Bogus Basin is looking to springboard off of its best winter ever and get people up to the mountain during the summer months with some new summer additions.
“Everything's a lot better. I think it's awesome, perfect addition for Boise,” Boise resident Mandy Clements said.
Nearly $5 million in additions, turning Bogus Basin into a year-round recreation area.
“It's really fun in the winter and now it's going to be really fun in the summer too. So it's pretty good for Bogus Basin,” Tyler Freeman said.
Fresh off his first summer tube ride, Freeman says there’s now a little fun for everyone.
“A couple years ago you could only just mountain bike and hike, but a lot of people didn't probably like mountain biking or hiking that much," Freeman said. "Now you've got all this new stuff and more people will definitely come up here."
This past Saturday, 3,000 people made their way up Bogus Basin Road to check out all the new summer activities; marking the largest single-summer day in the history of the mountain.
“The really cool thing for Bogus Basin is it opened us up to a completely different user group,” Bogus Basin General Manager Brad Wilson said. “Now, most of the people we talked to it was either their first time to Bogus or their first time here in the summertime.”
This summer, Bogus has added biking trails, a rock climbing wall, a gem-panning station, a BMX skills park, and summer tubing.
Still to come, a 12,000 square foot plaza right outside Simplot Lodge.
“We'll have fire rings out there, permanent fire rings, and a new food and beverage outlet right on the patio,” Wilson said.
Progress is also being made on the highly-anticipated mountain coaster, which will run year-round along the mountainside between Simplot Lodge and Pioneer Lodge.
“It will be available all winter long and we'll even have lights on it so we'll run it at night, which will be completely different experience,” Wilson said.
Summer additions at Bogus Basin
The mountain coaster isn’t the only addition skiers and snowboarders will see this winter; New magic carpets have doubled beginner terrain on the mountain.
“So we've added two new conveyer lifts, those beginner lifts, like you ride up for the summer tubing, and those lifts have created more beginner space for us in the base area here,” Wilson said.
All additions hikers like Clements say are in Boise’s DNA.
“This is what Boise is about, about being active and being outside and this is a perfect addition to the valley,” Clements said.
The additions will help reduce the mountain’s financial dependency unpredictable winter snowfall. Bogus Basin plans to have all of their summer additions, including the mountain coaster and plaza, completed by Labor Day.
Bogus Basin is open all this week for the 4th of July holiday. Their normal summer hours through Labor Day will be Thursday through Sunday.
After Labor Day, the mountain will only be open on weekends for summer activities as long as weather allows.