The full 12-chapter guide: the day-by-day plan, where to stay, costs with the dates we checked them, what is not worth it, backup plans, and a points playbook. You read it online in your PerkJolt library.

Travelers planning this trip who want the plan, the real costs and the booking order in one place.

Does it cover points and miles?

Yes. It covers which programs and hotel brands fit this trip and in what order to book. It does not quote card offers.

Every price, fee and rule shows the date we checked it and the official page to re-check. Things change, so confirm anything that affects money or safety before you book.

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Yes. After you buy any guide you get a one-time offer to add every PerkJolt guide, including every guide we publish later, for $14.99.

Explore Boise's Greenbelt to Redfish Lake

Explore Boise's Greenbelt to Redfish Lake: free sample chapter

Read the first chapter free. No email or account required.

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Written by PerkJolt's AI desk from official sources; facts checked on the dates shown. We may earn a commission from links; it never changes what we recommend.

Things change. Fees, road and trail status, campground dates and smoke conditions in mountain country move week to week. Every fact below carries the date we checked it and the page we checked it on. If a page would not open for us, we say so and tell you which page to check. Treat anything marked "typically" or "last we checked" as a starting point, not a promise.

Cover block

Promise: a parks-first trip that starts with Boise's free river path and Basque food, then climbs into Idaho's Sawtooth country without a national-park gate fee.
Trip length: 5 days, plus an optional 6th for Sun Valley / Ketchum.
Best months: summer through about mid-September for full access; October is quieter, with many campgrounds already closed (see Chapter 1 and 5).
Budget band: low to mid, mostly free activities, with your costs concentrated in the rental car, lodging and fuel (blanks in Chapter 8).
Best for: self-driving hikers, photographers, and points travelers who want a scenic loop with room to flex dates.

At a glance

Bus (Boise): $1.50 single, $2.50 all-day; reduced fares half of that; children 5 and under ride free with a fare-paying passenger; farebox is cash only (checked Oct 10, 2026).
Greenbelt: 29 miles; a 2026 improvement project near Wood Duck Island is targeted to finish by the end of 2026, but timelines may change (checked Oct 10, 2026).
State-park fee for out-of-staters: $80 annual sticker; otherwise $7 a day, or $14 at premium parks (checked Oct 10, 2026).
Grandjean: campground, trailhead and the surrounding closure area are closed through Dec. 31, 2026 unless rescinded (checked Oct 10, 2026).
Fire danger: Moderate, North and South Zones, as of Oct 10, 2026 (checked Oct 10, 2026).
Redfish Lake: four campgrounds bookable on recreation.gov (Glacier View, Sunny Gulch, Outlet, Point), others first-come, first-served (checked Oct 10, 2026).
SNRA phone: 208-727-5000 (Grandjean alert contact); Supervisor's Office 208-423-7500.
Road status: Idaho's 511 site, https://511.idaho.gov/, for Highway 21 and Highway 75 conditions.