Make Table Rock Worthy of the View
Help fund the first serious step toward a safer, clearer, better cared-for summit.
Goal
$150,000
Raised
Coming soon
Supporters
Coming soon
Your contribution helps fund the maps, research, documentation, and coordination needed to start.
The view is incredible. The top is not.
Table Rock is one of Boise’s most loved places. People hike it, bring friends there, watch the sunset, walk their dogs, and see the whole valley from the top. But the summit and approach feel unfinished. Gravel. Gates. Towers. Broken glass. Confusing access. Scattered signs. Unclear responsibility.
Table Rock gives Boise one of its best views. The summit should feel worthy of it. For a place this important, Boise can do better.
Why hasn't this changed?
Because Table Rock is more complicated than it looks. Different parts involve different owners, agencies, roads, leases, towers, access questions, safety issues, and legal limits. That is where most good ideas stall. People love the place, but love has not been enough to organize the work. Before Table Rock can be improved responsibly, someone has to pull the whole picture together.
Why Table Rock matters
People have gone there for generations
Long before today’s trail traffic, people climbed Table Rock to get above the city, see the valley, and step out of daily noise.
It carries more than one story
Table Rock connects foothills, trails, Indigenous history, early Boise, the Old Pen, public access, and the shifting edge between city and open land.
It helps people know where they are
You see it from the East End, the Greenbelt, downtown, Warm Springs, and across the valley. It is part of Boise’s daily orientation.
It should stay Table Rock
The summit needs care without losing its character: safer access, clearer signals, less visual clutter, and a landscape that still feels like Table Rock.
What Phase 1A pays for
Map who controls what
Land ownership, management, roads, towers, gates, access points, and constraints.
Document what is there now
Photos, notes, maps, and simple public explanations.
Clarify public access
Where access is clear, confusing, blocked, unsafe, or limited.
Prepare serious conversations
Identify the biggest risks and bring agencies, landowners, experts, funders, and civic partners into a clearer conversation.
Build the public case
Clear materials that make the problem understandable and the next step credible.
Coordinate the work
Keeping the pieces organized, moving, and pointed toward a formal feasibility package.
What success looks like for Phase 1A
- A clear public map of ownership, access, and responsibility
- A photo-based record of summit and approach conditions
- A plain-English summary of the barriers to improvement
- A stronger case for completing the full feasibility package
- A serious starting point for agencies, partners, and donors
- Regular updates showing what has been completed
This is the work that makes better decisions possible.
Current status
First effort selected
Table Rock is the first major Boise Rising civic landscape project.
Early conversations started
Design, history, outdoor, civic, and technical contacts are already being engaged.
Sponsor path underway
501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship is being pursued for transparent contribution handling.
Phase 1A scope drafted
The early scope covers ownership, access, infrastructure, safety, documentation, and long-term care.
Public materials in development
The page, survey, images, maps, and outreach materials are being prepared.
Funding pathway being prepared
Phase 1A begins with public support, early backers, and larger donor conversations.
Milestone path
$5,000: The Foundation
Start setup, website launch, fiscal sponsor integration, and early documentation.
$50,000: Initial Fieldwork
Begin mapping, site documentation, ownership/access research, and public materials.
$150,000: Full Phase 1A
Complete the feasibility baseline, technical preparation, stewardship scenarios, and governance roadmap.
Give what you can
Phase 1A funds the work behind the work: research, planning, public education, coordination, documentation, and the practical costs needed to move Table Rock from concern to action.
$5,000
Civic Partner
Supports project coordination, stakeholder preparation, and public materials.
Can’t give right now?
Money is one way to help. It is not the only way.
The survey
Share your experience
Post on socials
Connect someone
Old photos
Email them
Follow the work
Who is behind this?
This effort is led by Boise Rising, with project execution through Boise Civic Development LLC. The Phase 1A study is being structured through a qualified nonprofit fiscal sponsor so charitable contributions can support the approved study scope. The work covers the full Table Rock landscape: summit, approach, trails, roads, access, safety, ownership, infrastructure, and long-term care.
Practical Details
Common Questions
Are you planning improvements?
Yes. The goal is to create the plan so Table Rock can be improved the right way. That could mean water, better signs, safer edges, cleaner paths, native plantings, places to sit, and small gathering areas that fit the site. Phase 1A funds the hard first step: maps, access research, site documentation, public materials, and coordination.
Is this about the cross?
No. This effort is about the whole Table Rock landscape: summit, approach, trails, roads, access, safety, ownership, infrastructure, and long-term care. The cross is part of the site’s existing public reality. Phase 1A is focused on understanding the full landscape responsibly before larger decisions are made.
Are donations tax-deductible?
Yes. Contributions are processed through our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Funds support the approved Table Rock Phase 1A scope.
Where does the money go?
Funds support Phase 1A: mapping, site documentation, access research, public materials, stakeholder preparation, and project coordination. This is the work that turns a beloved but fragmented place into a project serious enough for agencies, funders, and partners to act on. This does not fund construction. Any future improvements would require later approvals, funding, and formal study.
Who owns Table Rock?
Most of Table Rock is owned by the Idaho Department of Lands. Other parts involve smaller parcel owners, communications infrastructure, nearby public agencies, and access points that do not all line up neatly. That is why Phase 1A matters: it puts the ownership, access, infrastructure, and stewardship picture in one clear public place.
What happens if the full goal is not raised?
Funds go to the highest-priority work first: documentation, mapping, public materials, and coordination. Progress updates will show what has been completed, what remains, and what the next funding need is.
Community Voices
This effort is being shaped by early conversations with people who care about Table Rock, local history, public access, stewardship, and a clearer path forward.
Bill Mullane
VP, Foundation for Ada/Canyon Trail Systems
Byron Folwell
Architect
Clay Carley
Owner, Old Boise
Sam Blaine
President, Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association
Name 5
Descriptor
Name 6
Descriptor
Name 7
Descriptor
Name 8
Descriptor
Name 9
Descriptor
Listed names reflect early conversations or permission to be named. They do not imply endorsement of any future design or construction proposal.
Care or drift.
We can take deliberate action to care for Table Rock, or we can let it keep drifting. The choice is ours. Help start the work.