activity. No complaints. It is just what we do. On longer hikes, or backpacking trips, my husband and I figured out some ways to motivate our girls. We would reward them with a little bit of candy every few switchbacks or bring special food to cook over the fire. When kids experience the blessings of being outdoors at a young age, they never forget.
Since moving to Moscow, our girls have been in school, so we do not keep up with weekly hikes with friends during the school year, but we do in the summer. I also try to get out weekly with my friends to hike trails around town. Moscow and the surrounding areas offer many beautiful trails of varying difficulty. I will highlight a few of my favorites that would all be considered family-friendly and not far from Moscow, starting with the more challenging to a little easier.
East Moscow Mountain: Moscow Mountain has an extensive trail system of which I have only scratched the surface. With the trailhead in Troy, East Moscow Mountain is a steady uphill two-mile hike to the top, which rewards with sweeping views of the Palouse.
Idler’s Rest: Idler’s Rest is a wonderful short sylvan trail suited for kids, both uphill and down. A little more challenging, Penstemon Path is a new trail that starts from the Idlers Rest parking lot. A series of switchbacks gradually winds along the west side of Moscow Mountain and continues to the trail system via Love Connection.
Phillips Farm: One of my favorite areas is Phillips’ Farm, right on the other side of Steakhouse Hill. There are several trails on this 160-acre property once owned by Virgil Phillips and given to the City of Moscow in 1972 for community recreational purposes. There is so much to explore here with varied terrain, orchards, fields, ponds, and marsh.
University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Garden: Lastly, the Arboretum has loops of trails lined with lush tree, plant, and flower collections, particularly wonderful to visit in the spring but really all year round.
These few hikes are minutes away from downtown Moscow, so they are easy to access and well worth the time and effort.