A few short years ago Sun Valley was the hidden gem of the mountain biking world, with miles of empty singletrack just waiting to be ridden. Now, with a flurry of trail construction and the advent of the Ride Sun Valley bicycle festival, the area is taking its place on the podium next to Moab and Fruita as a top mountain bike destination.
This is a sponsored post. I grew up in Boise, and every time I’ve gone home to visit over the last few years, I’ve been impressed with how Boise is blossoming as a city. Boise has become the kind of place where you can go mountain biking, fishing, or climbing within minutes of downtown and finish off your day with local craft beer, delicious food, and live music. Even better, Boise is only two hours from McCall, an unassuming mountain town on the shore of Payette Lake, with raging rivers, hot springs, and uncrowded trails.
This is a sponsored post. There’s something magically relaxing about nursing a cocktail next to the water. It’s the stuff Jimmy Buffett songs are made of: sunshine, icy cold drinks and the rhythmic lap of waves on the beach.
Idaho’s long history of railroads, many built to serve the mining industry, has an impressive legacy: a vast collection of rail to trails across the state. Rail to trails are retired railroad lines converted to multi-use trails.
Steve Graepel worked in partnership with Visit Idaho to create this Travel Tip. Steaming across the desert pavement, I slowed the truck to read a long litany of warnings: “No gas, repair service, water, or medical...no large campers...dry camping only...recommended high clearance vehicles.” Idaho’s southwest is a desolate land.
With less than a week left before July 4th, there's just enough time to put together a celebration plan. To help you figure out what to do, here are some of the activities happening in communities around the state.
Spring has sprung and now summer is in full swing. These snapshots of some of Idaho’s hidden gems will have you ready to pack up and explore every scenic nook and cranny in the state. And who knows?
Morel mushrooms could be called the official food of McCall. These delicious finds are widespread, easy to identify, and give us all a reason to get out of the house come spring. Not to mention that morels are scrumptious!
Idaho's North Fork Championship needs to be on your event bucket list. This world-renowned whitewater kayaking event draws the best athletes from all over the globe to a mighty stretch of churning whitewater on the Payette River along Idaho's Highway 55.
This is a sponsored post. Every sunrise and sunset the horses run, untethered, across the dirt road and straight through the wide open field below our cabin. It surprises me at odd times – on our way to dinner or while eating breakfast, spoon halfway to my mouth, as the herd thunders past the huge picture windows.
Tara Morgan worked in partnership with Visit Idaho to create this Travel Tip. It’s a sunny Saturday morning in downtown Boise. You’ve just left a local farmers market, and you’re gripping a cashew milk cortado from Form & Function coffee in one hand and a tote bag sagging with fresh produce and free-range eggs in the other.
It's no secret the Road to the X Games is stopping in Boise. Come June 9th and 10th, Rhodes Skate Park in downtown Boise will transform into the ultimate battleground as world-class athletes fight it out for an invitation to X Games Minneapolis.
Every month we post a recap of our favorite photos that have been shared using the hashtag #VisitIdaho on Instagram and Facebook. This month has been particularly outstanding as the snow is melting and adventurers are getting outside and snapping some incredible shots!
This is a sponsored post. Looking for a fun place to watch the stars with your family, ride your recreational vehicles or try out sandboarding? St. Anthony Sand Dunes is the place to be. It's a 10,600-acre playground for you and your family to enjoy with sand dunes varying in size from five to 500 feet high. The dunes also offer a great view of Grand Teton, making sunrise or sunset extra special.
Idaho is a bird watcher’s wonderland. Our landscapes provide migration routes and year-round habitat for over 400 species of birds. Whether you’re a casual birder or a dedicated ornithologist adding to your life list, Idaho’s vast swaths of untouched wilderness are guaranteed to delight.
This is a sponsored post. Five days camping and rafting on Idaho's legendary Salmon River sounded like a perfect family vacation to me. But when I pitched the idea to my family of five (Kathleen my wife, Annika my oldest daughter and Olivia and Elsa my identical twin daughters) the approval rating was about 50/50.
Now is the perfect time to visit wineries in Idaho's three designated AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). Mix and match any of these 14 stops on the Sunnyslope Wine Trail in southwest Idaho to create the perfect wine weekend getaway.
The Middle Fork of the Salmon River runs right up the gut of the Frank Church Wilderness, the largest roadless area in the lower 48 and home to 2.5 million acres of wild. For whitewater enthusiasts, a remote, week-long, nearly 100-mile whitewater adventure is one of the most sought-after river trips in the country.
This is a sponsored post. I come from a small island in the middle of the Pacific. I blame my upbringing for my love of remote places, hidden gems, and wanting to go to the places where fewer footsteps roam.
At the end of every month, we recap of some of the most jaw-dropping and breathtaking photos submitted using the hashtag #VisitIdaho on Instagram and Facebook. We'll call out locations so you can craft your own Idaho road trip and see these amazing destinations for yourself.
This is a sponsored post. Jagged peaks, utter solitude, and stunning views are not in short supply in Idaho, but when my wife and I stumbled across the Seven Devils Recreational Area on the eastern rim of Hells Canyon, we knew immediately that we’d found an absolute gem.
This is a sponsored post. Eastern Idaho is a landscape of enchantingly clear rivers, thundering waterfalls, and towering lodgepole pine forests. I dive in with a desire for adventure and a full weekend ahead of me.
When I think of my childhood, I think of the South Fork of the Snake River. I remember the hours spent napping in the front of the drift boat, the collections of driftwood I’d take home, and the Dutch oven dinners around a glowing fire. Born and raised in Idaho, my parents took me on my first trip down the South Fork at six months old. I spent as much of my childhood on the river as in any playground, library, or classroom. Drop a line in the South Fork of the Snake River.
This is a sponsored post. On July 30th, 2016, Idaho natives and hardcore runners Andrija Barker and Taylor Neal set out on a journey to run the entire 960-mile Idaho Centennial Trail in just 30 days. It was a feat never before attempted.
Riggins, Idaho is home to about 413 people on most days. But not during race weekend. During the Salmon River Jet Boat Races the population of Riggins increases five-fold. The Salmon River Jet Boat Races, held the third weekend in April, are legendary in this quaint little canyon town that sits at the confluence of the Salmon River and the Little Salmon River. Known as Idaho's whitewater capital thanks to the Salmon, or "River of No Return", the churning whitewater on this river has been giving jet boat racers a run for their money for more than three decades.