SUN VALLEY What to Do in the Summer
Sun Valley started as the country’s first Winter Wonderland. Now, locals will tell you they came for the winter, but stayed for the summer. This guide will help you decide what to do, whether you are looking for the best festivals and events, some rigorous outdoor recreation, or spots where you don’t have to do much of anything at all! We are blessed to have so many activities. Here is just a smattering of the things you can do and visit. • • • • • •
Hiking Fishing Horse Riding Mountain Biking Motor Sports Water Adventures
• • • • •
Parks Golf Camping Other Diversions (And don’t forget looking at real estate!)
SUN VALLEY
it’s all right here!
hiking There are hundreds and hundreds of miles of trails in the Wood River Valley Here are six of our favorite trails, all accessible within just a few miles from Sun Valley, Ketchum or Hailey. River Run Trail | River Run/Bald Mountain Base in Ketchum Proctor Mountain Loop | Fairway Drive Trailhead in Sun Valley Pioneer Cabin | Pioneer Cabin Trailhead off Trail Creek Road Adam’s Rib | Adams Gulch Trailhead North of Ketchum Cow Creek | Greenhorn Trailhead South of Ketchum Carbonate Mountain Trail | Trailhead is just across the river in Hailey This is just a start. Go out any of the canyon roads and you’ll find more trails. Or head north from Ketchum to the Sawtooth Basin and feast on the White Clouds, Sawtooths, and more. The possibilities for hiking are truly endless.
BCRD Trails | Sawtooth Hikes | VisitSunValley Hiking Guide BHHS Insider’s Guide
On the Big Wood River alone, there are over 25 designated public fishing spots. This is just the beginning. We have mountain lakes galore, world-famous Silver Creek, Warm Springs and Trail Creeks, and more. Many locals will tell you that the fishing is even better over Trail Creek Pass in the Big Lost River, or in the Salmon on the other side of Galena Summit. You really can’t go wrong. The best strategy is to stop by one of the many fishing and outfitting shops in the valley to talk with experts and even set up a guided trip. Just be aware that the fish in our waters are pretty smart, so you need to bring your A(ngler’s) game.
Picabo Angler | Lost River Outfitters Fly Fishing Report | VisitSunValley Fishing Guide
fishing
horse riding Whether you’re an old cowhand or thinking about getting on a horse for the first time, there are plenty of options for riders of all levels. Sun Valley offers guided rides within the city limits, and just 20 miles north you can get outfitted by Galena Outfitters for short, medium, or long rides in the Smoky Mountains. Other options include private ranches and outfitting services north and south of the area. There are also many equestrian facilities in the valley, some of which have introductory lessons available. And finally, you can donate time at Swiftsure Ranch in Bellevue, which offers therapeutic riding for youth with disabilities.
Sun Valley Stables | Galena Lodge Riding Mystic Saddle Ranch | VisitSunValley Horse Riding Guide
Sun Valley has everything a mountain biker could ever want. Purpose-built flow trails; long single-track trails in the mountains; steep climbs that put you on the roof of the world; mellow parks perfect for beginners and kids; winding canyon dirt roads that take you miles and miles from anywhere. Here are a few local’s favorites. Bald Mountain Trails | River Run/Bald Mountain Base in Ketchum Corral Creek | Boundary Campground Trailhead on Trail Creek Road Galena Trails | Galena Lodge, 20 miles north of Ketchum on Hwy 75 Adams Gulch Trails | Adams Gulch Trailhead North of Ketchum Croy Canyon Trails | Croy Creek Trailhead 4 miles west of Hailey White Clouds Trails | White Clouds Trailhead on Sun Valley Road As you would expect, we have many many bike shops to help you with gear, bikes, planning a route, and more. It is truly a biking mecca here!
