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Bucket List, Fall

How to Fall in Love with Fall in Sun Valley: A Bucket List

This is your guide for how to Fall in Love with Fall in Sun Valley, Idaho. From hiking to leaf peeping see why this is the best kept secret season.

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Bucket List, Camping, Summer

Rafting the Rivers around Sun Valley

Rafting on any of the numerous sections of rivers surrounding the Sun Valley area can be the experience of a lifetime. Taking in the beauty of Idaho from the swirling waters of its beautiful rivers is truly a unique experience to our area. Several local outfitters offer single or multi-day river trips for rafters or kayakers, complete with nights around the campfire and food fresh from the Dutch-oven. There are plenty of half- and full-day rafting opportunities in the Sun Valley area and the gentle but exhilarating rapids on the day-stretches of the Salmon River are perfect for families looking for a little excitement. Half and Full day trips A short one-hour drive from Sun Valley, rafting on the Salmon in Stanley offers fresh air and pristine canyon water. Multiple companies offer various sections of the Main Salmon River, for a span of abilities in both kayak and rafts. From mellow stretches for the family all the way up to spring high water class IV rapids there is a trip for you and an outfitter to make it an unforgettable experience. Multi Day Trips Idaho is home to some of the most premier multi-day stretches in the country. The crown jewel …

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Bucket List, Rentals, Skiing & Snowboarding, Winter

Complete Guide to Cross-Country Skiing Sun Valley

Each winter, at the first hint of snow, local Nordic skiers pull out their gear and anxiously await the inaugural groom of the season. From the first pass of the snowcat in early winter until the trails disappear in spring’s warmth, stoke runs high. These long-time skiers know what many others are about to find out—that cross-country skiing is a great way to explore the mountains, clear the mind, and, especially this year, socially distance. While the pandemic may be partially responsible for this year’s meteoric rise in the sport’s popularity, cross-country skiing’s roots run deep in Sun Valley. Over 200 kilometers of Nordic ski trails wind through the Sun Valley area from Hailey in the south to Galena Lodge, tucked in the Boulder Mountains north of Ketchum. Our world-class trails are not only a destination for skiers from around the globe but are also the United States’ only designated cross-country skiing Olympic and Paralympic training site. Exploring Sun Valley’s Nordic scene for the first time can get a little overwhelming, but we’re here to help. In this guide, we give you the 411 on everything from where to ski to who can help you get the right gear. See …

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Bucket List, Skiing & Snowboarding, Winter

Idaho Winter Vacation

An Idaho winter ski vacation is certainly a bucket list item for anyone. Names like “Aspen” or “Vail” may be more familiar to some, but Idaho’s ski resorts are known for tons of powder, minimal lift lines, and plenty of small-town charm. There are many small ski hills across the state, but the four listed below are the heavy hitters in terms of the best spots to visit for your winter vacay. Whether you’ve visited Idaho before and are looking to try out a different resort or it’s your first visit, these are the must-visit Idaho winter destinations. Bogus Basin As Boise’s ski resort, Bogus Basin is certainly the easiest resort to reach with the most options for places to stay and other, near-by activities. Founded in 1942, Bogus Basin is an accessible, family-friendly resort which receives between 200 and 250 inches of snow each season. At just 16 miles from downtown Boise, you can wake up and be on the slopes within the hour, ready to experience all Bogus Basin’s 2,600 acres of terrain has to offer. The 1,800-vertical-foot mountain is open for year-round recreation, but for the winter you’ll be enticed by downhill skiing as well as 37km …

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Arts & Culture, Bucket List, Wellness

Sun Valley: A Spiritual Vortex

There’s a certain magnetism to Sun Valley, a pull that draws in people from all walks of life. People come to vacation here for a few days and decide to move here. Celebrities, athletes, chefs, artists, and all manner of passionate people are drawn to this special place. The reason, according to Life Purpose Shaman, the owner of the Crystal Healing Room in Ketchum, is a positive energy vortex at the center of Sun Valley which she discovered 25 years ago. Shaman has had 30-plus years of experience healing, including receiving mentoring from Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and the Dalai Lama. Shaman explains how and why she came to Sun Valley and the impact of the vortex on the energy of our town and its inhabitants. What originally brought you to Sun Valley? Shaman: Over 25 years ago, I actually saw a vision of the energy and vibration that’s in Sun Valley. I am an intuitive, spiritual healer who connects with the vibration or frequency of the earth’s vortexes. Since I was very young, I’ve studied with many different shamans and healers and spiritual leaders because of my abilities. When I had this vision, I knew it was …

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Bucket List, Skiing & Snowboarding, Winter

