Sawtooth Botanical Garden Plans Late Season Outings

KETCHUM, Idaho (KLIX) – You’ve heard of wildflower walks, but how about big tree walks?

From 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 15, participants in one of the last trips of this year's Sawtooth Botanical Garden’s Wildflower Walk series will explore big trees in central Idaho.

The event features easy to moderate hikes in which participants will study and take measurements of trees that will be submitted to the Idaho Big Tree program run by the University of Idaho.

Just make sure you bring the right stuff: water, lunch, sunscreen, hat and sturdy walking shoes suitable for getting wet are recommended. Meet at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden, located at Highway 75 and Gimlet Road, about four miles south of Ketchum.

Don’t fret, after the big-tree event there’s one more outing scheduled this year in the Wildflower Walk Series. That date is Oct. 6, and its name, “Autumn Color,” is descriptive of the event. According to the Botanical Garden’s website,

Jim Rineholt, retired Sawtooth National Recreation Area forester, will lead participants to several top spots for fall color. He’ll talk about the influences that cause leaves to turn color and why leaves turn the color they do. An appropriate conclusion to this year’s successful wildflower walk series.

Both events are free. For more information or questions: 208-726-9358.