Exploring Sun Valley ID -> Hiking, Biking & Outdoors With Paws
Believe it or not we’re about to finish our 4th week in Sun Valley, ID. In the time we’ve been here I’ve teased you with sunrises, I’ve hinted at fun and exploration, but I’ve yet to go “in-depth” and give you the nitty gritty. That’s about to change.
To be honest it’s taken us these past 3 weeks just to scratch the surface here, and we are NO WAY near done. This area doesn’t look like much from the map, just a little 10 x 10 block town in the middle of no-where with nothing but open land around it, but man does it pack in a bunch. Our adventures have included biking, hiking, entertainment, eating and beer and we have literally been out exploring every single day. It’s rare for us to be out that much, but this place just seems to encourage that and there’s literally so much to see and do we’ve yet to run out of ideas.
Now obviously there’s no way I can cover it all, but what I’ll try to do is give you a summary of the BEST experiences we’ve had in the time we’ve been here, with a focus on doggie-friendly stuff (of course). Hopefully that’ll give you a guide on where to start should you end up here yourselves at some point. There’s so much to cover that it’ll take several blog posts, so get ready for a little mini-series. Our first installment “hiking, biking and the outdoors with paws”…
1/ Best Hiking Trails
I knew there was quite a bit of hiking when we first got here, but I don’t think I was prepared for HOW MUCH hiking there actually is aaaand how easily accessible it all is. Pretty much the entire area around around Ketchum is either National Forest or part of the 756,000 acre Sawtooth Recreation Area. It’s literally littered with trails and there’s a type for every taste and level.
Closest to town your options are rolling hills with wildflowers, streams and valley views. As you drive over the pass towards Stanley you start to access alpine lakes and if you go into the Sawtooth Mountains themselves you get craggy mountain wilderness and the desolate remoteness beyond.
While we were here we focused on 5-6 mile hikes and kept it close to Ketchum so that we didn’t have to leave Polly (whose leg isn’t healed enough to hike yet), too long. Several of these trails I did with Becky while she was in town, while the rest I did with Paul. These were our fav picks in the area:
- Adams Gultch Trail – This trailhead is accessed just north of Ketchum off the west side of Hwy 75 along Forest road #141. There are a network of inter-locking trails here, so you have your pick of either a shorter or longer route. Becky and I hiked a ~5.5 mile loop that took us up the mountain, through crazy gorgeous wildflower meadows and back down along the river to the car. It was a great workout & a top notch trail! For detailed trail info click HERE and HERE. Approx. coords of trailhead 43.704745, -114.388501
- Fox Creek Trail – This is another lovely mix of trails ~6 miles north of town. The trailhead is accessed off the west side of Hwy 75 from Fox Creek access sign. Becky and I took a beautiful ~6 mile loop that ran along the river and looped back up a scenic hillside. Although a little longer than Adams Gultch this hike was a little easier (elevation-wise) and equally beautiful. This trail is popular with mountain bikers too. For detailed trail info click HERE and HERE. Approx. coords of trailhead 43.757843, -114.401863
- Proctor Mountain Trail – This is a lesser-used trail on the east side of town towards Sun Valley. The trailhead is accessed from the end of Fairway Road (park at the little pull-out and hike from there). Paul and I hiked the ~4 mile loop up the mountain and back down the other side. It’s a little more barren and not quite as wildflower-crazy here (compared to Adams Gultch or Fox Creek), but you’ll some lovely views and you’ll (very likely) have it all to yourself. For detailed trail info click HERE. Approx. coords of trailhead 43.711608, -114.336925
- Norton Lakes Trail – Looking to hike a loop of spectacular high alpine lakes without driving over the pass? Then this is your spot! We found this hike thanks to blog reader (and local resident) Charlene who told us it’s her fav hike in the area. It’s a 22-mile drive to get there, half of which is on dirt roads (take Hwy 75 ~15 miles north of Ketchum onto Baker Creek Road (FR 162). Follow FR 162 for 5.9 miles to FR 170. Drive another 1.3 miles to the trailhead), but it is SO worth the effort. Do a quick ~4-mile out-and-back to Norton Lake or do the whole ~7 mile loop around all 3 lakes. What a trail! For detailed trail info click HERE. Approx. coords of trailhead 43.730993, -114.633097
PAW NOTES/ ALL hiking trails are 100% dog-friendly!
2/ Best Biking Trails
I’m what you call a wimpy biker. I enjoy moseying along on a relaxed trail on my comfy hybrid bike without the stress of street traffic or crazy mountain trails. So, when I can find a nice, paved bike trail that gives me those things I’m a very, very happy gal.
