The Wood River Trail aka “the bike path” runs over 20 miles between the Wood River Valley from Bellevue up to Sun Valley. The area encompassing Ketchum and Sun Valley is full of unique and historical sights, all easily viewed in a day by foot, bike, or any other way you choose to explore the bike path! We’ve put together a Sun Valley bike path sightseeing tour guide with all of the must-see spots along the scenic byway. There are a number of ways to go about this sightseeing tour. We’ll leave the navigation up to you! Spur Sculpture Located just off the bike path between St. Luke’s hospital and Ketchum, John Grade’s sculpture Spurwas commissioned in 2016 by the Sun Valley Center for the Arts with significant support from the City of Ketchum as part of a larger project celebrating Craters of the Moon National Monument during the 2016 National Park Service Centennial. Spurwas located at Craters during that summer before relocating to its current long-term site. Based in Seattle, artist John Grade visited Craters of the Moon several times before beginning work on Spur. He was fascinated by the park’s extraordinary geology, and using a technology called LIDAR, he digitally mapped …
Dog-Friendly Guide to Sun Valley & Ketchum
Bobby and Alli here, from Traveling Newlyweds! When you think of Sun Valley you probably immediately think of skiing, epic scenery, award-winning restaurants and friendly locals. At least, that’s what we always think of! We’d always heard people say that Sun Valley is dog-friendly, but we had never thought of bringing our pup with us. This summer we decided bite the bullet and let our big, sassy fur ball named Sally come with us to Sun Valley… and see if it REALLY is as dog friendly as we’d heard. Let’s just say it blew our expectations out of the park! (Dog park, if you will.) Here’s our Dog-Friendly guide to Sun Valley, because if you have a dog, you have to bring them with you. End of story. Stay The Limelight Hotel We can’t rave about this new hotel enough. Located right in the heart of Ketchum, The Limelight is modern, classy, and unbelievably dog friendly! From the goodies they give you at check-in (frisbee, treats, water bowl, etc.) to the dog-friendly lobby (the human food is amazing – and your pet will feel like a VIP!), it really is something special. We didn’t want to leave! Knob Hill Inn On past …
Where To Eat, Sleep & Explore In Ketchum & Sun Valley
Idaho Inspired Hemingway And It Inspired Me I drove from Idaho to Montana and unbeknownst to me took one of the most scenic drives of my entire life. I drove alongside the Salmon River and followed it all the way into Montana. With the sound of the river following next to me, birds chirping above me and mountains protruding into the sky I felt like I was in a dream. With each turn I took it was like I was driving further into heaven. I remember saying to myself several times, “wow this is amazing”. It felt so surreal and I am so glad that I took the time to drive along this beautiful route which I would have never in a million years have decided to do if I was just visiting for a long weekend. EAT Pioneer Saloon: When you head to Ketchum you will hear about a famous restaurant which has become a staple of the area. It’s famous for its western theme and even has a gun previously owned by Ernest Hemingway. Not only is this placed filled with history and wildly thematic but it serves DELICIOUS food. It’s primarily known for its steaks …
The Wood River is Not Your Typical YMCA
It’s Fun to Visit Our YMCA! Much like everything else in our small mountain town, our local YMCA is not your average gym; it’s not even an average YMCA where typically concrete abounds and people are looking to get in and get out rather than stay a day. The Wood River YMCA is so much more than just a gym, it’s a community center, an activity hub, and a truly integral part of life in the Valley. Whether it’s working out and doing group classes, catching free screenings of movies, giving kids an area for after-school, or learning new gardening skills, the YMCA offers more than just dumbbells and yoga mats. What They Offer Opened in late 2007, the YMCA has been offering family-friendly workouts, equipment and more for over 10 years in the Valley. The gym itself is open Monday through Friday from 6am-8pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10am-6pm. During that time, access to the upstairs gym is always available where you’ll find a mix of cardio machines including elliptical, treadmill, stair master, erg machine, and stationary bikes. Strength training machines are set up for easy transitioning between sets and there is a dedicated space for free weights and benches. Yoga mats …
