A fellow ski resort town, Salt Lake has lots of great winter activities to keep residents happy. But at such close proximity to Sun Valley—potentially just a one-hour flight—it’s worth it to invest in a little winter vacay time at this Idaho resort. Whether traveling here entails flying or driving, it’s a quick trip to come experience a fellow western ski resort, albeit one with its own delights and attractions.
Flying Direct to Sun Valley
If you’re wanting to book a flight to Sun Valley, you have two options: fly direct into Sun Valley’s Friedman Memorial Airport (actually located in Hailey, 13.5 miles south of Sun Valley) or into Boise which is 2 ½ hours away by car. The easiest and quickest way from Salt Lake to Sun Valley is the direct flight from Delta, flying nonstop three to four times daily this winter. But while this option is the easiest on paper, it can become a different beast in reality when winter weather sometimes grounds planes in Twin Falls (75 miles south) instead of at Friedman Memorial Airport. If this happens when either departing or arriving, you’ll be given free, Winter Diversion Busing to Sun Valley. When flying out of Sun Valley, be sure to call the local SUN Winter Operations Hotline at least 4 hours ahead of your scheduled flight departure to confirm flight and busing status.
Flying to Boise
A little less convenient but ultimately more reliable option in the winter is to fly into Boise Airport. With five flights departing to and arriving from Salt Lake through Delta—and no weather diversion necessary—you’ll have your choice of arrival time and can rest assured that there will be no surprises.
You’ll need to get from Boise to Sun Valley which means either renting a car to drive or taking a shuttle. The Sun Valley Express is a daily shuttle departing Sun Valley at 8:20am or Boise at 3:30pm for $90 per adult for one way. If you’d like to rent your own car, Boise Airport has cars from Avis, Alamo, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, and National available to rent. Don’t let the Idaho roads intimidate you if you go this route! The drive has some curvy spots and spotty cell service but the beauty and open space of Idaho won’t be lost on you. Be sure to grab snacks in Mountain Home before you get up in the mountains as the next gas station isn’t until Fairfield.
Driving from SLC
If you’d rather have your own car while visiting and plan to drive from Salt Lake City to Sun Valley, there are two routes to take. The first route clocks in at just under five hours and takes I-84W through Ogden and Twin Falls to arrive in Sun Valley. The second is a little longer at roughly 5 ½ hours via I-15N through Pocatello and Arco. The second route is a bit more scenic but less dependable in terms of the roads you’ll be driving on so winter travel via I-84 is recommended. If you do decide to take the long way, stop at Pickle’s Place in Arco to try their famous burgers! Before driving, make sure to check road reports for any ice, accidents, or diversions.