BANKS, Idaho — Banks is known as the center of the universe for whitewater enthusiasts as it serves as the put-in for the most popular rafting stretch in our region, the Main Fork of the Payette.
This summer, Banks has also served as the take-out for boaters coming down the South Fork and the North Fork of the Payette.
On weekends, the parking lot at Banks fills up, making it difficult to find a spot, and some boaters have been parking illegally on the Banks Grade, causing headaches for the people who live up there.
"I think everyone is frustrated," said Burgess Norgard, a frequent kayaker in this area. " I think some of the local residents, kayakers, and the recreationalists all think the same about the pressures here, and it is frustrating."
Overall, boaters appreciate the Boise National Forest's improvements for the boat ramp at Banks, but they also tell us there are fewer parking spots when they painted the lines on the new parking lot.
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In addition to the diminished parking, an alternate pullout commonly used by kayakers on the other side of the river is now blocked off.
In a previous story, we interviewed representatives with the US Forest Service and they told us that approximately 2,600 people visited this area on July 4, 2024 alone.
"It seems more challenging [than ever] to find a spot without having to end up on Highway 55 or someplace less safe then the Banks parking lot," added Norgard.
The pullout commonly known as "Free Banks" now has a guardrail blocking potential access.
The Idaho Transportation Department installed the guardrail when they put in the new signal light at Banks this past spring.
"It's all dealing with safety with the traffic signal up now," said John Tomlinson of ITD. "It just makes it impossible for anybody that is parking there to be able to get in and out and safely navigate that intersection."
That pull-out helped separate the rafters from kayakers because kayakers don't need a ramp to get in or out of the river. Now everyone is parking at the lot in Banks, and it gets really busy— especially on the weekends.
As a result, boaters are often illegally parking on the Banks Grade heading out of the parking lot.
Both sides of the road have no parking signs, and this past week, the Boise County Sheriff's Office issued a warning that parking there could come at the cost of a $116 ticket.
It's a difficult situation because parking is only an issue in the summer, and there isn't much room in the canyon for anything besides the river and the road.
Norgard said that he would like to see ITD hand over its maintenance lot to add more parking, but I've learned that the land in question is owned by the Boise National Forest.
"I think that is possibly the best solution because there is only so much land between the rivers," explained Norgard. "Right now, on a weekend, you really [have to] think about getting up here early to get a spot."
The gravel pull-out at Free Banks won't open up anytime soon, but the Idaho Transportation Department is working on a plan to improve the intersection.
"The tentative plan is to widen the bridges on Highway 55 and also widen the local bridge on the west side, so that way we would have a network," said Tomlinson. "We would have some turn lanes and we would have some through lanes."
Tomlinson also told us that until the end of July, people can submit their opinions on any ITD project across the state. Click here to access that.
"We have all of our projects that we have planned for the next seven years," said Tomlinson. "We really do take those [comments] seriously, we read every single comment, we respond to every single comment, and we would love to hear from you."
