JR’s Park on Simplot Hill: Cultivating Public Space and Continuing a Legacy
There’s an iconic hill in Boise, Idaho, off to your left as you head out of town up Bogus Basin Road. Known today as Simplot Hill, the storied property began as open grazing land for the Highlands Livestock Company. By the 1950s, real estate developer Richard B. Smith transformed this portion of the Boise foothills into The Highlands, Boise’s first suburban neighborhood.
In 1979, J.R. Simplot, one of the most influential figures in 20th‑century agriculture, built his family home on the hilltop. Along with the 7,300‑square‑foot residence, J.R. had a giant flagpole constructed that still commands attention from the valley below. For generations, the hillside became a beloved destination — famous for sliding down on ice blocks and enjoying the sweeping valley views.
J.R. and the Simplot Company he founded left a legacy that continues today, both through global agribusiness leadership and the philanthropic work of the Simplot Family Foundation.
A New Chapter: The Park Vision
In June 2024, the Simplot family partnered with Cushing Terrell to envision a 120‑acre community park on the historic property. At the outset, the design team anticipated that visitors would come primarily for walking and hiking, and that the design challenge would be to create engaging trails and points of interest.
But as the design process unfolded, a deeper narrative began to emerge.
One evening after a storm, the property owners observed two children sitting calmly on the large lawn, watching the weather roll in. This simple moment inspired a pivotal question: What draws people to this place — even in an approaching storm? What are they experiencing, seeking, or expressing by being here?
Coupled with years of informal observation, the design team began to understand that the lawn and hillside had already created a sense of identity. The park was becoming more than a place for walking and hiking — it was naturally becoming a place for gathering, watching, wondering, and connecting.
Phase one of the project includes a 26,000-square-foot tractor shed to house antique tractors, along with extensive landscaped areas around the building, which in subsequent project phases will lead to the trail network.
Designing a Landscape of Discovery
As the vision evolved, the concept of trails grew into a broader idea: creating pathways to meaningful experiences. The design balances native foothill ecology with curated, manicured spaces that invite visitors to pause, reflect, play, and explore.
The park is imagined as a canvas — one that reveals the natural landscape while giving visitors space to interpret, interact, and discover where they fit within it.
Park features will celebrate creativity, ingenuity, arts, culture, history, and the natural environment, creating a multi‑layered experience that honors the property’s past while inspiring future generations.
Hard and soft-scape landscape features, along with art installations and antique tractor displays, will create an environment that encourages both contemplation and discovery.
First Phase: Honoring Innovation
Implementation will unfold in four phases, each highlighting human ingenuity and creativity. Phase one focuses on establishing the foundational elements, including:
- A 26,000‑square‑foot tractor shed to house J.R. Simplot’s antique tractor collection
- A surrounding outdoor plaza with permeable pavers to conserve water
- An amphitheater for community gatherings
- Initial segments of the trail system, connecting the park entry to the Tractor Shed
- A landscape design blending native restoration with manicured park spaces
- Parking areas interspersed with native plants and trees to provide shade
These early experiences will welcome visitors into a setting that celebrates both nature and innovation — reflecting the agricultural heritage that shapes the Simplot legacy.
Visitors to JR’s Park will enjoy spaces that transition from indoors to outdoors with seating and interesting features throughout.
Future Phases: A Place of Surprise and Delight
Across future phases, the park will integrate:
- Art installations
- Expanded trail system tied to strategic overlooks
- Cozy nooks and rest areas
- Water features
- Creative play elements
- An Innovation Center
- Expanded museum and field house spaces demonstration grounds
- A hilltop pavilion with panoramic Boise River Valley views
These elements will infuse whimsy, wonder, and discovery throughout the site, creating a dynamic and memorable destination for the community and visitors alike.
Green space with an emphasis on native, drought-tolerant plantings will be prevalent among trails and outdoor seating areas to provide shade and respite.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Project
“Working with the Simplot Family Foundation to create the overall vision and master plan — and helping bring it to life through our multidisciplinary design services — has been incredibly rewarding. It’s a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity as a landscape architecture professional,” said Angela Hansen, Cushing Terrell project manager and landscape architect.
This evolving public amenity will continue the legacy of Simplot Hill, welcome the local community and serve as a destination for visitors from across the region and beyond.
