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 Things to do Good for Adrenaline Seekers 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. Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 153 reviews
The deepest river gorge in North America, Hells Canyon is accessible by jet boat or raft. Those who explore this rugged wilderness will find ancient tribal carvings in the rocks, deserted ranches and closed-up gold mines.
Reviewed By chrisn521 - Seattle, United States
An outstanding white water rafting trip with ROW Adventures out of Lewiston, Idaho. Water is dam controlled so there is always plenty of water. This company had the best river guides, accommodating the wide variety of folks in a group of sixteen. Beautiful scenery, good food, very thorough trip with knowledgeable guides. The only downside to the trip was sharing the river with the loud jet boats that also have access to the water after day two of the trip. Somehow jet boats do not equate with wilderness.
2. Payette River Company
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 408 reviews
Payette River Company offers day and overnight trips on the South Fork Payette In Idaho. Our multi-day trips treat you to PRCs private camp for a night on the river. The Canyon section has 25 class 3 & 4 rapids and a portage around a waterfall. Join us and make it the highlight of your summer.
3. Salmon Raft
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 138 reviews
Single day and multi day whitewater rafting excursions on the Salmon River! Trips leave daily from downtown McCall, with round-trip transportation included. Fun, splashy, and playful rapids for all adventure levels. Gourmet meals, white sand beaches, crystal clear and warm water. What more could you ask for?
4. Timberline Adventures
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,404 reviews
7 ziplines, 2 sky bridges, 2 autobelays, lunch and S'mores tour options and views that are out of this world are what make Timberline Adventures the ultimate outdoor experience in Coeur d’Alene. With a birds-eye view of the lake and forest, you are sure to be blown away by the beauty that surrounds you!
5. 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.
6. Idaho River Journeys
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 315 reviews
For over 40 years we have specialized in running the best multi-day rafting trips in the West. On every trip, we strive to exceed our reputation for superior customer service, careful attention to detail, and a crew of exceptional guides. We are a small, family-run outfit that focuses on personal service and providing a first-class river vacation. The reputation we hold so dear matches the high reputations of the Middle Fork Salmon. We look forward to sharing the experience of a Middle Fork Salmon trip with you.
7. Sawtooth Mountain Guides
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 128 reviews
Climb. Ski. Hike. Learn. #DedicatedToYourAdventure in the Sawtooths and surrounding mountains since 1985. Sawtooth Mountain Guides are your experts for climbing, hiking, backcountry skiing, and avalanche education near Stanley, Sun Valley, and Boise. Come experience the scenic Sawtooths and let us lead you on the perfect mountain adventure! In the summer months, join us for rock climbing to peak bagging, day hikes to multi-day backpacking…we have something to offer every age, ability, and appetite for adventure. When the snow flies, our extensive ski terrain ranges from the easily-accessible powder slopes and chutes of Galena and Banner Summits to the jaw-dropping ruggedness of the Sawtooth Mountains. Our guides have a winning combination of talent, training, and experience. We are the only guide service in Idaho to be accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association and our professional guides have been providing quality mountain experiences for over 35 years.
8. ROW Adventures - Salmon River Canyons
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 91 reviews
Welcome to the Riviera of the West! A Salmon River rafting dreamland come true. This is the legendary Salmon River of No Return where beautiful white-sand beaches glisten in the warm sun. Where 70-degree water beckons swimmers of all ages and whitewater rapids splash and make everyone beam with big grins from ear to ear. No other rafting river in the West is such a perfect combination of fun, intermediate rapids, awe-inspiring western scenery and gigantic white sand beaches with idyllic camping conditions. Daytime temperatures are typically 85 to 95 degrees and this, coupled with the warm river water, make for a rafting vacation like no other.
Reviewed By megdvm - Mystic, United States
The best part was knowing that our grandchildren were with a team that made sure the experiences the children had were safe, enjoyable (very), educational, and ones they might not have ever had before. I have never seen such consistently smiling and laughing children, ages 7 - 16! Heartwarming. In total, our group was composed of 18 guests, 6 adults and 10 youth, with 7 guides. The age range was from 7 - 76! Smiles were abounding on everyone. My husband and I have been lifelong campers and travelers, including some river rafting trips. We love what our country offers and the magic of being in nature. We looked for a company that provided a rafting trip for families to give our grandchildren and their parents a very different experience, sharing our love of the outdoors with them while offering our grandchildren some new challenges. ROW Adventures Salmon Canyon Family Magic rafting accomplished that and more in so many ways. Our five days were filled with fun experiences, smiles, making new friends, and enjoying each other's company. I cannot say enough positive things about the guides. The company ethos is one of the guests first, and this shows through in their caring, safety, and education about our role in the environment, with fun, great company, and excellent food added to the mixture. The guides all interacted with all age groups equally and happily. They seemed to effortlessly manage 18 individuals, each with their own needs, personalities, likes, and concerns. COVID interjected a potential worry into the mixture, but they had it well thought out. Their protocols emphasized safety, especially in confined areas, so were reassuring without being restrictive. If you are still looking for an experience that your family won't forget, no matter what the age, rafting with ROW Adventures will be the ticket. If you have younger kids or older "kids" that have never experienced being on a river, this is THE trip. It will introduce them to the magic sounds of the river, pristine white sand beaches on which to camp, eat, and then sleep on, under the stars looking up at the Milky Way. We sat around a campfire singing songs, and water fun far beyond that any pool can give them. And best, they will bring home memories that will last them a lifetime.
9. Black Tie Ski Rentals of Sun Valley
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 113 reviews
Black Tie Ski Rentals is a Full Service Ski and Snowboard Rental Delivery Company. No Lines, No Hassle. Let our professional ski techs safely fit you and your group with all your skiing needs, if there are any problems we are there to take care of it, and when you are done we pick everything up at a place that is convenient for you. Spend more time enjoying your ski vacation!!
Reviewed By Z6539TGsteveb
I normally don’t post reviews, but the experience I had with Black Tie Rentals was incredible. I was skiing in Sun Valley with my family for the Thanksgiving weekend, and thought we’d try a ski delivery service. My wife is a nurse and very cautious of Covid 19, so we try and stay away from stores and restaurants as much as possible. The Black Tie service was the best ski rental experience we have had, and we travel all over the world to ski. They came to our rental house to outfit our family of 6, and were very professional and polite. They made us feel extremely comfortable by maintaining distance as much as possible and wiped down all the equipment down before we tried it on. They were great with our kids, joking around with them from a safe distance and making it a fun experience that you don’t find in your standard ski rental shop. All of the equipment was great. Everything fit perfectly, and the skis were tuned to perfection. The best part was not having to lug the equipment back to the store when we were done skiing, which is hard with 4 little ones. We just gave them a call and they came and picked everything up from outside our house. I don’t think we will ever go back to the traditional ski rental shops again. I think they have locations at many major ski resorts, so we will definitely use them again. Thanks Black Tie!
10. Salmon River Scenic Byway
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 57 reviews
Reviewed By P2868BAalisonp
We traveled most of this route when we landed in Missoula and drove down to Salmon, ID. It starts at the border to Idaho (Lost Trial Pass area). Stunning views of the mountains/valleys and the Salmon River, loads of wildlife. We traveled the rest of the route later in the week when we drove to ghost towns - Bayhorse, Bonanza, and Custer. The views were exceptional.