Before we came to Ketchum I’d read about the paved Wood River Trail and figured it would be right up my alley. I knew it started right next to the RV Park (1 block away) and went for ~20-miles between the towns of Bellevue, Hailey, Ketchum and Sun Valley. It was re-paved in 2014/2015 so it’s in near perfect condition and it’s well-marked and separated from the main highway the whole way.
And honestly, it’s been awesome!
Since we’ve been here we’ve biked the trail literally every single day. I love that I can step out of the RV, hop on my bike and do a leisurely 4-mile bike into town (for a coffee or beer, depending on the hour), or (if I’m feeling energetic) a ~15-mile loop with some decent climbs. There’s zero street traffic, no slippery dips or rocks, and lovely views the whole way. It’s Nina biking perfection!
There are plenty of other options in the area for the less wimpy:
- Mountain Bike Trails: If you’re the more adventurous biker-type, there are literally HUNDREDS of miles of off-road mountain biking trails where you can “cut the dirt” as pleasantly or as crazily as you wish. Your absolute best resource for this is the interactive BCRD trail map which not only lists all the trails in the area, but also their conditions, length, difficulty level and elevation profile. All the trails are an easy drive from town and there’s free parking at the trailheads.
- Downhill Rides On Bald Mountain: For folks who are even nuttier and just want to go fast downhill you can take the gondola with your bike ($39 fee) to the top of Bald Mountain and just zoom the maze of twisty trails all the way down. Only for the true crazies IMHO….
PAW NOTES/ ALL biking trails are 100% dog-friendly! The only place you cannot bring doggie is on the gondola ride up Bald Mountain.
3/ Best “No Effort” Outdoor Sightseeing
For those of you who like the outdoors, but prefer to experience it with minimal exertion there are actually several cool outings you can do with very little effort at all.
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Auto-Hike To Stanley ID : My first recommendation is the “auto-hike” up Hwy 75 towards Stanley. It’s a drop-dead gorgeous drive with beautiful views of the Sawtooth Mountains as soon as you get over the pass. Stop in the little town of Stanley for a coffee or ice cream and make sure to visit the scenic lakes (Little Redfish, Redfish, Stanley & Alturas) on your way back. If you’re as crazy as me you can even get up at 3 AM and photograph the whole thing before sun-up. It’s an awesome experience! Definitely bring doggie!
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Ride The Gondola Up Bald Mountain: My other recommendation is to take the gondola ride up to the top of Bald Mountain. We were given the opportunity to do this thanks to blog readers & local residents John and Gretchen (who work for Sun Valley Resorts) and honestly we are SO glad we did. For $25/person** you can take a scenic ride to the top of the mountain at a cool 9010 feet. Here you’ll enjoy a FULL panoramic view of the valley and Sawtooth Mountains as well as TONS of wildflowers (in summer). Stop at the Roundhouse Restaurant on the way down for a beer or burger with a view. It’s well worth the outing! NO dogs allowed on the Gondola, sadly.
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Visit The Sawtooth Botanical Gardens: Another super easy and pretty visit is the Sawtooth Botanical Gardens just south of town. The gardens are super small (teeny really), but very pretty and they have a beautifully meditative area dedicated to the visit of the Dalai Lama called the “Garden Of Infinite Compassion”. Here you can turn a 400-lb hand carved Tibetan prayer wheel and enjoy the serenity of water trickling down a rocky waterfall. Bonus? It’s free to visit! NO dogs allowed in the Botanical Garden, sadly.
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Go See Hemmingway: Did you know Sun Valley ID was Ernest Hemingway’s last home and resting place? Honestly neither did I until we came here and blog readers pointed it out to us. There’s not much in the way of Hemingway history here, but you can visit a small bronze memorial to him just east of town as well as his grave in the Ketchum Cemetery just north of town. Of the two, I think his grave is by far the most interesting. Folks leave coins, memento’s and (of course) alcohol for him. It’s a pilgrimage every writer should make. NO dogs allowed in the Cemetery, but you can drive through by car.
**NOTE/ If you hike up Bald Mountain, the gondola ride back down to the bottom is free.
4/ Best Outdoors With Paws
The BEST part of everything I’ve listed so far? EVERY single hiking trail, EVERY biking trail and EVEN the paved Wood River Trail is 100% dog-friendly. There are over 40 miles of dog-friendly trails located within a 5-mile radius of Ketchum and literally HUNDREDS of paw-friendly miles if you drive a little further. Plus as long as you have “voice control” of your dog, you can legally go off-leash almost everywhere. Sun Valley is literally one of the MOST dog-friendly hiking spots we’ve ever been to and we saw pooch’s out enjoying the trails everywhere we went.
