Mountain Review: Bogus Basin
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria6
Snow:
6
Resiliency:
6
Size:
7
Terrain Diversity:
6
Challenge:
8
Lifts:
7
Crowd Flow:
7
Facilities:
7
Navigation:
7
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
1-Day Ticket: $59-$89
Pass Affiliation: Powder Alliance
On-site Lodging: Limited
Après-Ski: Limited
Nearest Cities: Boise (45 mins)
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Diverse terrain
Modern lift setup
Affordability
Expansive night skiing operation
– Cons
Most difficult runs are south-facing
Busy weekends and holidays due to proximity to Boise
Smaller than advertised
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 10
Trails: 90
Beginner: 11%
Intermediate: 59%
Advanced/Expert: 30%
Mountain Review
Located under an hour from Idaho’s capital city of Boise, Bogus Basin has flown under the national radar for ski areas for a long time. But with a modern lift network, diverse terrain, and a claimed 2600 acres of slopes, should you plan your next vacation to the Gem State?
Bogus Basin features terrain areas facing multiple aspects around the central Shafer Butte.
Size and Terrain Layout
Bogus Basin claims a 2600-acre skiable footprint, however, based on our measurement, we only found around 1700 skiable acres. This is still incredibly large for a local hill, but pushes it down a notch on the national stage.
Bogus Basin is generally laid out around Shafer Butte with a few other peaks. There are five general terrain pods, those being: Deer Point, Morning Star, Bitterroot, Superior, and Pine Creek.
Deer Point is the main face you see from the base served by a high-speed quad, with some nice, but busy, blue cruisers, competitive terrain parks, and some steeper groomed black runs. It’s also home to the beginner area, served by a dedicated fixed-grip quad and carpet lift. Morning Star loads right next to Deer Point, and is a high-speed quad that serves an expansive beginner-focused area of green runs and easier blues, with some easy glades between runs.
From the top of Morning Star, you can access Bitterroot, which has some more open blue runs and some ski-in-ski-out lodging and parking. There’s also a connector to the Superior pod, which hosts some of the longest blue and black groomers, some great spaced glades, as well as some of the best snow quality due to its north-facing slopes.
Finally, we get to the Pine Creek pod, which is home to some of the best advanced and expert terrain, and can be accessed from a long cat track from the Deer Point chair, or the Superior pod. Between the tops of the Superior or Pine Creek chairs and the base are expert runs on the Face of Shafer Butte, which are the longest expert runs on the mountain and feature steep, open bowls, but their south facing nature makes for less than ideal snow conditions.
Beginner Terrain
For beginner skiers and riders, Bogus Basin is a great place to learn. There are multiple carpet lifts for first timers, and the Coach quad serves longer beginner runs, though the main green run is a bit narrower than typical beginner hill slopes. The next step up is the Morning Star lift, which provides fast laps on a multitude of green and easier blue groomers, and some more adventurous folks may duck into the trees here for some easier tree skiing, though the south facing slopes here can mean snow cover off-piste may be a bit lean.
TRAIL MAP
Intermediate Terrain
Intermediate skiers will have plenty to explore at Bogus Basin, though in comparison to more destination-focused mountains, it’s just not big enough to compete. Every mountain pod hosts blue groomed runs, though the most standout intermediate terrain is found off the Deer Point and Bitterroot chairs. Some intermediate glades and bowl-like runs can also be found in these pods, though options for those aren’t as extensive as for the groomed runs.
Advanced Terrain
Bogus Basin is best for those who are confident on advanced terrain, as just about the whole mountain is skiable for that ability. The Superior and Pine Creek pods are home to the best advanced terrain, including steep, fall line groomers, well spaced glades, and some steep, albeit short, bowl terrain. The Pine Creek terrain is especially interesting due to the multitude of ravines in the area, but if you get in one of those on a deeper snow day it can be a bit tiring to get out.
Bogus Basin has plenty of terrain for advanced skiers and riders.
Expert Terrain
Experts may be wishing for more at Bogus Basin. The best expert terrain is off the Pine Creek chair and down the south face of Shafer Butte toward the base area. In the Pine Creek pod, some rocky faces and tight trees can test your mettle, but they’re pretty small in the grand scheme of things. The south face of Shafer is the largest expert oriented zone, home to consistently steep, treeless lines and a few rocky outcrops. This area does face directly south, however, and takes at least two lifts with a long catwalk to lap, making it not the best for repeating over and over.
Terrain Parks
Like many other metro-adjacent ski areas, Bogus Basin hosts a pretty competitive terrain park setup. There are a few places to find a built park, one served by a carpet lift at the base, and the larger park up off the Deer Point chair. Here you’ll find jumps, jibs, rails, and boxes ranging from small to large, and due to the night skiing scene, these become the most popular trails after schools get out.
RECOMMENDED SKIS FOR BOGUS BASIN
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Recommended all-mountain ski
Recommended carving ski
Recommended glade ski
Recommended expert/touring ski
Lifts
For a more locally oriented ski area, Bogus Basin hosts an exceptionally modern lift fleet. All terrain pods except for Bitterroot area are lappable via a high speed lift, making for fast laps across the mountain. In addition, the few fixed grip chairs at Bogus Basin are all less than 5 years old, and are much shorter, taking less than 6 minutes to ride. The one exception is the Showcase double chair, which only runs on busy days to relieve the much more popular Deer Point chair.
Most of Bogus Basin’s terrain pods can be lapped via detachable lifts.
