Things to Do in Sun Valley and Ketchum

They named it Sun Valley for good reason. Welcome to a land with 250 days of sunshine a year with a constant stream of things to do that will put more adventures and experiences on your "Done That" list. The Vitamin D comes free; the hardest part might be figuring out how to do it all!

 Most people associate Sun Valley recreation with world-class skiing, but that is really only a small part of the story.  The activity anxiety can run high when deciding whether to go hiking, golfing, backpacking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, or fly fishing and can take more energy than the actual endeavor itself.  "Be the ball" rings in the ears of locals with over 81 holes of golf to be played in the area. Trails sprout like tentacles from each nook and cranny and, indeed, a river runs through it ( holding feisty 18"+ rainbow trout). So dig into the details and don't be surprised when you end up needing a vacation from your vacation.

As the Lonely Planet says, it’s a “rugged land of crenelated mountains and cascading rivers that harbors more wilderness than anywhere in the Lower 48.” And that is an invitation to play if we ever saw one.

Below you'll find a line-up of things to do in Sun Valley, Idaho. Click the link associated with each activity for more information on how  join-in on the fun.

Attractions

The world’s first ski lift, America’s first Dark Sky Reserve, rugged yet scenic mountains, and deep connections to Ernest Hemingway scratch the surface of the surprising attractions in and around the Sun Valley area.

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Biking

Known for flowy, buff singletrack complemented with more rowdy, advanced terrain in the sub-alpine and alpine, riders can turn it up for weeks on end without ever repeating the same ride.

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Bucket List

When we brainstormed our list of quintessential Sun Valley moments, we were tracking up near 50, which basically means, the best way to experience Sun Valley’s awesomeness is to become a regular. Or relocate here.

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Dining & Nightlife

Sun Valley, Idaho’s dining & nightlife scene is where local, organic and sustainable are all spoken regularly. This is where chefs bring their unabashed creativity to the dining table.

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Family

To grow up big, strong and brilliant just requires the right input. At least, that’s the hypothesis one could make of the 56 Olympians who call Sun Valley home.

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Fly Fishing

Sun Valley still supports the kind of fishery you might have imagined existed back when Lewis & Clark first made their trip through Idaho.

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Golf

Nestled in the valley, three public golf courses and two private courses offer the recreational and serious golfer a chance to tee off in one of the nations finest resort areas.

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Hiking

These famous words are painted on the roof of the beloved Pioneer Cabin hike. They’re a refreshing reminder of the euphoric experiences that hiking can induce.

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Horseback Riding

Whether it’s a pony ride, a trail ride into the mountains, or a multi-day outfitted expedition you will find a capable and colorful group of outfitters in Sun Valley ready to let you ride off into the sunset.

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Ice Skating

Ice skating and hockey is a big deal here in Sun Valley. The Sun Valley Summer Ice Shows will wow you, the Sun Valley Suns hockey will inspire, and year round skating opportunities will entice skaters of all ages and ability levels.

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Meetings & Weddings

Awe-inspiring scenery, styled out venues, and top-notch professional services are just a few selling points that Sun Valley has to offer when it comes to meetings and weddings. For being such a small, quaint town, Sun Valley and the surround region offers up some incredible opportunities for your next occasion. Let’s face it, convention centers are soul sucking and your wedding deserves to be held some place beautiful.

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Nordic Skiing

It’s not tacky, dated sweater fashion that’s being celebrated when Sun Valley is hailed as “Nordic Town USA.” This is some of the best and definitely most immaculately groomed Nordic ski terrain in the US.

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Shopping

Shopping in a place as storied as Sun Valley means you acquire conversation points, not stuff. A rare, first-edition signed Hemingway book?

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Snowmobiling

Hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails sprawl out within an hour radius of the Sun Valley area on top of the enormous swath of wide open backcountry terrain.

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Watersports

Take your pick from floating, boating, swimming, rafting, kayaking, tubing or paddle boarding on one of the wild rivers, lakes and streams in and around the Sun Valley area.

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Wellness

Mind. Body. Spirit. Yoga pants and juicing, hey why not? This is not a place where athleticism lives in a bubble.

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Skiing & Snowboarding

Ranked the 2nd Best Ski Resort by Ski Magazine and one of Powder Magazine’s Top 8 Ski Towns, Sun Valley is where it all began and continues to thrive under the radar today.

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Arts & Culture

Sun Valley is one of America’s top small towns for art. With more than a dozen galleries, two live theater companies, the lauded Writers’ Conference, the Sun Valley Film Festival, free Summer Symphony concerts in the Sun Valley Pavilion, and one of the West’s premier nonprofit arts organizations, the Sun Valley Museum of Art, Sun Valley packs an enormous cultural punch for its size.

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Dog Friendly

Dogs love Sun Valley and Sun Valley loves dogs! The majority of our local residents own dogs…they are almost a mountain-town necessity.

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Rockclimbing & Mountaineering

Six mountain ranges surrounding the Sun Valley area serve up some of the best alpine granite and scenic views in the country. The hardest part will be deciding between the Smokey, Boulder, Sawtooth, White Cloud, Pioneer and Lost River ranges.

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