If Polly had been hiking-ready we’d have taken her on every single one of our hikes & bikes, but sadly her leg hasn’t healed yet so we were forced to leave her home (and lavish love on all the other doggies we saw on the trails). Instead of hiking we took Polly on “auto-hikes” and short outings to the river to dip her paws and relax in the dirt by the water. Big Wood River runs all the way through town and is (by law) public access up to 10 feet above high water mark. So, almost everywhere along the river is accessible and dog-friendly. Most days we simply drove until we found a spot we liked, but if you want something easy the Sun Peak BLM Picnic Area just north of town is a nice, relaxing place to hang.
Plenty of other doggie-friendly green areas in town including a local fav, a little-known dog park located at the former Warm Springs Ranch (go 1.5 miles west on Warm Springs Road past the YMCA, then take a left on Bald Mountain Road. Park & cross the bridge to the park). Check it out!
That wraps up our best-of-the-best for Sun Valley outdoors. Overall this place gets a 4 paws up from doggie and 4 thumbs up from her parents too. We’ve rarely been anywhere where the outdoors is not only so dog-friendly, but also so accessible too. It’s a pooch-parent natural paradise!
Up next -> Beer, Food & Entertainment
Useful External Links:
- Sun Valley Sightseeing -> click HERE (Sun Valley) and HERE (Visit Sun Valley)
- Sun Valley Hiking -> click HERE (general hiking ideas, PDF doc) and HERE (Norton Lakes info, PDF doc) and HERE (general links)
- Sun Valley Biking -> click HERE (Mountain Biking interactive map) and HERE (Wood River Trail map & details)
Jenny Waters says
Wow, gorgeous pictures Nina. Thanks for sharing all the great hiking information, also. I’m glad to see that Polly is doing well.
Robert Titus says
In the beginning when you were unsure about Sun Valley I held my comment but I knew you would love it. I even began to type an e-mail to say this is a perfect place for you to spend some time but I decided to wait for you to discover how wonderful it is. I am so sorry your poor little dog is not able to take advantage of as you said ” the most dog friendly city around” and the hundreds of trails. I have been coming to the area for years and what I like the most is the combination of wilderness and first class civilization. As you discovered some things are expensive but if you are on a budget you can work around that. Many of the locals have several jobs to earn enough for their winter pass to the slopes and they still find a way to party like rock-stars! I am so happy a trip of necessity turned into an awesome experience.
libertatemamo says
You nailed it. We’ve talked to tons of locals since we’ve been here (very friendly folks out here) and there’s definitely the gamut from super rich to more modest incomes. There’s enough stuff to do on a budget, if you seek it out.
Nina
Upriverdavid says
Very special place….If it wasn’t so darn cold on the winter I may have picked Stanley as my retirement home base….
Keep enjoying..
David
libertatemamo says
Yeah I don’t think I could do the winters here either. Have to say though, summer rocks!
Nina
Sonia & David says
Wood River Trails call to me. I’m putting this place on my list. Thanks for sharing this beautiful part of Idaho. Keeping Polly in my prayers. So good to hear she’s doing well. God bless and stay safe.
libertatemamo says
It’s one of the nicest paved biking trails I’ve encountered, and it’s so scenic too. Totally my kinda biking.
Nina
Lew Quilici says
What a gorgeous location. And what a small world. We ran into John and Gretchen in Red Canyon Camp Ground in Utah about four years ago. Both of us follow your blog and as fait would have it, camped across from each other on our first visits there. They became our go to happy hour couple. Great people!
They said we should visit them in Sun Valley and that the area was spectacular in summer for everything you’ve already mentioned in this post. It’s now officially on my bucket list. Thanks for another great post.
libertatemamo says
What a small world indeed! Yup John and Gretchen are lovely folks. We’ve only seen them a few times since we’ve been here, but our short visits have been wonderful. I second their recommendation to come!
