Where horses once ran the oval at Les Bois Park, a set of ridges and low wet ground now slopes toward the Boise River. Ada County's Park at Expo Idaho opened on October 23, after a four-day closure of the busy quarter-mile stretch of Greenbelt behind the fairgrounds. The park is now heading into its first November, and its posted hours of sun-up to sun-down get shorter every evening.
The park is designed around the river's natural floodplain, and the parts that work best right now are the ones that need no schedule. The trail loops and roughly 19 acres of restored wetland are fully in place. The social pieces, like the food truck plaza, pavilion bookings and live music, still have no regular calendar. That makes this a good month for a first visit, as long as you come for the ground itself.
A racetrack rebuilt around the river
BoiseDev's opening-day story describes the site as a roughly 50-acre public park built on the former Les Bois Park horse racing track. According to Expo Idaho's park page, the track sat dormant after wagering ended in 2015. Federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars paid for construction, with no local property tax dollars, and the park sits between the Boise River and the fairgrounds. Earlier in 2026 the design won an "Excellence in the Concept" award in the public space category of the World Landscape Architecture Awards.
The award was for how the park handles the land. Expo Idaho divides the park into two main natural areas, the Ridges and the Lowlands. A trail network of more than three miles runs through both.
| Loop | Length | What it crosses |
|---|---|---|
| Ridge Loop | 0.75 miles | The higher ground of the Ridges |
| Meadow Loop | 0.5 miles | Open ground between the two areas |
| Lowland Trails | 0.3 miles | The wetland side of the park |
Shorter connector trails link the loops, and the whole system ties straight into the Boise River Greenbelt. Even on a short November afternoon you can walk all three named loops, about a mile and a half combined, and still be back at the car before dark.
The wetlands don't wait for summer
According to BoiseDev's September first-look photo tour, about 19 acres of the park are restored wetland habitat. KTVB's coverage of the restoration names swallows, ducks, geese, killdeer and spotted sandpiper among the wildlife the habitat is meant to support. Visitors are asked to stay on marked paths and give wildlife room.
One of the first organized outings at the park is about exactly this part of the site. Golden Eagle Audubon is leading "Birding the Park at Expo Idaho" this Sunday, November 8, from 8:30 to 11 a.m., which the group calls its first time exploring the newly opened park. Registration runs through the event's Eventbrite page. For anyone who has walked past the old track for years without seeing much beyond a fence, it's a guided first look at the site.
The loud half is open too, with rules posted
The park has plenty of features beyond the trails and wetlands. The other big draw is built for wheels and climbing.
- All-Wheel Skate Garden. BoiseDev reported a skatepark covering five acres total, with nearly two acres of skateable space. It's open to skateboards, bikes, scooters and roller skates. Use is at your own risk, and adult supervision is recommended for children under 12. A nearby roller derby rink also works for street hockey.
- Nature Playground. It has log scrambles, boulder gardens, climbing walls and misting areas, plus swings, hammocks, a rope traverse and a sandbox with a water pump, according to BoiseDev. BoiseDev describes a 37-foot slide, and Boise State Public Radio puts the tallest structure at 36 feet. Either way, it's the tallest thing in the park. Age recommendations are posted on each piece of equipment.
- Nature Play Pavilion. It's a shaded gathering spot. Boise State Public Radio reported a restroom next to it and a separate public restroom near the skatepark.
The park's FAQ doesn't list winter schedules for the misting areas or the restrooms. Plan a cold-weather visit around the trails and the skate garden.
What still has no calendar
Expo Idaho promotes a Greenbelt Food Truck Plaza with rotating trucks, but the only schedule it has published was for opening weekend. Trucks were there Friday, October 23, from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Live music played in short sets across the same three days. Truck operators can fill out an interest form, and Expo Idaho notes that applying doesn't guarantee a spot.
Pavilion reservations are in the same spot. The park FAQ still answers "Soon!" and says details will be posted closer to opening. If you hope to book the pavilion for a spring birthday, check the park page rather than assuming it's already open for booking.
Then there are the neighbors. The Western Idaho Fair stays on the Expo Idaho property, and the Athletic Club Boise stadium is a separate project next door on the same county land. BoiseDev reported that more than 1,000 cyclists rode to each AC Boise home game and pointed to the park's bike racks as useful for game-goers and Greenbelt users alike. Event days at the stadium or fairgrounds will likely feel very different from a quiet weekday morning.
Getting in, and who can come along
There are two parking lots, on opposite corners of the park.
- Remington Street lot, southeast side. From Chinden Boulevard, take Kent Lane toward Expo. Turn right before the Athletic Club Boise dirt lot, then left onto Remington Street.
- Backstretch Boulevard lot, northwest side. From Glenwood Street, turn onto Backstretch at Boise Hawks Stadium and follow it to the lot on your left.
- By Greenbelt. The park links directly to the path, with bike racks throughout and an event plaza near the Plantation Island Bridge.
Dogs are welcome everywhere in the park on a leash, with owners picking up after them. Only service animals are allowed inside the Nature Playground and the All-Wheel Skate Garden, and there's no off-leash area. Glass containers, smoking and vaping, fires, fireworks and firearms are all prohibited. Alcohol is allowed only at permitted events. Fishing isn't allowed inside the park either, which may surprise anyone who has walked the river here with a rod.
Where the walk ends up
Until the food truck plaza has a regular schedule, food and drinks come from the Greenbelt businesses nearby that are open in the off-season.
Telaya Wine Co., at 240 E. 32nd St., sits right on the river and the Greenbelt. Fall and winter hours are noon to 6:30 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday and noon to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Terroir, its permanent food truck, is on site most days.
For a morning start before the Audubon walk or a run on the Ridge Loop, Push and Pour at 214 E. 34th St. serves coffee and breakfast daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
At The Riverside Hotel, 2900 W. Chinden Blvd., BAR365 opens at 11 a.m. daily, Riverside Grill runs from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Ling & Louie's serves from 11 a.m. until 10 or 11 p.m., depending on the day. The hotel's Sandbar Patio and Grill closed for the season on October 11, so a riverside patio stop will have to wait until spring.
Telaya's riverside tasting room and the restored Lowlands sit along the same stretch of the Boise River. Before a regular food truck schedule arrives, the two make a good pairing for a November afternoon.
If a new park along the Greenbelt has you thinking about which nearby streets put it within walking distance, Joyce Little is happy to talk it through over a cup from one of those coffee stops. Request a free consultation and home valuation, and you'll get a straight answer on what sits closest to the new trails.
