Campground Review: Boise Riverside RV Park

This is a review of our very first RV Park, so we are starting from scratch with open minds and no past experience to compare it to.

We purchased our Montana 5th wheel in Meridian, ID and drove to Boise Riverside RV Park to start our full time RV adventure. We initially paid for one week for our "shake down" of the new RV and then added a second week so we'd have time to explore Boise.

Boise Riverside RV Park is actually in Garden City, ID, about 3 miles NW of downtown Boise. It sits right alongside the Boise River Greenbelt, a gorgeous 27 mile bike/walk trail system along the Boise River, and is also adjacent to the Boise fairgrounds. They have 101 sites, most are pull throughs and most are full hook ups, with both 30 & 50amp at each site. We paid $174 per week.

Although the park's address is Glenwood St., you must turn right on Marigold St. to enter. Though Glenwood is a busy main artery, the park sits well off the road and is very quiet at night. There is a library right across the street and multiple shopping and dining options very close by.

When I made reservations I mentioned that we were brand new at this and would appreciate a pull through site. The staff was very friendly, helpful and accomodating during our entire stay.

The pictures on the website are a little deceiving, showing lots of trees and green. While all of the common areas of the RV park are pretty and green and well maintained, and the sites along the river perimeter have some grass, the majority of sites are dirt/gravel with a cement patio, and the roads are gravel. Very few sites have picnic tables.

The park changed ownership about a year ago and they switched from single lane sites (with a shared, two-sided electrical pedestal) to double lane, meaning you park your rig to the right of the utilities and park your truck or towed in the space immediately to the left of the utilities and your patio is on the right of your rig. This affords much more privacy from your neighbors than in the past.

RV's are allowed to stay up to 6 months, which can be extended based on circumstances. There is a mixture of very old and very new RV's here, with the longer stays towards the back and the short stays near the front.

There is a tree at the front of each patio which can make it difficult to position to open your awning. We were only able to open our awning about 3 feet. All sites are oriented so the unshaded side of the rig takes the full afternoon sun. It was in the high 80's early in our stay (luckily it had cooled down from 100 in previous weeks) and we had to use the A/C all afternoon and evening on the hottest days to be comfortable.

The laundry/shower facility was excellent. There are 8 washers and 8 dryers ($1.50 per load) and several showers (free) in a very clean building.

The park's wifi worked well as did our Verizon signal for cell and Millenicom for internet. We did receive several local TV stations before we got satellite service.

When we first arrived I was a little disappointed in the quality of the site, with the dirt parking area and the small tree in the way of the awning, and plain cement pad for a patio. But I was won over by the wonderful Boise River Greenbelt accessed right from the RV park, how quiet it was at night, the friendly and helpful staff, and clean facilities. The proximity to shopping, dining and Boise sights was perfect for our needs. We would stay here again.

Our site, B22

Laundry/Shower Facility with picnic area

Boise Greenbelt access adjacent to the RV park

Office (in the trees), propane and dump station on the left

View down the rows of RV sites, from in front of the office