The Morrison Knudsen Nature Center

Truly a hidden gem! The nature center is very beautiful place to spend an afternoon. Full of interesting animal and plant life, it’s an educational and fun activity for children and adults.

Amazing and overlooked — very peaceful –i have seen baby deer, blue herons, beautiful birds, giant salmon and I saw my first 4ft. Sturgeon here. I love it!

Often overlooked, the Morrison Knudsen Nature Center is a gem along the Boise Greenbelt and Municipal Park. It features wonderful flowers and trees and a nature trail.

I really love this place. It has closed in nature, which is a great way to expose kids to the concepts of life cycles and to show them the different seasons without requiring a trek too far outside of Boise. In fact, it’s located pretty ideally to city center! It provides a nice stroll and learning all in one. We have gone here during multiple seasons and different times of day and it always provides a nice environment.
The scenery changes up based on the time of year and which fish would be in season. Last fall we saw Sturgeon and today we saw some variety of salmon. Some of the fish were as large as my two year old and they can get up close and personal while still seeing them in their own habitat. Pretty neat! You can see above the water but as you walk around the winding trail there are windows put up to the edge of the pond so that you can see what is going on under the surface as well.
Going early in the morning provides a great opportunity to see local wildlife and to enjoy nature. The gift shop /​learning center has limited hours but the trail is open from dawn to dusk.

Kids getting antsy? Wallet a little light? Try the nature walk located physically in the heart of Boise, but spiritually somewhere out in the wilderness. There are many sights and sounds over the course of this winding trail — deer grazing just inches away, a beaver dam, as well as some fall colors in the trees. A nice touch are the creeks that splash down the many small hills. At strategic spots, there are underwater viewing areas that allow you to see trout in their natural habitat. The best part… it is free (on certain days the nature discovery center is open, but I don’t think it is needed). Be sure to bring your camera.

Somehow this place totally went off my radar for a spell. I remember taking my older son (who is now 15) there when here when he was little and I remember it being a little bland at the time. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. I took my younger son and his friend here and went on the nature walk, which was beautiful. It’s lush and green with charming lily pad fringed ponds of fish. They have a couple of very large sturgeon, which was a delight to the kids and adults alike. The center itself (the building) has great hands on exhibits for kids. And, when you’re all done at the nature center – a quick walk across the parking lot and you’re in Municipal Park. It’s overall, a nice place to spend an afternoon (and all free! Love that!).

I love going here for a nice stroll outside. Part of it is garden/​wildflowers and wildlife. The other part is man-​made ponds and streams showing the ecological fish system. Fantastic displays, almost like going to a small zoo! Free and stroll at your own leisure, reading the signs about the different areas of interest.