A Sun Valley Insider’s Guide to Activities Beyond the Wood River Valley
BEYOND SUN VALLEY
You’ll be forgiven if your initial thought to this Sun Valley Insider’s Guide is, “Why would I want to do anything outside of the beautiful Wood River Valley?!” One answer is that Central Idaho is a recreational paradise, full of quiet two-lane highways and gravel/dirt backroads, hiking trails and unique landscapes, all begging for exploration. Getting off the beaten path and away from the Sun Valley “crowds” (such that they are) has many rewards, and this guide will attempt to share some of the less well-known places within about 80 miles in all directions of the Resort Core of Sun Valley and Ketchum. If you’ve got your own pockets of unknown Central Idaho that aren’t included in this guide, so much the better! After all, isn’t there something profoundly special about having a secret spot or two? So, plan a route (or don’t - you’re never very far from Sun Valley!), put together a picnic lunch and head out. There is a ton to see in our lovely part of the world!
From Trail Creek Road
MAP OF THINGS TO DO
(All locations are approximate)
NORTHWEST
Chipmunk Ski Area
1
Yankee Fork Road
Custer Ghost Town & Yankee Dredge
NORTHEAST
2 7
3 8
Smiley Creek Lodge
Mt. Borah
4 9
Atlanta Ghost Town
Trail Creek Road
5
10 Titus Lake Trail
11
Castle Rock Road Camas Prairie
12
13
Mackay & the Lost River Museum
6
17 Anderson Ranch Reservoir
Pashimeroi Valley
Soldier Mtn Ski Area
Blizzard Ski Area
Craters of the Moon Nat’l Monument
18
14 Shoshone & Mammoth Ice Caves Gooding City of Rocks
15
16
SOUTHWEST
SOUTHEAST
The diversions in every quadrant are presented north to south. EDITOR’S NOTE In no way does this brochure guarantee the quality, safety or even openness of roads, exhibits or things to do. It is incumbent on the explorer to do the appropriate research before setting out for the destinations in this guide.
NORTHWEST OF THE VALLEY Northwest of Sun Valley is Galena Summit, Redfish Lake, Stanley and the Sawtooth Mountains, all of which already get enough attention and visitors. So here are six lesserknown diversions not directly tied to the core of “America’s Alps,” as the Sawtooths are known.
Smiley Creek Lodge
1
Chipmunk Ski Area
2
Yankee Fork Road
3
Custer Ghost Town & The Yankee Dredge
You’re forgiven if you’ve never heard of this tiny operation outside of Challis. It’s not even “Mom & Pop”--more like “Aunt & Uncle!” Chipmunk claims the longest rope tow in the US, pulling skiers and snowboarders up 300 vertical feet. More info.
This is a 46-mile backroad that connects Challis to Sunbeam and Hwy 75 (a few miles east of Stanley). Navigable (though always check!) by a car, this road winds through wild scenery and passes through the Custer Ghost Town and Yankee Dredge (#3). Stop at the Sunbeam Cafe if it’s open, and the Sunbeam Hot Springs in the Salmon River will have you marveling at Idaho’s geothermal forces. More info.
Access the dredge and ghost town from Challis (#2), or take the more common approach from Hwy 75 at Sunbeam, east of Stanley, which is paved and only about 10 miles. Either way, you are in for a treat, as Custer is one of the most engaging ghost towns in the state. The Yankee Dredge is truly something to see as well. Both are testaments to the importance of mining in Idaho (The Gem State). More info.
Yankee Dredge Custer Ghost Town
4
Smiley Creek Lodge
5
Atlanta Ghost Town
6
Titus Lake
This is hardly a secret, but no trip over Galena Summit (which is only 29 miles from downtown Ketchum) to Stanley is complete without a stop at Smiley Creek Lodge. The food is delicious, and there are maps and food and gear and the shakes are great! There is a small airfield across the highway from the lodge. And you can rent snowmobiles from the lodge in the winter. More info. Another ghost town that owes its existence to mining, Atlanta is one of the most remote towns in the entire West. Unless you have true backcountry transportation (like dirt bikes), Atlanta is only accessible from the Boise side. More info. If you’re looking for a quick, close, and not-too-demanding outing to a mountain lake, Titus Lake fills the bill. Parking for the trailhead is just south of Galena Summit; cross the highway to get to the trailhead and the 1.5-mile hike goes up and then goes down to the tiny lake. For more adventure, find the headwaters of the Big Wood River just south of the trailhead, on the same side as the trail. More info.
Yankee Fork Road
Titus Lake
Atlanta Ghost Town
NORTHEAST OF THE VALLEY It’s truly a different world out there, with stark mountains (the highest in the state), hardly any people, and hundreds of miles of backroads and trails. Due to the lack of towns, there aren’t a ton of diversions to recommend, other than to just get over to that part of the state and explore it!
