Boise Parks

Boise parks for a kids birthday party

A park party needs three things at once: somewhere to sit that you can actually hold, something for the kids to do, and a bathroom. Only 12 of Boise's 94 parks have a reservable shelter, a playground and a restroom together. They are ranked below, with the shade and restroom detail that decides which one suits your date.

12 Boise parks have all three: a shelter you can reserve, a playground, and a restroom.

Plenty of parks have two of the three, which is how a party ends up with nowhere to put the cake or a queue at a portable toilet. 6 of the 12 have heated restrooms open year-round, so they work for a winter birthday too.

12 with all three 6 work in winter All shelters

Pick by what the party needs

A party in winter

Heated restrooms that stay open all year.

  1. Camel's Back Park · 9
  2. Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park · 8.8
  3. Julia Davis Park · 8.5
  4. Ann Morrison Park · 8.3
  5. Esther Simplot Park · 8

Water to run through

A splash pad, fountain or pool in the same park.

  1. Ivywild Park · 8.5
  2. Ann Morrison Park · 8.3
  3. Borah Park · 7

Real shade

Rated leafy, for a July afternoon.

  1. Camel's Back Park · 9
  2. Cassia Park · 9
  3. Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park · 8.8
  4. Phillippi Park · 8.8
  5. Ivywild Park · 8.5

Small enough to watch

Under 15 acres, so nobody wanders far.

  1. Camel's Back Park · 11.3 ac
  2. Cassia Park · 12.5 ac
  3. Phillippi Park · 8.8 ac
  4. Eagle Rock Park · 8.9 ac
  5. Winstead Park · 11.1 ac

All 12 parks with a shelter, a playground and a restroom

Ranked by Parent Score. The restroom column is the one to read closely: seasonal restrooms are winterised roughly October through April, so a spring party may be relying on a portable toilet.

# Park Area Shade Restrooms Score
1 Camel's Back Park North River Leafy Year-round 9
2 Cassia Park Central Bench Leafy Seasonal + portable 9
3 Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park North River Leafy Year-round 8.8
4 Phillippi Park Central Bench Leafy Seasonal only 8.8
5 Ivywild Park Southeast Leafy Seasonal + portable 8.5
6 Julia Davis Park North River Leafy Year-round 8.5
7 Ann Morrison Park North River Some shade Year-round 8.3
8 Eagle Rock Park North River Leafy Seasonal + portable 8
9 Esther Simplot Park North River Some shade Year-round 8
10 Veterans Memorial Park North River Some shade Year-round 8
11 Winstead Park West Bench Leafy Seasonal + portable 8
12 Borah Park Central Bench Some shade Seasonal + portable 7

Booking a shelter

Shelter reservations go through Boise Parks and Recreation, not through this site. Summer weekends at the larger parks book out well in advance, so the shelter is usually the thing to lock in first and build the date around. Everything else here comes from the city's own park data, but availability and fees do not, so check with the city before you send the invitations.

Worth knowing about the near misses: Kathryn Albertson Park, Marianne Williams Park take shelter bookings but have no playground.

Common questions

Which Boise parks are best for a kids birthday party?

Camel's Back Park, Cassia Park, Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park, Phillippi Park, Ivywild Park rank highest: each has a shelter you can reserve through Boise Parks and Recreation, a playground and a restroom on site. All 12 parks with that combination are listed above.

Can you reserve a park shelter in Boise for a birthday?

Yes. 14 Boise parks take shelter reservations through Boise Parks and Recreation, and 12 of those also have a playground and a restroom. Summer weekends at the bigger parks book well ahead.

Which Boise park is best for a birthday party in winter?

Camel's Back Park, Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park, Julia Davis Park, Ann Morrison Park, Esther Simplot Park, Veterans Memorial Park. These have heated restrooms that stay open year-round, so they are the ones that still work in the cold months. Other park restrooms are winterised roughly October through April.

Which party parks have a splash pad?

Ivywild Park, Ann Morrison Park, Borah Park pair a reservable shelter and a playground with water in the same park. The splash pads run Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Parks by city

Boise parks All 94, scored Meridian parks The 10 biggest, in detail Nampa parks The 10 biggest, in detail Caldwell parks The 10 main parks, in detail

Guides

Events at parks Concerts, movies & festivals Playgrounds ranked All 57, ranked Best for toddlers 52 for ages 2–5 Accessible playgrounds 22 fully accessible Splash pads & fountains 8 water features Shadiest parks 46 rated leafy Air quality & smoke Live AQI + kid cutoffs Park restrooms 24 open year-round Dog off-leash areas 18 parks Picnic shelters 14 reservable Pickleball courts 14 dedicated courts Sport courts 42 parks Fishing spots 13 parks Greenbelt access 11 parks

Boise parks by area

North & NW Boise 46 parks Downtown Boise 3 parks Central Bench 12 parks West Boise 21 parks Southeast Boise 12 parks

All 94 parks on the map

Built from City of Boise open data and Boise Parks and Recreation pages. boiseparks.com is not affiliated with the City of Boise. Amenities change; check the park's official city page before relying on a specific one.