In 2988 trips
Created by Sun Valley Ketchum
Jackson to Sun Valley, 2009
Visitors to Jackson will find that it’s a quick hop, skip and … More
Visitors to Jackson will find that it’s a quick hop, skip and jump to Sun Valley, America’s first destination resort. There’s no shortage of things to see and do along the way.
Day 1:
Those coming from Jackson will enjoy passing the Palisades Reservoir, which never seems to end. The dam signals the beginning of the Snake River as it courses through the beautiful Swan Valley, one of the most popular fishing spots in the West.
Fall is a particularly beautiful time to boat this stretch of river, stopping your boat for a picnic at picturesque falls, which you can wander in and around.
Even if you don’t have a boat, you can get a glimpse of the falls two miles off the highway on Fall Creek Road. Ask for directions at the Rainey Creek Country Store while you treat yourself to a Moose Tracks or Huckleberry Temptation square ice cream cone.
The Museum of Idaho in Idaho Falls snares some world-class exhibits despite being way out West. Now showing: The Titanic.
Continue back on the highway past the beautiful Idaho Falls from which the town gets its name.
Stretch your legs at Hell’s Half Acre, a 180-square-mile flow designated a National Natural Landmark 20 miles west of Idaho Falls. Or, for a bird’s eye view, drive or hike up Big Southern Butte, the 7,576-foot volcanic dome that served as a landmark for Oregon-bound pioneers crossing the Snake River Plain during the mid-1800s. The butte is accessible out of Atomic City, turning into a four-wheel drive as it ascends the butte.
EBR-1, or Experimental Breeder Reactor-1, sits just west of the US 20/US 26 junction.This unassuming red brick building became the first power plant to produce electricity using atomic energy in 1951. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the reactor and its fuel rods from Memorial Day to Labor Day.The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory of which EBR-1 is a part covers a site two-thirds the size of Rhode Island. Tours are available by calling 208-526-0050.
Take the road less traveled out of Arco, following a county road opposite Pickle’s Place to Idaho’s Natural Bridge, an 80-foot-tall limestone arch on the shoulder of King Mountain. King Mountain is a favorite stepping-off point for hang-gliders who hold a hang-gliding championship here the third weekend in June. It was 40 years ago this year that astronauts preparing to land on the moon visited Craters of the Moon National Monument 18 miles west of Arco to get a feel for what the lunar landscape might be like.
Today visitors can drive a 7-mile loop offering short hikes to bizarre formations of razor-sharp rock, climb an inferno cone and visit the Visitors Center to learn why the Craters are expected to erupt again any moment.
Just west of Picabo is Silver Creek, a crystal clear spring-fed stream that offers great canoeing, wildlife watching, hiking and world-class trout fishing.
Day 2:
There’s a chairlift waiting to ferry you up Bald Mountain in Sun Valley. Rent a mountain bike at Pete Lane’s at the bottom of the mountain and you’ll get a lift ticket for free, along with the use of a helmet.
Spend the afternoon in Ketchum’s galleries perusing the art of Picasso and other artists from around the world, beginning with the thought-provoking exhibits at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts.
Stock up on the latest technology in hiking socks, water bottles and sportswear at the local outdoor shops, and load up on souvenirs at shops like Country Cousins, Sun Valley Gifts and T’s and Temptations.
Then, catch a dinner of Idaho rainbow trout locally raised lamb at followed by a concert in Ketchum’s Forest Service Park or the new Sun Valley Pavilion.
Day 3:
Morning is a great time to photograph the lavender lupine, yellow balsamroot and fiery red paintbrush. Check with the Ketchum Ranger District to see where the best blooms are, grab breakfast at any one of several delicious breakfast eateries and go.
See what it feels like to golf with your head in the clouds on Sun Valley’s new White Clouds golf course. Or, just practice your swing at the 18-hole Sawtooths putting course, which offers every angle you could want.
After a late lunch in the new Sun Valley Club, head into town to check out tall skinny ore wagons that used to haul lead and silver down the narrow Trail Creek Road. Learn about Sun Valley’s ski champions at the Sun Valley/Ketchum Ski and Heritage Museum, pay your respects to Ernest Hemingway at the Ketchum Cemetery, then head down to Hailey for a look at one of the nation’s largest political button collections at the Blaine County Historical Museum.
Take a spin on Sun Valley’s unique outdoor ice rink. Then run home and get your sweater to enjoy a buffet dinner and an ice show featuring some of the world’s best Olympic figure skaters twirling and bounding their way through hula hoops of fire.
Day 4:
Cast your fly into the Big Wood River. Or head down to Silver Creek Preserve, clear water spring that attracts anglers from around the world.
Spend the rest of the day hiking to Pioneer Cabin, which sits in a cirque of jagged peaks. Or take an easier hike along the on the Fox Creek or Chocolate Gulch loops.
Come evening, put up your feet and let Company of Fools make you laugh at The Liberty Theatre, the house that Bruce Willis and Demi Moore built in Hailey.
Day 5:
No trip to Sun Valley would be complete without a drive north of Ketchum to the Galena Overlook, which offers a broad view of the Sawtooth Mountains, named for their resemblance to a saw. Go further, if you like, for a visit to the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery or a stop at Redfish Lake, a beautiful glacial mountain lake named for the red salmon that used to color the water.
The Harriman Trail—a relatively easy wide mountain bike trail parallels the highway between The Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters and Galena Lodge. And the SNRA offers wildlife exhibits for those who wish to stop to look at maps.