Trail Creek Road
7
Pahsimeroi Valley
8
Mt. Borah
If you are looking for stark and unspoiled beauty, the Pahsimeroi (“Pa-sim-er-oy”) Valley is calling your name. The valley runs Northwest-Southeast, between Hwy 93 and Hwy 28; the Lost River Range is on one side of you, and the Lemhi Mountains on the other. The main town is May, and while there’s not much to do there, several different backroads crisscross the valley. Again, the main attraction to this valley is the unmatched solitude you’ll experience. More info. The highest point in the state, at 12,662’, Borah should not be hiked by the faint-of-heart or out-of-shape. The trail climbs over 5000 feet in just under 5 miles. Translation: IT IS A HARD HIKE. But imminently doable, as the 4000+/- hikers per year can attest. It doesn’t require climbing equipment, and can be done in 6-10 hours provided you get an early (by dawn) start to hedge against mountain weather. More info.
Lost River Range
Trail Creek Road and the Big Lost River
9
Trail Creek Road
Trail Creek Road leaves Sun Valley (Sun Valley Road turns into Trail Creek) heading Northeast. After a few paved miles, it transforms into a steep, somewhat narrow, and sometimes exposed road that takes you three slow miles up to Trail Creek Summit. Passenger cars are certainly fine, but you’ll want to take it slow. Once you crest the summit, you’ll feel like checking your GPS to ensure that you aren’t suddenly in Tierra del Fuego - the landscape truly feels like a different world. There are so many hikes and lakes and backroads and campsites off of Trail Creek Road and along the Big Lost River, you could spend a lifetime back there. For the purposes of this guide, the road itself is the attraction. After about an hour (if you don’t stop) you’ll spit out onto Hwy 93, with Challis and Salmon to the North and Mackay and Arco to the South. Either direction allows for a loop back to the Wood River Valley. More info.
10 Mackay & the Lost River Museum
The town of Mackay (“Mack-ey”), whose population is under 1000, is home to a delightful museum, as well as the jumping off point for adventures on the Mackay Reservoir and the Lost River. More info.
SOUTHWEST OF THE VALLEY Like the Northeast and Southeast sections of this guide, the Southwest quadrant has a very small population, but offers some diversion that you don’t find anywhere else. Namely rocks and caves! Hwy 20, the primary route to Boise that locals use frequently, is the jumping off point for all of these activities; it’s amazing how many cool things there are to do this close to the busy artery to Boise!
Castle Rock Road
11 Anderson Ranch Reservoir
A place where you can do just about everything, from fishing, water skiing, hiking, and camping. Fairly easy to get to, just a few miles off of Hwy 20. More info.
12 Soldier Mountain Ski Area
A year-round destination for skiers, snowmobilers, and now mountain bikers (thanks to trail installation over the last couple of years). Soldier gets a ton of snow, and offers 1421 vertical feet of terrain. Cat skiing opportunities right from the mountain, too! The town of Fairfield has a charming main street. More info.
13 Castle Rock Road
A super fascinating off-road adventure, Castle Rock Road winds through rock formations known as hoodoos. All the backroads in this area, between Camas Reservoir and Hill City, are worth exploring, provided your vehicle has good clearance. Castle Rock Road connects to Hwy 20 on High Prairie Rd, so it’s not an out-and-back, no matter which direction you go! More info.
Anderson Reservoir
14 Camas Prairie
In the months of May and June, the Camas Prairie (typically) erupts in a lush bed of pink and purple colors, thanks to the endemic Camas Lily flower. A dirt road horseshoes through the Centennial Marsh Wildlife Management Area, allowing visitors to view the explosion of flowers and birds. More info.
Camas Prairie
15 Shoshone & Mammoth Ice Caves
These two different cave systems are just off of Hwy 75, between the blinking light at Hwy 20 and Shoshone. Tours at the Shoshone Cave will take you 100 feet deep into the earth, while the Mammoth Cave also features a natural history museum. More Shoshone info. More Mammoth info.
16 Gooding Little City of Rocks
If you like rocks and wandering through gulleys and canyons, then pack a lunch and lots of water, and head to Gooding City of Rocks (not to be confused with the larger City of Rocks southeast of Twin Falls). A truly alien landscape that will make you wish you studied geology in school! More info.
Gooding City of Rocks
SOUTHEAST OF THE VALLEY
If you thought it was sparse and unpopulated in the Northeast quadrant, the Southeast section will lower that bar and then some! While it’s not in this guide, the Idaho National Laboratories has labs in this area, and Arco was the first town in the US to be run on atomic energy. In other words, historically speaking, the US government has taken advantage of the dearth of people in this part of the state.
Craters of the Moon
17 Blizzard Ski Area
Who knew? Outside of Arco, home to Pickle’s Restaurant and Number Rock, is Blizzard Mountain Ski Hill. Another Mom & Pop affair, Blizzard has a Poma lift and is open sporadically. More info.
18 Craters of the Moon National Monument
Prepare to truly feel like you’ve gone interstellar at Craters of the Moon, between Carey and Arco on Hwy 20. Hiking, exploring, camping--there are a lot of options here. More info.
Craters of the Moon
OTHER IDAHO RESOURCES Atlas Obscura
The Outbound
Visit Idaho
Idaho Fish & Game
Outdoor Project
Visit Sun Valley
THE NAME TO TRUST FOR REAL ESTATE AND ALL THINGS IDAHO
Gooding City of Rocks
208.726.3411 | info@bhhssunvalley.com