In southwestern Idaho, landscapes vary from sagebrush deserts cleft with canyons to Douglas fir or lodgepole forests, mountain meadows and glacial cirques. In its mountains, aquamarine lakes contrast with gray and black peaks streaked with white, copper, and rose. Except for the Hells Canyon Wilderness, the hikes are in non-wilderness areas.

There are hikes in the Payette, Boise, Sawtooth, and Salmon-Challis forests, and in the lower Snake River, Shoshone and Vale districts of the Bureau of Land Management. Also included are a few state parks like the Bruneau Sand Dunes and Malad Gorge. Trails under other management include the Boise Greenbelt and the 85.7-mile-long Weiser River Trail.