Barber Park Hours: Season Dates, Shuttle & Parking Times

Barber Park runs on two clocks: the park gates, which follow the sun, and the floater services — shuttles, rentals and the parking kiosk — which run to published season schedules. This page collects the current times in one place and flags the one figure that has to be confirmed by phone. The 2026 float season has ended; the dates below are what ran this year, alongside what the county has and has not announced for next season.

🌅 Park hours: gates close at sunset

The one figure that is consistent across every official page is the close: the main entrance gate into Barber Park is locked at sunset, and the main exit gate stays accessible so late arrivals can still drive out with their vehicle. Plan your float backwards from that — a full run down the river takes about two to three hours, so an afternoon start leaves little room for error.

The opening time is less settled. Ada County's own pages have listed different morning openings for the park, so treat first-light arrivals as unconfirmed and check before you drive out. The park information line, 208-577-4584, is the fastest way to confirm the day's opening time and any last-minute closures.

Because the gate runs on sunset rather than a fixed clock, the usable day shrinks sharply at the edges of the year: expect the park to close in the late afternoon in December and not until well after 9 p.m. at the height of summer. The weather planning guide covers what those shorter days mean for a visit.

📅 2026 float season dates

Ada County Parks & Waterways and the City of Boise opened the 2026 float season on Saturday, June 20, and it ran 80 days, closing on Monday, September 7 (Labor Day). From Tuesday, September 8, all floater services at Barber Park — rentals, shuttles and the fee kiosk — stopped for the season. The river and the park remain open for walking and wildlife viewing; only the floating operation shuts down.

🚌 Shuttle hours and frequency (2026)

The float shuttle runs the return leg of the trip: you float from Barber Park down to Ann Morrison Park, then ride back. In 2026 the fare was $5 per person, one way, boarding at Ann Morrison Park.

Day	Service hours	Departure frequency
Monday–Friday	Noon – 9 p.m.	Every hour, on the hour
Weekends & holidays	11 a.m. – 9 p.m.	About every 20 minutes

Those figures come from Ada County's official 2026 Floater Guide. The shuttle operator's own website lists slightly wider hours — 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays with weekend and holiday service from 10 a.m. — and describes departures as "every 20–30 minutes." Because the two sources disagree by an hour at each end, confirm the day's first and last bus on 208-577-4584 if you are timing a tight connection. See the shuttle guide for boarding points and payment details.

🚣 Tube and raft rental hours (2026)

Rental hours tracked the shuttle, opening later on weekdays than on weekends:

• Monday–Friday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Weekends & holidays: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Rental period: all rentals are for three hours

Advertised 2026 rates ran from a single tube at $19 through a 4-person raft at $75 and a kayak at $50 to a 6-person raft at $85. Note that the shuttle only runs one way — back to Barber Park from Ann Morrison — so there is no bus at the end of the float if you launch from Barber Park itself. Full equipment details are on the tube rental page.

🚗 Parking fees and kiosk hours

Parking is charged per vehicle per day at $7, with a $0.50 convenience fee when you pay by card. The fee kiosk keeps floating-season hours:

• Monday–Friday: 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Sunday & holidays: 9:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.

The kiosk gate into the fee parking area is locked at 7:30 p.m., but the exit gate out of the fee area stays available until sunset — which is why the parking closing time and the park closing time differ. When the lot and adjoining field fill completely, the gate is locked for the day, though buses are still allowed in to drop off and pick up. More on lots and overflow in the parking guide and parking logistics pages.

☎️ Office hours and contact

The Barber Park office operates Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., closed on legal holidays, at 4049 S. Eckert Rd., Boise, ID 83716. For seasonal schedule questions, the float information line is 208-577-4584. (Ada County's main administration number, 208-577-4575, is a different line — don't confuse the two.) You can also reach out through the contact page.

🛶 The float itself: length and time

The run from Barber Park to Ann Morrison Park covers roughly six miles and takes about two to three hours at a relaxed pace. Idaho law requires children 14 and younger to wear a life jacket, and rentals include vests — details on the life vest page. First-timers should read the floating guide or the complete Boise River floating guide before setting a departure time, since the float length is what determines whether you finish before the gates lock.

⏰ Before you go: what to confirm

Official sources for the times above: Ada County's Float the Boise River page and Barber Park page, the City of Boise's end-of-season announcement, and floattheboise.org. Shuttle details are cross-checked against the operator, Boise River Raft & Tube.