Crowd Flow
Being the only ski area largely serving the fast-growing Boise metro area, Bogus Basin can get busy on weekends, though a few things make the crowds quite manageable. For one, a long ski day with a large Night Skiing footprint drives many people to show up later in the day. This, combined with a variety of day pass timing options, means while there may be a lot of people over the day, there aren’t too many peaks when crowds become unbearable. The busiest chairs, Morningside and Deer Point, can have lines upwards of ten minutes, but outside of those areas lines are much rarer, even on the busiest days.
Snow and Resiliency
Bogus Basin’s base elevation of almost 6,000 ft is comparable to other Idaho areas like Sun Valley, but its location in Idaho’s Rocky Mountains is much more favorable than that popular destination. Snow totals are typically between 200 and 300 inches, which, combined with a snowmaking system that covers many popular trails, makes Bogus Basin a generally consistent bet for snow. Bogus Basin does have a few issues when it comes to snow, however, as its position on and surrounding Shafer Butte means it has terrain facing in every direction, including directly south.
Bogus Basin has views of mountains, valleys, or even the city of Boise depending on what direction you’re facing.
Navigation
Bogus Basin is easy to get around with just a bit of studying of the map, but some people who don’t like traversing may get a bit annoyed getting to further parts of the mountain. Getting to the Superior or Pine Creek chairs require long traverses, which, while well graded and you can keep your speed up, can be frustrating. Getting back from these areas is a bit more direct, but if you’re lapping on the back side and need to stop in at the base lodge, it can turn into a somewhat lengthy endeavor. On the other hand, one positive of the lift set up is that traversing is generally not necessary when lapping the terrain served by the lift, so once you’re on the side of the mountain you want to be on, you can make a ton of laps.
Mountain Aesthetic
Bogus Basin hosts some great views down into the Treasure Valley and the surrounding mountains in the Boise Range. The 360 degree skiable footprint off Shafer Butte means you can have varying views depending on what pod you’re on, with views into the wilderness from the Pine Creek area, and down to Boise almost 5,000 feet below from the peak. However, a multitude of radio and TV towers on top of Deer Point and Shafer Butte may take away from some of the views. The long operating hours also allow for views of some incredible sunsets over the valley to the west, making for a unique experience for those who haven’t skied that late in the day.
RECOMMENDED SNOWBOARDS FOR BOGUS BASIN
NOTE: We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the below links. All products listed below are unisex.
Recommended intermediate board
Recommended advanced board
Recommended expert board
Recommended touring board
Facilities
Facilities at Bogus Basin are what you’d expect from a more local oriented hill. The base lodge is quite large, serving a variety reasonably priced food across multiple levels, and seating is ample, though it can get crowded especially . The base area also has some food and drink options with outdoor seating for nicer weather days. There are also two other on-mountain dining options. The Pioneer Lodge, located near the tops of the Bitterroot and Morning Star chairs, which is a multi-level lodge and is getting an exterior upgrade for the 2025-26 season. Finally, there’s the Beach at the base of the Pine Creek chair which has food and drink options and outdoor seating, as well as a strong apres scene on sunny days.
Getting There
Getting to Bogus Basin is super easy from Boise, being only an hour drive on a paved road, though the access road may not be the easiest for those who get carsick or don’t like windy roads. Once you’re up at the mountain, parking can be a bit difficult to find, especially on busy days. The lot is a collection of smaller parking areas along the road beyond the base, and are connected by a free shuttle that runs pretty often. Some of the furthest lots are slopeside on the Bitterroot pod, and the Pioneer lodge may be a better starting location of you park super far up. There is also a bus that runs to the mountain on weekends and holidays that picks up in multiple locations in the Treasure Valley, and costs $10 per ride.
Bogus Basin is a short and convenient drive from Boise.
Lodging
Bogus Basin does have some lodging options on mountain, but most people visiting are better served staying down in Boise. The on-mountain Pioneer Condos have limited options for groups from 3 to 8, typically for $100 to $200 a night, but these can fill up far in advance. Down in Boise, hotels and lodging are much easier to find, with everything from bargain hotels to four-star accommodations.
Après-Ski
With a strong night skiing operation, Bogus Basin feels alive well after other destinations would fall quiet. Night skiing extends to 10:00 pm every night, and the base area stays busy with school racing leagues, people working 9-5, and anyone else with a busy schedule. There are a few bars in the base and on the mountain, but nothing provides the fanciest apres scene you may find in resort towns elsewhere in the Rockies. Down in Boise, the fast growing city has a number of food and drink options, with an especially large brewery scene.
Bogus Basin offers a night skiing footprint, an increasing rarity at mountains in the western United States.
Verdict
While Bogus Basin isn’t up to the standard of the top destination resorts in the country, its proximity to Boise, cheap tickets, modern amenities, and long hours make it possibly the best hometown mountain in the country. It also makes for a great option for those looking to save on a ski trip, or those looking to make a road trip to some other Idaho ski areas.
Pricing
Perhaps where Bogus Basin pulls furthest ahead of other ski areas its size is in its price. For the 2024-25 season, tickets maxed out at $89 for skiing and riding for the day until 4:30, and night skiing reaching around $34 for a session from 3 pm to 10 pm. Bogus Basin also offers one of the best local season pass deals, with a night season pass being only $129 and allows for unlimited skiing and riding from 3pm to 10pm. A full season pass is around $600, and while Bogus Basin isn’t on one of the major multi-mountain passes like Epic, Ikon, Indy, or Mountain Collective, it is a partner with the Powder Alliance, which has 18 mid-sized partners across the American West, including Loveland, Colorado, Sierra-at-Tahoe, California, and Timberline, Oregon. This Alliance applies for those with season passes to any partner mountain, and allows for three days of skiing at each of the partner resorts.
