Day Trippin' › Idaho › From Boise › Redfish Lake
The drive from Boise to Redfish Lake takes about 2 hr 51 min (northeast of Boise), by real roads from ZIP 83702. Along the way we found 11 stops within a short detour: 2 coffee shops, 1 ice cream and treats, 4 places to eat and 4 quick sights.
The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Boise) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.
Photo: HalcyonToast, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lake
Mount Heyburn and the jagged Sawtooths rise straight out of the far shore, with sandy swim beaches, boat rentals and easy shoreline walks.
Heads-up: The visitor center is open mid-June to mid-September. Beach and picnic lots fill on summer weekends, so come early.
First third Middle third Last third Redfish Lake
About 2 hr 51 min by road, heading northeast from the middle of ZIP 83702. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: Hilltop Station (Boise), Walulla's Coffee & Bake (Idaho City), Sarsaparilla Ice Cream Parlor (Idaho City), Chalet Drive-In (Idaho City) and The Gold Mine Restaurant (Idaho City). The page lists 11 in all, in driving order.
Walulla's Coffee & Bake in Idaho City and Haven Hot Springs in Lowman. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
Hilltop Station in Boise, Chalet Drive-In in Idaho City, The Gold Mine Restaurant in Idaho City and Mountain Village Restaurant in Stanley.
Boise Basin Museum in Idaho City, Kirkham Hot Springs in Lowman, Kirkham Hot Springs in Lowman and Bonneville Hot Springs in Grandjean.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.