Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Sun Valley sits in the Wood River Valley of central Idaho, where sagebrush hills meet forested peaks at around six thousand feet. Union Pacific built the resort in 1936 to attract rail passengers, and with it came the world's first chairlifts, Hollywood visitors and a writer named Ernest Hemingway, who later made his home in neighboring Ketchum.
Winter brings skiing on Bald Mountain, one of the most respected ski mountains in the West, while summer turns the valley into a base for mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing and classical music under the stars.
Sun Valley offers big-mountain terrain without the crowds of the largest Western resorts. Lift lines on Baldy are usually short, the snow grooming is famous, and the long, consistent fall line keeps experienced skiers coming back year after year.
The town's history adds character. Classic black-and-white photos of film stars line the halls of Sun Valley Lodge, Hemingway finished part of For Whom the Bell Tolls at the resort, and the outdoor ice rink still hosts skating shows in summer.
Finally, there is the wilderness on the doorstep.
Sun Valley Resort operates two ski areas and the historic village around the lodge. In summer, the same lifts and trails open for hiking and riding.
Baldy rises directly above Ketchum, with base areas at River Run and Warm Springs. It has a vertical drop of more than three thousand feet and a large network of groomed cruisers and steep bowls on the upper mountain.
The lodge, built in 1936 of concrete poured and stained to look like timber, is the heart of the resort.
Sun Valley Lodge opened in 1936 as the centerpiece of one of America's first destination ski resorts. Photo: US Navy, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Dollar is the resort's beginner-friendly mountain, with wide, treeless slopes, a ski school base and terrain parks. Families and first-timers will find it far less intimidating than Baldy.
Dollar Mountain is the resort's treeless learning hill and terrain park area. Photo: Kingmiwok, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The open-sided Pavilion near the lodge hosts the Sun Valley Music Festival, a classical orchestra series that runs from late July into August, with many concerts open to the public at no charge. Bring a blanket and picnic for the lawn if you do not have a reserved seat.
Ketchum is about a mile from Sun Valley Village and is where most locals eat, shop and drink. A short, flat grid of streets makes it easy to walk.
This quiet memorial sits beside Trail Creek, about a mile east of Sun Valley Lodge, and features a bronze bust of Hemingway on a stone column inscribed with words he wrote for a friend.
The Ernest Hemingway Memorial stands beside Trail Creek, just east of Sun Valley Lodge. Photo: Frank Schulenburg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Main Street and the blocks around it hold galleries, outdoor shops, bookstores and bars. The Pioneer Saloon, a long-established local favorite with mounted game trophies and steaks, is a classic après-ski stop.
Downtown Ketchum sits at the foot of Bald Mountain and holds most of the valley's shops and restaurants. Photo: Wikideas1, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
This paved path follows an old railroad bed for roughly twenty miles from Bellevue through Hailey and Ketchum to Sun Valley, with branches toward the resort. It is ideal for an easy bike ride, a morning run or cross-country skiing in winter, when part of it is groomed.
The Wood River Trail is a paved path linking Bellevue, Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley. Photo: mypubliclands, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Some of the best days in Sun Valley are spent outside town. The national forest and wilderness areas around the valley hold hundreds of miles of trails.
Drive north on State Highway 75 through the Wood River headwaters and up to Galena Summit, at roughly eight thousand seven hundred feet.
The Galena Summit overlook on State Highway 75 looks across the Sawtooth Valley to the Sawtooth Range. Photo: Acroterion, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Continue north to Stanley, a tiny town ringed by mountains, and Redfish Lake just south of it. The lake takes its name from the sockeye salmon that still return here after a journey of hundreds of miles from the Pacific.
Redfish Lake lies at the foot of the Sawtooth Range near Stanley. Photo: Fredlyfish4, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
This steep, rewarding hike climbs from the Corral Creek area east of Sun Valley to a historic ski hut built by the resort in the 1930s. The top delivers wide views of the Pioneer Mountains.
Pioneer Cabin was built in the 1930s as a backcountry ski hut high in the Pioneer Mountains. Photo: Fredlyfish4, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
About an hour and a half southeast of the valley, this otherworldly landscape of lava flows, cinder cones and lava tubes makes a strong day trip. A loop drive links short trails to the top of Inferno Cone and into caves.
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve protects vast lava fields on the Snake River Plain. Photo: BLMIdaho, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
For a small place, Ketchum has a strong dining scene, concentrated around Main Street and the streets just east of it.
Après-ski is a tradition in its own right. Bars at the River Run and Warm Springs bases fill up when the lifts close, and the Pioneer Saloon has been serving steaks and prime rib for decades.
Popular dishes to try in Sun Valley
Sun Valley Village, around the lodge and inn, suits travelers who want classic resort atmosphere, quiet streets and easy access to the ice rink, the Pavilion and Dollar Mountain.
Ketchum is the best base for most visitors.
Hailey, about twelve miles south, has more modest prices, a friendly historic downtown and the airport. It suits budget travelers and people who do not mind a short drive.
Where to stay in Sun Valley
Sinclair Gas Station is a gas station business serving Sun Valley, ID.
Ski season usually runs from late November or Thanksgiving to mid-April, with the most reliable snow from January to March.
Summer, from late June to early September, brings warm, dry days, cool nights, wildflowers and the music festival.
Spring and late fall are the quiet shoulder seasons, when some businesses close for a break.
Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey has seasonal and year-round flights from several western hubs.
Once in the valley, the free Mountain Rides buses connect Ketchum, Sun Valley and the ski bases, with service down to Hailey and Bellevue on some routes.
Settle in, walk Ketchum's Main Street, visit the history museum and enjoy dinner downtown.
Ski Baldy in winter, or ride the gondola for a summer hike and lunch at the Roundhouse.
Bike the Wood River Trail to the Hemingway Memorial in the morning, then hike in Adams Gulch or tackle the Pioneer Cabin Trail if you are fit.
Drive over Galena Summit to Stanley and Redfish Lake for a day of paddling and hiking in the Sawtooths.
Take a half-day trip to Craters of the Moon, returning in time for a relaxed last dinner in Ketchum.
Looking for ski rentals, guides, restaurants or services around Sun Valley and Ketchum?
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