Nina
Bob Martel says
I’m definitely going to refer to these posts next time we travel in central Idaho! I had been to Stanley & Ketchum a looong time ago and enjoyed it then, but had forgotten about the area. Your time there and the posts have brought it all back to me. 🙂
Mary Hone says
So glad you have loved it there. The Sawtooths are amazing, and we always say we need to spend more time there. We boondocked at Hells Roaring Creek at the base of the Sawtooths, and it was amazing. We just didn’t get to spend much time there. Did you go to Salmon? Our friends have told us that is really nice too. How’s Polly? I was actually thinking about her yesterday as I watched Torrey swim in the lake here.
libertatemamo says
We haven’t been to Salmon. It was in the “plans” but it’s a tad too far of a drive (for us) from here. When/if we come back to the area we’ll definitely want to boondock over by Stanley. We’ve explored lots on this side of the pass, but there’s so much more to see over there too.
Nina
Jim and Gayle says
We’re really looking forward to seeing that area. Some friends have been trying to get us to come for a few years now and we decided this was the summer. Hope to see you next week!
By the way, we’re in Boise and our site in the RV park backs up to the Boise Greenbelt, a paved, flat, “Nina-perfect” bike trail!
libertatemamo says
I know exactly where you are! The Boise riverfront trail is one of the other bike trails I’ve really enjoyed. When we stayed at that RV park I biked it everyday as well.
Nina
Don in Destin says
Your photos and words describing the places you visit are so motivating to me….they help keep me focused on fulfilling my dream. Thank you and Paul and Doggie and kitties!
LuAnn says
I’m sorry we aren’t going to make it there this year; the area looks beautiful. Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are three states that we are really drawn to. Thanks for taking us on the tour.
libertatemamo says
Bummed that you aren’t going to make it this year, but hopefully you’ll get out here at some point.
Nina
Peter Scarnati says
Just wondering what the daytime/nighttime temps are at your location this time of year? The wife and I are always looking for summer escapes to places where the weather isn’t hot. Also, what is the bug situation like?
Thanks for your great info and pictures. Truly appreciated!
libertatemamo says
Daytime we’ve been hitting 80-84, nighttime it’s been 50-58. We’ve had a few cooler days, but that’s been the mean.
As for bugs we’ve had ZERO mosquitoes…seriously none at all! A few random flies, but very little. There are almost no bugs here!! It’s been sooooooo nice.
Nina
Peter Scarnati says
Super!! Is that heaven, or is it Idaho?
libertatemamo says
Not sure…might be a bit of both?
Nina
Shelly says
Wow, you did a lot of exploring! Great photos.
We also drive around more when we’re confined to a cramped RV park, so it all balances out.
Neat overview of the area’s attractions.
libertatemamo says
I have to admit that being in a tight RV park has definitely encouraged us to get out more. Never thought that would be an advantage, but in this case it has.
Nina
Laurel says
It looks absolutely beautiful, Nina—with so many fun things to do! Love the hiking and wildflowers, and even my favorite kind of bike trail! Thanks for all of the wonderful tips. 🙂
libertatemamo says
I think you would both love it here. Lots of wild nature in close reach.
Nina
Jose and Marcy Reyes says
Nina, Paul….
My wife and I enjoy reading about your adventures and the places you have visited in the last few years, It seems to me that either, you have never written about the “Beast” or I missed it, I would be interested on knowing the following…. what year is it? what brand? how many miles have you put in it since you got it? how reliable it has been, have you ever been stranded due to a mechanical break down? etc, etc.
Thanks!
Thank You
Jose and Marcy,
fulltiming on a 2011 Thor Astoria 40′, so far we have visited most national parks and many places in between. Last year we drove all the way to Alaska.
libertatemamo says
I’ve got quite a few posts on “the beast”, but granted they are buried within the 900+ other posts I’ve written. In summary “the beast” has been GREAT. She’s a 40-foot Holiday Rambler (40 PDQ) with a Cummins engine and Allison transmission. We’ve had (touch wood) no major break-downs in the time we’ve owned herand we LOVE both the Engine & the transmission. She ROCKS grades, never gets over-heated and runs like a dream.
The only major issue we’ve had in 6+ years is the large dining room slide. Because of the weight of the fridge in the slide we’ve had to had that adjusted and fixed (you can do a search on “slide woes” on my side-bar and you’ll see the posts on this). We’ve also had to replace tires, but that was part of normal maintenance. We take her to get serviced every year.
Nina
Jodee says
Such a huge variety of beautiful places – and means of getting there – in this area. Love the Norton Lake pic and all the wildflowers. Always wonderful to find a place that is so doggie-friendly (even when doggie can’t go).
libertatemamo says
Totally agree. We LOVE that it’s so dog-friendly here.
