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Fall, Hiking

5 of the Best Fall Hikes in Sun Valley

Fall has officially arrived. The sun soaked aspen and cottonwood leaves have slowly begun to make their way from branch ends to trail floors leaving behind nature’s very own yellow brick road. This vibrantly radiating carpet and canopy delivers a truly enchanting hiking experience. We’ve compiled a list of our top-five best fall hikes in Sun Valley to help you maximize your dose of vitamin yellow. Proctor Mountain (5 miles – moderate) Serving up some the earliest pops of color in the Valley, the Proctor Mountain area tops our list of early fall hikes. This zone starts by venturing through thick swaths of aspen groves before climbing to higher elevations. Thoughts of burning thighs quickly vanish as expansive perspectives of the colorful valley below take hold. The reward makes the trek well worth the effort. Tip: the leaves will be changing early up here so get after it as soon as you see the first leaves starting to change, usually the middle of September. Directions: From Ketchum, head northeast on Sun Valley Rd towards Trail Creek. In roughly 2.6 miles look for the “Hemingway Memorial” sign and use the parking lots on your right or left. Park here and follow the trail …

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Fall

Sun Valley: Endless Options for Every Idaho Road Trip

After spending the last three summers backpacking in the Sawtooth Range, I was keen to explore the trails and dispersed camping in Sun Valley, which tend to fly under the radar. While I usually set my schedule in stone, this year I’ve been modifying it weekly as I adjust to the new normal with road tripping. With a wealth of options (plus a commitment to the safety of tourists and locals alike), Sun Valley has something for every traveler, budget and schedule — even those subject to change. Without further ado, here are some ideas and suggestions for an amazing Idaho fall road trip to Sun Valley. Where to Hike From the jagged peaks in the background to the catchy phrase painted on the roof, it’s easy to see why Pioneer Cabin is one of the more popular hikes in Sun Valley. With four different routes to the cabin, overcrowding on the trail is not an issue, thus making it a very appealing day hike. Hikers can access the cabin via the Pioneer Cabin Trail (8 miles roundtrip, 2,570 feet of gain), Long Gulch (9 miles roundtrip, 3,000 feet of gain), Johnstone Creek (12 miles roundtrip, 3,000 feet of gain) and …

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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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24hrs with a Local, Fall

24hrs with a Local: Miles to Go Fitness’ Miles Fink-Debray, November

Ski season is almost upon us which means it’s the perfect time to start leveling up your training! And when it comes to training for ski season, Miles Fink-Debray is your man. The elite athlete has worked with high-level trainers and athletes in multiple sports for his whole life. He has taken that experience and directed it into his own training gym, Miles to Go. When he’s not training clients at the gym of the portable van gym that makes house calls, he’s practicing what he preaches by participating (and often winning) local events like the Baldy Hill Climb or Suffer Fest, the “World’s Toughest 10K” which he created. He’s also in the top 75 world rank in skiing, an amateur national mountain bike champ, and 2012 Sun Valley Athlete of the Year. Before the intensity of the ski season begins, Miles walks us through an ideal 24hrs in Sun Valley fall day. How does your perfect fall day start? Miles: I work and workout all week, so Saturdays are designated for me. I love having the access to the outdoor right out my doorstep in Warm Springs to mountain bike, hike, run, and skate ski. I start by making …

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Arts & Culture, Fall

What Not to Miss at the 27th Annual Trailing of the Sheep Festival

Aside from the brilliant transitioning leaves, The Trailing of the Sheep Festival is the highlight of Sun Valley’s fall season. Celebrating sheep and sheep herding traditions, Trailing of the Sheep offers a unique glimpse in to a part of Idaho’s past. Five days of dancing, music, wool classes, lamb dinners, sheep dog trials, and the famous Big Sheep Parade will tantalize the spectrum of senses.

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Fall, Hiking

Guide to Leaf Peeping

Your guide to Leaf Peeping in Sun Valley has arrived! Discover stands of aspens crawling up the mountains to hulking cottonwoods along the Big Wood River.

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24hrs with a Local, Fall

24hrs with a Local: Sawtooth Brewery’s Kevin Jones, September

In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. Back-to-school vibes are in the air, and just last week, the peaks around Sun Valley had their first dusting of early snow. Fall comes a bit early here in the mountains, but you won’t find us complaining—it’s a magical season. With perfectly warm days and deliciously cool nights, fall is the perfect time to experience Sun Valley’s natural beauty and cultural events, including Wagon Days, the Gallery Walk, the Ernest Hemingway Seminar, the Baldy Hill Climb, and Oktoberfest. To hear more about this year’s Oktoberfest, we reached out to Kevin Jones, co-founder and Business Director of Sawtooth Brewery. Sawtooth Brewery, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in November, began as a small taproom in a hotel in Ketchum. “We started the brewery when we were young and single,” says Kevin. “We had a vision of a place where people could drink local beer after a day of skiing or biking.” Now, Kevin and his business partner, head brewer and CEO Paul Holle, have two restaurants, the Public House in Ketchum and the Tap Room …

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24hrs with a Local, Fall

24hrs with a Local: Photographer Dev Khalsa, November

In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. A chill is in the air, and the snow guns blasting on Bald Mountain in preparation for opening day prove that it’s properly almost-winter in Sun Valley. Though we’re only weeks away from pulling out skis and boards, there is still plenty of fall left to enjoy this November. Don’t take it from me, though. Dev Khalsa, owner and photographer at Dev Khalsa Photography, has a secret love of this in-between month. “Summer is super crazy with work, and then suddenly there’s Daylight Savings, which means less light each day, which means that I get more time to relax,” she says. “It’s a time to be cozy with my family and enjoy the leaves that are still around. I love that transition and wouldn’t have it any other way.” Locals and visitors alike seek out Dev for her natural, candid, documentary style of wedding and portrait photography. How has this year differed from years in the past? “This year’s weddings totally changed,” Dev says. “Some of them moved to next year, but others became these really small, …

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24hrs with a Local, Fall, Fly Fishing

24hrs with a Local: Silver Creek Outfitters’ Terry Ring, October

In this monthly series, we check in with one of our adventurous locals to find out how they would spend a perfect 24 hours in Sun Valley. The aspens are turning, snow is dusting the high peaks, and it’s time to slow down into the delicious, golden-soaked atmosphere of October in Sun Valley.  Fall is a season that long-time local Terry Ring, owner of Silver Creek Outfitters, enjoys to the fullest. Silver Creek Outfitters is a fly fishing shop, destination retailer, and a guide service. “We focus on the ‘Sun Valley lifestyle,’” says Terry. “It’s energetic, it’s outdoors, and it’s around town. We’re so lucky to have rich cultural activities, like the Writers Conference, the Symphony, and the Trailing of the Sheep, and so much public land to enjoy.” “We cater to people who are out of doors hunting and fishing, as well as people around town,” Terry explains. “We are fire and ice—hooks and bullets, but we also have cashmere.” After the rush of a busy summer season, Terry takes advantage of the slower days of fall to truly soak in all that Sun Valley has to offer. Here’s how Terry would spend his perfect 24hrs Sun Valley this October. What would you …

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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 …