Things to Do in Caldwell

Sculpted into the mountainous terrain of Boise National Forest, Terrace Lakes Resort offers a natural playground to engage in all manner of outdoor pursuits. During the warmer months, hikers enjoy a whiff of Mother Nature's piney perfume as they walk miles of trails lined with evergreen trees and teeming with wildlife. Excursions on the Payette River by kayak, canoe, fishing boat, or parade float offer a refreshing respite from the summer swelter—as does the resort's geothermal heated swimming pool. The resort's 18-hole golf course challenges players with a pair of nine-hole sides that demand two distinct styles of play. The front nine's open layout gives big hitters ample space to unleash their power, while the back nine demands more control to keep the ball between dense evergreen forests that cling to both sides of the fairways.

In the winter, snowfall conceals the Resort's fairways and hiking trails, but it doesn't bury the fun. The crackling fireplace in the Resort lodge becomes the cozy trailhead to 250 acres of groomed cross-country ski tracks and terrain for snow tubing and snowmobiling. The Resort offers rental skis and snowboards, but guests must provide their own jetpacks if they prefer non-ski-lift ascents up the mountain.

At Idaho X-Sports, visitors experience the high-speed thrills of barreling down snowy slopes while safely seated in cushy snow tubes. Lifts transport guests to the top of the hills, where they can choose from 900-foot runs in three varying levels of intensity, from gentle slopes to inclines steep enough to scare away even the most skilled stilt-walkers. At the bottom of the hill, a yurt welcomes spent guests to warm up by the fire and replenish their energy with food and drinks. Visitors may also snag Idaho X-Sports' skis and snowshoes and explore more than 10 miles of groomed Nordic ski trails.

Nestled in a fork of the Payette River, the scenic Garden Valley opens up to visitors during horseback trail rides, wagon rides, and wintertime sleigh rides led by Garden Valley Trail Rides’ passionate equine lovers. Surrounded by the pines of the majestic Idaho Mountains, the clip-clop of well-trained hooves, and the echoing calls of eagles trying to use echolocation, friendly guides shepherd visitors in groups or on private guided rides atop guests' own horses by appointment.

Bear Valley River Co. fuels outdoor fun with half- or full-day whitewater-rafting excursions along the Payette River. Licensed guides help passengers navigate the river’s twists and turns from a well-maintained fleet of inflatable rafts. The current-savvy hosts provide life jackets, helmets, and a laminated copy of A River Runs Through It for each rider, and can also offer catered meals prepared in the company's on-site restaurant. Guides place a strong emphasis on safety with mandatory equipment checks and a safety orientation before each excursion. Following the whitewater orientation, groups can enjoy a relaxing jaunt down the main Payette River, course through the waterfalls and Class IV rapids of the South Fork, or spend the day fishing in Swirly Canyon.

Silverhawk Aviation’s owner, Catherine Rad Weber, built a school not only to teach people how to fly, but to learn to love their wings as well. Her comprehensive curriculum challenges students to fly at high altitudes, in different weather conditions, and over diverse terrain, training helicopter pilots who will be comfortable in the cockpit anywhere in the world. The program includes hands-on experience in caring for the rides, moving them in and out of hangars, and safely washing them without getting soap in their eyes.

Whether training or touring, visitors receive eyefuls of southern Idaho’s diverse geological features. The helicopters surmount rugged mountains, speed over mesas and high deserts, and ride air currents above rivers that wend their way into deep canyons. Apart from stunning the brain’s beauty receptors, this splendor provides a natural obstacle course against which more experienced pilots test their skill, zipping around rock spires or hopping the feet of their craft neatly through pristine fields of tire plants.

A competitive shooter since he was a teenager, Mike Wirth began teaching responsible firearms operations during college. Between bouts of studying for his degree in mechanical engineering, he showed friends and classmates the firearms basics, such as marksmanship fundamentals, proper cleaning and storage, and how to smelt each bullet by hand.

Now teamed with business partner Aaron Goodfellow, Wirth continues training clients in responsible armed defense. On the outdoor ranges shared with Parma Rod and Gun Club, he and Goodfellow lead classes focused on handgun operations, teaching guests skills from swapping magazines to courteous behaviors when on the range.