Looking E along the Boise River to the E of Boise, the former ROW has been converted into a paved trail for some distance towards Lucky Peak Lake. The UP operated the line for a time out to approximately this point. Part of the Oregon Trail can still be seen on the other side of the Boise River at this point. The bridge in the background is Idaho Highway 21 which goes to Idaho City and Lowman in the mountains. (Photo from December 2001)
Part or all of this line was built by the Intermountain Railway to serve the mining areas in the mountains above Boise. The line extended from Boise Junction, west of Boise, across Boise Valley Traction/Boise & Western Railway, past the old Penitentiary, through Vemon, Barber, Gooseneck, Calls, Richardson, Anderson, Daggett, Moore's Creek, Steimans, Holcomb, Rye Flat, Big Bend, and into Centerville. For a time, the US Government operated a spur from Arrowrock Junction on the Intermountain to Arrowrock Dam, apparently during construction of the dam. The section from Barber to Centerville was apparently abandoned between 1928 and 1936. Union Pacific subsidiary Oregon Short Line operated the section from Boise Jct to Barber for a period of time, and at some point this was brought under the Union Pacific name. This section was apparently abandoned between 1936 and 1944. A good job has been done converting the old ROW into the trail, and it appears to be well-used.
