Surrounded by the towering Pioneer, Boulder, and Smoky Mountains, Sun Valley is Southern Idaho’s premiere recreation destination. Boasting over 250 days of sunshine, impressive annual snowfall, and over three hundred lakes and rivers throughout the region, Sun Valley provides the perfect year-round outdoor playground. Deep valleys, crystal-clear rivers, and sprawling alpine forests make it a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts seeking both adventure and tranquility.
In winter, Sun Valley transforms into a premier skiing destination with Bald Mountain offering challenging, steep runs for advanced skiers. Dollar Mountain is perfect for beginners and families with its gentle slopes and welcoming terrain. When springtime comes, Sun Valley blossoms from Ketchum to Stanley with activities like hiking the hundreds of miles of scenic alpine trails, golf, fly fishing or white-water rafting in the legendary Big Wood River, or mountain biking on singletrack trails.
History lovers will also find plenty to explore in and around Sun Valley. First home to bands of the Shoshone-Bannock tribes for thousands of years, settlers were drawn to this rugged landscape during the gold rush of the late 1800s - when the area was known as Wood River Valley. Its fame as a ski destination began in the 1930s, when the area was also renamed Sun Valley due to its abundant sunshine.
Established in 1936 by Union Pacific Railroad chairman W. Averell Harriman, Sun Valley proudly holds the title of America's first destination ski resort. It introduced the world's first chairlift and quickly became a glamorous retreat for Hollywood stars and literary icons including Ernest Hemingway, who was passionate about the area and resided for a time in nearby Ketchum. Today, visitors can stop by the Ernest Hemingway Memorial on Trail Creek Road just east of the iconic Sun Valley lodge.
Plan your idyllic Southern Idaho getaway with a trip to Sun Valley. From the Village to base to peak, select your elevated experience for any time of the year.
