Top Things to do in Idaho
Top Hotels in Idaho
- 1. The Riverside Hotel, BW Premier Collection
- 2. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Boise Towne Square
- 3. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Coeur d Alene
- 4. Modern Hotel
- 5. My Place Hotel-Twin Falls, ID
- 6. Hampton Inn & Suites Boise-Downtown
- 7. Best Western Plus Coeur D'Alene Inn
- 8. The Grove Hotel
- 9. La Quinta by Wyndham Pocatello
- 10. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Twin Falls
10 Hidden Gems Things to do in Idaho That You Shouldn't Miss
A mixture of forested mountains, alpine peaks, wildflower meadows, deep river canyons, and high plains deserts, Idaho is a paradise for golf, skiing, fly fishing, and river rafting. Boise, the capital, is the state's largest city and airline hub. North of Boise are golf, lake, and ski resorts from McCall in the south to Sandpoint and Coeur D'Alene in the north. East of Boise are the ski slopes of Ketchum and Sun Valley. East of Sun Valley are Craters of the Moon National Monument, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, and the small town of Island Park just across the border from Yellowstone National Park. Boise's Basque Museum and Cultural Center reflects having the largest Basque population in the U.S. Reflecting Idaho's diverse heritage, near the Idaho Historical Museum in Boise's Julia Davis Park is the Idaho Black History Museum's chronicle of the slave York who served the Lewis & Clark Expedition. After a family visit to the Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey and an outdoor performance at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, the next stop after Boise is likely to be Payette Lake in McCall or Sun Valley and Ketchum. About 100 miles north of Boise, past Cascade Lake, McCall takes you to the shores of Payette Lake. Go golfing, fishing, hiking, biking, waterskiing, sailing, boating, or whitewater river rafting. Ski or snowshoe Brundage Mountain or Tamarack Resorts, as well as Ponderosa State Park in winter. Ice skate year-round at Manchester Ice & Event Centre. About 450 miles north of Boise, there are resort lakes near skiing and golf at Coeur d'Alene, Hayden Lake, and Sandpoint. Golf, tennis, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, rafting, and hunting are popular in Sun Valley and Ketchum. Sockeye salmon may no longer do much spawning in Redfish Lake, but the boating and mountain scenery in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area make the short trip north to Stanley worthwhile. When the snows come the whole family will head for the slopes of Soldier Mountain, Bald Mountain, Dollar Mountain, or the Sun Valley Resort. A tiny forested town of about 250 people, Island Park has a large reservoir with fishing and boating, as well as Henry's Fork of the Snake River for fly fishing. It's only 15 miles from Yellowstone as well.
Restaurants in Idaho
1. Middle Fork of the Salmon River
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 128 reviews
The 105-mile stretch of the Salmon River cuts through a highly inaccessible and untamed part of Idaho's rugged countryside.
Reviewed By gamemasterh
My wife and I signed up for a late season trip with guided outfitter Northwest Rafting. The pricing was fair and the office staff was very helpful before and right up to the put-in morning. The guides with Northwest Rafting were truly a great bunch of human beings. Each was skilled at rafting and a pleasure to share the river experience with. What a joy to spend 6 days with such nice industrious young people. The food was amazingly good - while the highly-promoted omelet/egg muffin breakfast was very good, it was surpassed by the blueberry pancakes with chicken sausage and of course, the (meat or veggie) lasagna. The regular dutch over baking was unexpected and always cooked perfectly (not undercooked gooey nor overcooked dry - talent!). The Middle Fork is an amazingly wonderful unspoiled river. I encourage anyone to make this trip. We are enthusiastic about rafting more rivers with Northwest Rafting.
2. Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 116 reviews
Reviewed By westernu_12 - Marysville, United States
Best Trail I have been on. We rode up to Mullan, down to Harrison and got some ice cream, continued down to the old train trestle across the bridge and back to our vehicle. We got 130 miles this day! We saw at least 9 moose, 2 beavers, 2 muskrats, birds (maybe some pelicans in the mix? We didn't know what these albatross looking birds were.) There is little drinking water on the trail. There is water at the maintenance facility, and Heyburn State Park.