MTB Project | Elephant’s Perch | Sturtevants | Backwoods Mtn Sports
mountain biking
motor sports
The Wood River Valley has so many backcountry roads that spur off of our main Hwy 75, with unlimited potential for exploring. Just listening to the names will get anyone’s motor running:
Phantom Gulch East Fork Townsend Gulch Fox Creek Quigley
Panther Gulch Cove Creek Lee’s Gulch Muldoon Canyon Dollarhide Summit
Silver Lake Indian Creek Greenhorn Gulch Slaughterhouse Canyon Rock Creek
So, bring your own toys or call one of our local motor sports businesses and go gobble up some miles and see some land!
Woodside Motorsports | Ryan’s Mountain Rentals | US Forest Service Site
Even though Central Idaho is considered High Desert, there is an astonishing amount of water in the area. From the Big Wood River (which created our valley) to smaller creaks to the hundreds of lakes in the Sawtooth Basin, we are counter-intuitively a very wet place. You can rent SUPs, kayaks and canoes and float tubes locally for use in the valley, or head over Galena Summit and enjoy water skiing, jet skiing, and other faster pursuits on Redfish and Alturas Lakes. Magic Lake is just 40 miles south. And the Salmon and Payette Rivers are known the world over for their white water and multiday float trips. You really can’t go wrong.
White Otter Adventures | VisitSunValley Water Guide | Redfish Lake
water adventures
parks It should come as no surprise that a community so dedicated to a healthy and happy lifestyle has so many parks within our cities’ limits. Many of these are just quiet little spaces, perfect for reading a book or having a small picnic. Others are more built out with barbecue stands and covered tables. Here are a few of the best places in the valley to enjoy an hour or two away from the hustle of the city streets. Lucy Loken Park | Off Walnut and First St in Ketchum Hop Porter Park | Giant park off Bullion in Hailey Old Cutters Park | In Hailey at Old Cutters Town Square Park | Smack dab in the middle of Ketchum, behind Starbucks Hailey Skatepark | South end of Main St in Hailey, by the Rodeo Grounds Draper Preserve | Along the Big Wood River in Hailey Howard Preserve | Along the Big Wood River in Bellevue
Ketchum Parks | Hailey Parks
We have five public and private golf courses in the Wood River Valley. Three are connected to the Sun Valley Resort, and all offer varying challenges and views of the valley and surrounding mountains. There is even a giant putting green at the Sun Valley Clubhouse, which is large enough to offer its own type of “round of golf.”
Sun Valley Courses | Bigwood Golf Course The Valley Club (Private) | VisitSunValley Golf Guide
golf
camping
It is almost embarrassing how many campsites and unofficial places there are in our valley and beyond to park a camper or pitch a tent. Idaho is one of the most campingfriendly states in the country, and Sun Valley’s approach outdoes the states. There are signs that politely inform you “Camping Limit 16 days”! Here are some of the best places to go for a night or four. Easley Campground | 8 miles north of Ketchum Federal Gulch Campground | Out East Fork 9 miles Croy Canyon | Drive west and just find a place to park! Redfish Lake | As pretty as it gets, but lots of others think so too Park Creek Campground | Just past the Trail Creek Summit
VisitSunValley Camping Guide | Sawtooth National Forest Recreation.gov
The preceding pages are only a hint at what you can do in the Sun Valley area. And while we are certainly going to miss some of our awesome events and gatherings this summer, perhaps this guide can help, Here are some other things to do, all within a two hour drive of our beloved Wood River Valley. Enjoy! Of course, if you ever need some time away from all the recreation, you can always set up tours to see some real estate listings! Ice Skating | Craters of the Moon | Paragliding | Gooding City of Rocks Farmers’ Markets | Gravel & Road Biking | Ice Caves | Chapter One Bookstore Ketchum Museum | Iconoclast Books | Magic Lantern Cinema | Art Galleries Sawtooth Botanical Garden | Campion Ice Center | Hemingway Memorial Gun Ranges | The Community Library | Hot Springs | Shoshone Falls Bowling | Little Wood Reservoir | Ghost Towns | SNRA | Real Estate!
other diversions
SUN VALLEY it’s all right here