Southern Idaho Skiing & Snowboarding Road Trip

The Powder Highway or the Powder Pilgrimage might be headline worthy ski road trips, but the little known Southern Idaho Ski Road Trip is a hidden gem. Idaho has 18 resorts of all sizes and snowpacks spread across its expansive mountain ranges but down south is the coveted loop. Circling the Snake River plain this road trip stops by the 6 best mountains that offer everything you could want in a ski road trip with easily accessible mountains paired with reasonably safe roads. These 6 resorts offer up everything that skiing has to offer all in one convinet loop. Bogus Basin Right outside of Boise is this non-profit mountain that offers up 2,600 acres and a vertical drop of 1,790ft serviced by 7 chairlifts and 4 magic carpets. Bogus Basin has been operating for 78 years and still holds some of that homegrown vibe, but still provides a modern experience with some of the best night skiing in the state and a newly installed mountain coaster. Soldier Mountain Many thousands of skiers drive by the town of Fairfield, Idaho on their way to Sun Valley without even knowing there is a great little ski hill tucked away in the mountains to …

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Bucket List, Skiing & Snowboarding, Winter

Intermountain West Ski Road Trip

Have you been itching to get out and travel a little bit? Have you been watching the forecasts roll in and the snow pile up? Well this year is the perfect year for a road trip to explore the mountains of the intermountain West. Below we have put together an itinerary that explores Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. Whether you’ve got the Epic Pass, Ikon Pass, or Day tickets we’ve got you covered. Utah Assuming you’ll fly into SLC and get a rental car for this road trip we will start in the city. If you’re on the Ikon Pass or planed ahead for day tickets then head up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Snowbird and Alta. If you’re on the EPIC pass or a Sun Valley/Snowbasin pass holder head north out of the city to Snowbasin. If you’re really here to ski then plan ahead with your passes and ski all three! Ikon Pass: Snowbird and Alta Snowbird  Alta *If you’re riding the shred stick (snowboard), enjoy another day of exploration at Snowbird as Alta does not allow snowboarding at their resort. Epic Pass: Snowbasin Idaho Drive to Sun Valley – Trip Time: Roughly 4.5hrs Epic Pass: Sun Valley Sun Valley …

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Bucket List, Skiing & Snowboarding, Winter

Why Sun Valley Should Be A Stop on Your Next Ski Trip

As if SKI Magazine ranking Sun Valley as the #1 resort wasn’t enough reason to make an addition to the top of your ski bucket list, well here is a few more. Sun Valley is chock full of activities on and off mountain to make your visit one to remember and maybe even a yearly tradition. Cross-country ski the US Olympic training grounds. Sun Valley is home to a Nordic Olympic Training Site for its ideal trails, training facilities and perfect conditions. There are over 125 miles of endorphin-inducing, visually stimulating cross-country terrain in the Wood River Valley. A US Olympic training site since 2012, the Sun Valley XC trail system may be home to the elite, but its groomed landscape provides sweet tracks for any skill level. Take time out for a drink and a bite to eat at Galena Lodge, no matter how good your crossover turns look. Tailgate in the same parking lot as ski-film icon Warren Miller. Ten years after the installation of the first ski lift, a young buck by the name of Warren Miller parted ways with the US Navy, packed his 8mm film camera, and hauled a teardrop trailer to the mountains of Idaho …

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Bucket List, Family, Skiing & Snowboarding, Winter

Experience the Magic of Galena Lodge

I envy all those who get to experience the magic of Galena Lodge for the first time. Located 23 miles north of Ketchum, Galena Lodge is the last remains of a once thriving mining town. The miners have long gone but thanks to engaged community members in the early 1990’s, Galena heritage as an adventure outpost thrives on. The trip to Galena Lodge begins with the beautiful drive north on Highway 75. Numerous turnouts along the road serve up welcomed opportunities to stop and admire the snowcapped ridges and foothills of the Boulder and Smoky mountains. Amidst the dramatic scenery, Nordic skiers can be seen racing up and down the groomed 30 kilometer long, Harriman Trail. Home to the Boulder Mountain Tour, this area snakes along the side the headwaters of the Big Wood River. Galena Lodge will come in to view just before the highways begins to gain significant altitude. Parking can be found right at the turn. If the lot is at capacity, backtrack a short distance on the road to an overflow parking area along the highway. Don’t be put off by the number of cars, once on the trails you’ll feel like you’re in your own private Idaho. …

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Arts & Culture, Bucket List, Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter

Most Instagrammable places in Sun Valley, Idaho

If you have ever visited the Sun Valley area, chances are there is at least one image of our breathtaking locale in your Instagram feed. Or maybe you haven’t visited yet but hashtags like #seeksunvalley on our @visitsunvalley page have caught your attention and have drawn you into exploring this amazing place. Whether you are a seasoned visitor or a first timer, we complied a list of the must see places in and around Sun Valley to fill your Instagram feed with the best there is to offer. The Sun Valley Barn An icon of Sun Valley, many a photo has been taken in front of this barn and numerous reproductions of it in paintings and memorabilia have been made over the years. Located on Sun Valley Road between Ketchum and Sun Valley, the red barn is hard to miss. Built in the early 1880s, its thought that this barn used to service ore wagons that traveled Trail Creek Road. Speaking of, swing by the Ore Wagon Museum for some more history and to grab a few grams there too. Across Sun Valley Road from the barn is a stop many make to photograph the beautiful horses that are occasionally …