Nina
Richard Wilkes says
Nina, once again your photography is superb and your explanations wonderful! We are continuing our get ready for some full time and are looking at different bicycle types. Can you comment on the bike types that you typically see, are the most appropriate for your ‘Nina’ type of riding? It would be great to see an article with that bent as well. We are considering more of a ‘Cruiser’ style. You appear to be riding more of a hybrid type.
libertatemamo says
Yes, yes…go cruiser type for sure! I have a hybrid cruiser that I LOVE, a Trek Navigator 2.0 which (sadly) they don’t make anymore. It’s got thicker road tires (a bit like a mountain bike, but not quite as nobbly), but an “upright” cruiser ride (you sit pretty upright in the saddle). It’s very comfy and can handle road as well as easy, gravel off-road. I’d definitely recommend something like that, and most cruiser type bikes fit the bill.
Nina
Richard Wilkes says
Thanks! We ended up getting something similar to what you had for her. A ‘Specialized’ Expedition low entry. https://www.specialized.com/us/en/expedition-low-entry/106334 I guess these are technically classified as a ‘comfort’ class. Comfort seating and upright posture with gears and build to handle light to moderate trails, perfect! We found the true cruisers which are more like a beach bike to not fit as well and be generally for flat strolling. I will probably order the boy version shortly 🙂
libertatemamo says
Excellent! And good point about true beach cruisers. Many I’ve seen only have a few gears (sometimes only one) and that’s too limiting IMHO. Having a few more gears opens up so many more possibilities. Sounds like you found the perfect compromise.
Nina
Richard Wilkes says
Thanks Nina. One final finding. Trek still makes a bike very similar to yours. It is the Trek Shift and comes in different levels Shift 1,2,3. Pretty popular market segment I would think.
libertatemamo says
You’re right! That looks exactly like mine. Good sleuthing.
Nina
libertatemamo says
You can see a good pic of my bicycle in this post:
https://www.wheelingit.us/2012/06/26/pauls-progess-the-coquille-river-lighthouse-bullards-beach-or/
Nina
Kent says
Wowza, Now that is a trip/destination report Nina!
I have put it on my map for a destination point on the way south from Montana this fall.
Thanks muchly!
libertatemamo says
Excellent! Enjoy the area!
Nina
Anne says
Idaho is a hidden gem.
Looks like “Paint your landscape” folks are mimicking your Bold and Crazy plans for 2016 in Canada. Once the paws are healed you can do that next year; in the mean time you’ve found new treasures!!
What are your travel plans from here?
libertatemamo says
Yeah Lu & Terry are producing some fine pics (and blogs) from Canada. Sure wish we had been able to go this year, but I can’t complain about where we ended up. Maybe next year, like you said.
From here we travel to Michigan. We plan to spend most of Aug there.
Nina
Maya says
I guess I’m a wimpy biker too! We’re traveling through Oregon right now and most of the biking has been along roads or highways. Now that we’re in Portland for a few days it’s nice to find so many bike paths!
libertatemamo says
I’m totally with you! By the way as a fellow wimpy biker I really recommend the Marine Drive Bike Trail in Portland. It’s a lovely 12 mile trail that goes along the Columbia River and is completely separated from the main road. I really enjoyed it when we were staying there!
Here’s a link: http://rideoregonride.com/road-routes/marine-drive-bike-path/
Nina
Sherry says
Hi…just stumbled on your site and am jealous! Can you share what you do with the pup while u r out? Do you just leave her in the RV with access on or?
libertatemamo says
We bring Polly almost everywhere, but the times we leave her home we simply leave the AC on, set to startup at a preset temp. We backup our electric with hefty batteries and solar so that if the main line goes down, the batteries kick in. We also have a generator as secondary backup. We generally don’t leave her for more than 4 hours at a time.
Nina
Rick & Brock the dog says
Hi there!
I’ve been following your blog for some time. Really enjoy it. Please encourage your readers that if they don’t have a very strong recall for their dog that it remain leashed while they are hiking. My dog is leashed so he stays close to me in the back country. While there are many wonderful dogs and dog friendly hikes I have found few (if any) dogs are voice controlled for being off-leash on trails. My dog has been attacked three separate times by off-leash “friendly” dogs while hiking. Dogs not used to being off-leash cause problems to other dog owners and wildlife especially when owners cannot control them.
Thanks for all that you’ve blogged about. I have found your site very, very useful and enjoyable!
libertatemamo says
I’m totally with you on that. Voice control means you *must* have recall. At least that’s the way I’ve always interpreted it. We trained Polly from a pup to walk off-leash, and that means she learned recall, stop and wait commands.
Nina