Summer Day Trip to Stanley
The town of Stanley, Idaho is nicknamed the “Trailhead to Idaho Adventure,” for all all of the right reasons. Boasting a host of awe-inspiring mountain bike trails, splash ready whitewater rapids, high alpine lakes, and jagged mountain views are just a few traits that make this place stand out. It’s close-proximity to Sun Valley makes for an ideal must-see day trip destination. We’ve put together a collection of our top things to do on your trip over the hill. Sunrise Drive Over Galena Summit Stanley is a quick 60 mile drive north of Sun Valley over Galena Summit with awe-inspiring views the entire ride. I prefer to start the drive just before sunrise to catch the first morning light beaming across the valley from the pull out overlooking Galena Peak. Breakfast at the Stanley Bakery Ask anyone where to eat in Stanley and the answer consistently is the Stanley Bakery. After the sunrise drive into the basin, stop by for a famous cinnamon roll, coffee, and Bear /breakfast Bowl. As your food is prepared, ask the owner Tim about his legendary ski lines in the Sawtooths. He’s one of the few people to have skied “The Shield” of Horstmann Peak. Before making moves …
Sun Valley, Idaho’s Music Scene
While days in Ketchum can be filled with an assortment of recreational activities the nights belong to live music. Ketchum has a vibrant music scene that truly has something for everyone, from late night rock jams to summer evenings filled with orchestras and everything in between. With the warm summer breezes come the sounds of live music throughout the valley. Time honored events such as Ketch’em Alive, the Sun Valley Summer Symphony and Jazz in the Park are family and picnic friendly. Along with musicians popping up on the decks, porches and parking lots of local watering holes, summer music events are looked forward to by visitors and locals while venues up and down the valley keep us on our feet all year long. The Favorites Sponsored by the City of Ketchum, Ketch’em Alive, a local favorite, takes place every Tuesday at the Forest Service Park downtown from June to August, showcasing a variety of music by local and national musicians including rock, pop, Americana, bluegrass, neo-soul and reggae. In July and August, the Sun Valley Summer Symphony presents internationally renowned artists and ensembles. Soak up some culture under the beautiful pavilion or out on the lawn where you can listen amongst the summer sunset. Sun Valley Concert …
Behind the Scenes: Making the Summer in Sun Valley Hyperlapse Video
Endless hours were put in to creating the Sun Valley summer hyperlapse video. Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what it took to create this mere 4-minute piece highlighting summer in Sun Valley, Idaho.
The Refinement of the Rad: Why Sun Valley is the Best Place to Learn
Like many other ski towns, Sun Valley boasts a high expert-per-capita ratio when it comes to all things outdoor recreation. Walk into any given bar to encounter three ski movie stars, one insta famous rock climber, and a handful of Olympic gold medalists. The defining factor of Sun Valley locals, however, is that most folks are not all that pretentious about their expertise. Take this example. One of my friends came to town without knowing how to ski. On his first day on the mountain, a new acquaintance offered to teach him some tricks and proceeded to spend the entire day helping him pizza and french fry down Baldy’s most mellow slopes. A week later, my friend attended a local showing of a ski movie only to discover footage of his humble instructor smashing graceful lines on the world’s tallest peaks. “I had no idea he was a professional skier,” my buddy told me. “I can’t believe I spent eight hours snow plowing with a professional skier.” Like I said, as ratios go, we have a high expert per capita, low ego per expert. But what about us non-experts? What about our egos? When I first came to Sun Valley, …
Tour de Suds: Sun Valley’s Bike-to-Brewery Tour
Bikes and beers go together like bacon and eggs, Batman and Robin, or hot summer days and ice cream cones. Like most ski town dwellers, Sun Valleyites have a penchant for cold brews, especially after a long, hot bike ride in one of the surrounding five mountain ranges. Sun Valley and the surrounding areas offer a plethora of places to quench a hard-earned thirst with local beers. So grab your bike and make your own Strava segment to and from these thirst-quenching locales. For the ultimate tour de suds, we suggest starting in Ketchum and making your way to Hailey.
2018 Summer Concert Playlist
Take the confusion out of the 2018 Sun Valley summer concert line-up with our playlist of the musicians coming to town!