3. Mesa Falls
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 397 reviews
Reviewed By Stendel - Eastpointe, United States
We were in Idaho Falls at the tourist center and the gentleman there recommended we take this side trip.Mesa Falls is located on Mesa Falls Scenic Byway off Highway 20 in the Targhee National Forest In Ashton. It was very impressive. The upper falls require some walking and steps. The path to it is not very long but there are a member of steps broken down in groups. The upper falls were beautiful. Large enough for mist to form. There are benches to sit and enjoy the falls. The smaller falls required less effort to reach and were just as impressive. We really enjoyed the falls and highly recommend.
4. Collector Corner Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 69 reviews
Collectors Corner Museum's Featured exhibit area changes every 3 months. Take some time and enjoy a fun and relaxing museum experience.
Reviewed By K594YSlisap
We LOVED this wonderful museum! The owners were phenomenal and so informative. Their cheerful way of teaching made this an incredible experience for all of us. It had an incredible history worth of items all the way up to the present day. They provided a great scavenger hunt that kept us all searching and enjoying all the museum had to offer. We would definitely recommend this to anyone! Great for kids and adults.
5. Pulaski Tunnel Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 92 reviews
Reviewed By 918brucef - San Antonio, United States
Very scenic with great history lesson from sign boards along Trail. 2 mile hike with quarter mile markers. Along Creek that flows year round. Plan on 3 hour total experience. Bring a camera.
6. Seven Stars Alpaca Ranch
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 421 reviews
SELF GUIDED TOURS BY APPOINTMENT DURING COVID THROUGH 2021. Email us and let us know how many in your group, date, and time. We understand the need for people to enjoy the great outdoors and meet some really wonderful animals. We charge $10 for people 12 and over, $5 for kids, toddlers under 3 are free. No children under 12 are allowed in the fenced areas with the animals but a walk-about along the fence is always fun. Mask and Social Distancing are required on the ranch if you are close to any of our guest and ourselves. Respect Sonia, Andy, and the 77 Heartbeats
Reviewed By 612amiah
Seven Stars Alpaca Ranch was amazing! Our guide, Sonia, was so nice and explained everything as we went around the ranch. You can tell she cares a lot about her animals and is willing to answer any and all questions about them. She offers to take your picture with the animals, and you can pet them. The little gift shop is amazing too, with items even made from the fur of the alpacas on the ranch! This is an excursion you won't regret!
7. Japanese Pavilion
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 85 reviews
Reviewed By Stendel - Eastpointe, United States
A beautiful, peaceful garden .Sit by the peaceful stream that runs through this beautiful garden .Just across the street from downtown and the falls yet worth the visit. Absolutely beautiful.
8. Craters of the Moon National Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,212 reviews
An ocean of blackened lava flows holds opportunities to relax, explore, and enjoy for all ages and abilities. The monument is an easy day trip from Boise, Sun Valley, and Idaho Falls. Click on the link below to learn more about this unearthly landscape and start planning your visit today.
Reviewed By Christigal - Apex, United States
We visited the Visitor's Center and watched the film to educate ourselves about what we were seeing. There is a loop road that is great if you are not mobile. Each stop on the loop offered different geological/Volcanic features and varying lengths of trails and hikes. In one place you can climb a cinder cone, another you can peer into a spatter cone, you can see the different types of lava flows, climb down into lava tube caves and more. Such a great way to spend a day.
9. Henry's Lake State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
Camping site located a few miles from Yellowstone National Park.
Reviewed By mysugarpie - Tulsa, United States
Beautiful views of the mountains and crystal clear lake formed 50,000 years ago from two glaciers. The sites were well spaced. Some back in and pull thru. Some with fulll hookups. Lots of trails. Level, paved pad and roads. The restroom facilities were modern and clean. There were ample pet stations. The park was clean and quiet, but not many trees. It is two miles from main road. The staff was very nice. Would highly recommend.
10. Mad Bomber Brewing Company
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19 reviews
