Heading west on East Warm Springs Avenue, you've probably passed Old Penitentiary Road dozens of times. If you're like most folks in Boise, you might have even turned in and taken a gander at the Idaho Botanical Garden or the Old Pen itself. What you might not know, if you're not intimate with the area, is that if you take the first left after turning onto Old Penitentiary Road and follow it all the way to the end, you'll find yourself at Quarry View Park.

The park sits on 11 acres leased from the State of Idaho to the City of Boise for 50 years. That was in 1983. No one really seems to know what happens when the lease is up in 2033, but I'm sure we all have more things to worry about before then. Important stuff, like Mayan calendars and who the next American Idol will be.

Included in the lease agreement was a stipulation that the land would be used for park development. I imagine that right next to that was the clause that the State of Idaho would not be held liable for any freaky/unimaginably horrifying stuff that might or might not happen during the next 50 years to anyone using said park. Remember that. We'll come back to the freaky part in a moment.

A real firetruck might be handier one day

Amazingly, the City bureaucracy managed to follow through and today we have a park complete with some wickedly fun play sets — one of those things has eight, yes eight, slides coming off it — a reservable covered shelter, bathrooms (hallelujah), a water fountain, walking paths, a large play field, swings, a basketball court, two tennis courts, and a great view of both Table Rock and Castle/Eagle Rock. Not too shabby.

The covered shelter is of the same odd wing-style as the one in Williams Park and it includes picnic tables and grill stands as well as a water fountain ready to help you douse the flames, oh lord of the lighter fluid.

Regardless of your age, there's plenty of stuff to keep you and the ankle-biters entertained for at least an hour or two depending on the length of attention span you're passing on to them. If your kids are anything like my rented four year old, you'll find yourself in negotiations about how much longer you'll let them play before leaving. My favorite is, "Can I have just one more minute, PLEASE?!?"

To which my reply is often, "You did. You just spent it whining at me."

Which is always followed closely by, "But I meant a different minute." Ah, kids.

Who wants to sit on cold concrete?

As always, the tennis courts may be reserved by contacting Boise Parks and Recreation at (208) 384-4486 and one court must be open for public use at all times.

Yes indeed, this park has everything; toys, big grassy areas, an ancient Indian burial site...wait, something in that list seemed odd. Remember the part that I told you to remember because we'd get back to it later? The part about possible freaky/unimaginably horrifying stuff occuring at some point? We're here.

The park is situated between two of Boise's most recognizeable natural landmarks, Table Rock and Castle/Eagle Rock. We're not the only ones that found those two formations pretty. Back in the day, the area around the park, now known as the gateway to Hell Castle Rock Reserve, included several geothermal hot springs that were well known to members of the Shoshone, Bannock, and Paiute Tribes, and probably anyone else within 15 miles that could see the steam rising off the pools on a cold day. Basically, the whole area was used as a day spa and started to be regarded as "holy". That's often not a word you want to have used in conjunction with your playground.

Wait, let's let the City of Boise tell this next part...from the Parks & Rec Web site: "The tribes of Duck Valley and Fort Hall Indian Reservations tribes report that the Castle/Eagle Rock area near the hot springs were once a healing, ritual and burial site for their ancestors." Healing, ritual, and burial. Burial? WTH? If you're a historical sort, go on and read this article from the Idaho Statesman Jan 22, 1893, that reports human remains were found in the Castle Rock area.

Obviously, the folks in charge in this state never saw the movie Poltegeist even though it was released in 1982, a year before the City leased the land. Zelda Rubinstein, Craig T. Nelson, and that annoying little girl that got sucked into the television can all tell you that it's not a good idea to do anything to a sacred burial site. Anything like develop one. Or Disturb one. Ever. So what do you do if you're the City of Boise and you get a hunk of land that you can't put a minimall on? Put a playground on it instead, regardless of the fact that most ten year olds would pull a Peter Griffin if they found an ancient skull.

Even the cornball Park & Rec Web site seems to be daring you with their final line about the Castle Rock area: "Listen closely and you may hear a faint whisper on the breeze saying... tread gently for you are on sacred ground."

If you didn't pack it in, don't pack it out. Or else.