The City of Trees Gets Colorful in Fall

One of the best places to see fall foliage in the United States may be in a place you wouldn't expect: Boise, Idaho ... also known as the City of Trees.

To give you a peek, I drove or hiked around Boise shooting pictures using only my iPhone as a camera.

Julia Davis Park in downtown Boise is a riot of colors now. Canada geese congregate down by the pond, preparing for the winter.

I hung out the window at a stoplight to capture these pink roses and colorful trees near downtown Boise. The car's rearview mirror is in the bottom right of the picture.

This colorful autumnal scene in the North End of Boise was snapped from a stop sign, on my way home from a hike. It was so pretty I couldn't resist.

Just outside the city, this scenic road passes by turning trees, rolling hills and horse farms.

A splendid tree stands in the afternoon's golden light in Hulls Gulch Reserve, which offers 218 acres covered with hiking and biking trails.

Sages, shrubs and deciduous trees prove that Idaho's drought-tolerant, native plants can be stunning in this season.

Don't those autumnal colors and textures lift your spirits? There's nothing like passing by these colorful native plants while taking a hike in the foothills.

 

Along one of Boise's foothill trails, this jungle of flowering sage provides an aromatic and visual treat.

Speaking of foothills, here's the summit of Table Rock. The trailhead starts about a ten minute drive from downtown and offers great views, not to mention wildflowers like rabbitbrush.

Now if I can take these photos using an iPhone, hanging out the car window and such, you can just imagine how lovely these scenes would look with a real camera.

When it comes to fall foliage, Boise really does compete well with the big boys.