Back in town try your aim shooting clay pigeons at the Sun Valley Gun Club. Check out the current art festival. Or, maybe you’d just like to spread out a blanket and look up at the starry, starry night...
Day 1:
Those coming from Jackson will enjoy passing the Palisades Reservoir, which never seems to end. The dam signals the beginning of the Snake River as it courses through the beautiful Swan Valley, one of the most popular fishing spots in the West.
Fall is a particularly beautiful time to boat this stretch of river, stopping your boat for a picnic at picturesque falls, which you can wander in and around.
Even if you don’t have a boat, you can get a glimpse of the falls two miles off the highway on Fall Creek Road. Ask for directions at the Rainey Creek Country Store while you treat yourself to a Moose Tracks or Huckleberry Temptation square ice cream cone.
The Museum of Idaho in Idaho Falls snares some world-class exhibits despite being way out West. Now showing: The Titanic.
Continue back on the highway past the beautiful Idaho Falls from which the town gets its name.
Stretch your legs at Hell’s Half Acre, a 180-square-mile flow designated a National Natural Landmark 20 miles west of Idaho Falls. Or, for a bird’s eye view, drive or hike up Big Southern Butte, the 7,576-foot volcanic dome that served as a landmark for Oregon-bound pioneers crossing the Snake River Plain during the mid-1800s. The butte is accessible out of Atomic City, turning into a four-wheel drive as it ascends the butte.
EBR-1, or Experimental Breeder Reactor-1, sits just west of the US 20/US 26 junction.This unassuming red brick building became the first power plant to produce electricity using atomic energy in 1951. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the reactor and its fuel rods from Memorial Day to Labor Day.The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory of which EBR-1 is a part covers a site two-thirds the size of Rhode Island. Tours are available by calling 208-526-0050.
Take the road less traveled out of Arco, following a county road opposite Pickle’s Place to Idaho’s Natural Bridge, an 80-foot-tall limestone arch on the shoulder of King Mountain. King Mountain is a favorite stepping-off point for hang-gliders who hold a hang-gliding championship here the third weekend in June. It was 40 years ago this year that astronauts preparing to land on the moon visited Craters of the Moon National Monument 18 miles west of Arco to get a feel for what the lunar landscape might be like.
Today visitors can drive a 7-mile loop offering short hikes to bizarre formations of razor-sharp rock, climb an inferno cone and visit the Visitors Center to learn why the Craters are expected to erupt again any moment.
Just west of Picabo is Silver Creek, a crystal clear spring-fed stream that offers great canoeing, wildlife watching, hiking and world-class trout fishing.
Day 2:
There’s a chairlift waiting to ferry you up Bald Mountain in Sun Valley. Rent a mountain bike at Pete Lane’s at the bottom of the mountain and you’ll get a lift ticket for free, along with the use of a helmet.
Spend the afternoon in Ketchum’s galleries perusing the art of Picasso and other artists from around the world, beginning with the thought-provoking exhibits at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts.
Stock up on the latest technology in hiking socks, water bottles and sportswear at the local outdoor shops, and load up on souvenirs at shops like Country Cousins, Sun Valley Gifts and T’s and Temptations.
Then, catch a dinner of Idaho rainbow trout locally raised lamb at followed by a concert in Ketchum’s Forest Service Park or the new Sun Valley Pavilion.
Day 3:
Morning is a great time to photograph the lavender lupine, yellow balsamroot and fiery red paintbrush. Check with the Ketchum Ranger District to see where the best blooms are, grab breakfast at any one of several delicious breakfast eateries and go.
See what it feels like to golf with your head in the clouds on Sun Valley’s new White Clouds golf course. Or, just practice your swing at the 18-hole Sawtooths putting course, which offers every angle you could want.
After a late lunch in the new Sun Valley Club, head into town to check out tall skinny ore wagons that used to haul lead and silver down the narrow Trail Creek Road. Learn about Sun Valley’s ski champions at the Sun Valley/Ketchum Ski and Heritage Museum, pay your respects to Ernest Hemingway at the Ketchum Cemetery, then head down to Hailey for a look at one of the nation’s largest political button collections at the Blaine County Historical Museum.
Take a spin on Sun Valley’s unique outdoor ice rink. Then run home and get your sweater to enjoy a buffet dinner and an ice show featuring some of the world’s best Olympic figure skaters twirling and bounding their way through hula hoops of fire.
Day 4:
Cast your fly into the Big Wood River. Or head down to Silver Creek Preserve, clear water spring that attracts anglers from around the world.
Spend the rest of the day hiking to Pioneer Cabin, which sits in a cirque of jagged peaks. Or take an easier hike along the on the Fox Creek or Chocolate Gulch loops.
Come evening, put up your feet and let Company of Fools make you laugh at The Liberty Theatre, the house that Bruce Willis and Demi Moore built in Hailey.
Day 5:
No trip to Sun Valley would be complete without a drive north of Ketchum to the Galena Overlook, which offers a broad view of the Sawtooth Mountains, named for their resemblance to a saw. Go further, if you like, for a visit to the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery or a stop at Redfish Lake, a beautiful glacial mountain lake named for the red salmon that used to color the water.
The Harriman Trail—a relatively easy wide mountain bike trail parallels the highway between The Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters and Galena Lodge. And the SNRA offers wildlife exhibits for those who wish to stop to look at maps.
Back in town try your aim shooting clay pigeons at the Sun Valley Gun Club. Check out the current art festival. Or, maybe you’d just like to spread out a blanket and look up at the starry, starry night...
Location:
Day:
Day 1 to Day 5
Category: