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
The 10 Best Mountains in Idaho, United States
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. Heavens Gate Lookout
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 10 reviews
Offers views of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington mountains, as well as the Snake River valley.
Reviewed By CollinCTS - Memphis, United States
Seven Devils Road was about the most nerve racking obstacle I have ever encountered. We visited in early October as apart of a non-stop 5,600 mile road trip starting and ending in Memphis, TN. A massive blizzard blanketed much of the northwest MT/ID region shortly before my arrival there. Had a 4WD Jeep Compass and it handled the minor snow to the lookout of the Seven Devils (pictured). Then things got CRAZY. I went around the other side of the mountain where the road curved looking for an alternate route back down and was going to bypass the ascent to Heaven’s Gate that I thought I passed based on previous research. I found myself on the most narrow and STEEP road I’ve ever driven. Wall of mountain on the right, straight drop on the left with no railing or trees to catch a vehicle. As I drove further with no way to turn around, the snow kept getting thicker. My girlfriend thought we were going to die for sure, and I was just trying to keep my nerves. My 65 year old uncle in back offered an eerily comforting voice as we all feared the worst. My vehicle slipped back towards the edge twice on the way up. I kept it in 1st geared and crawled up. Made it up to the top (Heavens Gate Trailhead) and visibility was near 0% as the snow storm was coming in. No picture taken as we knew we still had to go down the same way we came up. I recommend it, but don’t do it with snow. Walk from the main lookout. Thankful we’re alive as it was an extreme possibility that we would tumble 6k+ feet to our deaths. Must-see
2. Schweitzer Mountain Resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 357 reviews
Mountain and ski area located in northern Idaho.
Reviewed By AniT371
We did 9 days here of snowboarding for a family of 5, second year here after discovering it from our family who lives nearby. Great staff, very friendly and fun. Stayed at the White Pine Lodge. My kids did the runs by themselves all day. Excellent prices if you book online lift tickets. Good cafeteria on site with delicious burgers, fries, drinks. My 10 year old got stuck by herself in an area hard to get out of, and a staff member pulled her by his ski pole to the run area for safety. She also have no crowds except during weekend peak times. I just wish the Musical Chairs chair would go slower upon getting off, I kept falling! The other lifts are fast and almost stop to allow you to get off easily. The area is known for excellent snow, no crowds, and good variety of runs. This place is a hidden gem.
3. Bald Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 141 reviews
Reviewed By mechandler
My home. . . Mt Baldy is host to skiers from all over the world. A wide variety of long runs with great snow that is supported by artificial for early season cover. 3000 vert ft will challenge your lets but there are several beautiful lodges around the mountain for recovery! Great for families if all are strong intermediate and above. Lower lever skiers will be happier on Dollar mtn nearby. Many options for physically challenged skiers served by Higher Ground USA.
4. Dollar Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 66 reviews
Reviewed By sagebrushsteppe - Adin, United States
The staff was very helpful. Easy to park and get to and from lifts. Nothing there for advanced skiers other than terrain parks. very short runs. It would be a great place to learn to ski, take a family with young hildren (I saw a child care there) very low key and pleasant for what it was.
5. Galena Summit
6. Jug Mountain Ranch
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27 reviews
Reviewed By MegMZ - Chicago, United States
If you’re looking to get out in nature while in Idaho, you’ll definitely want to come to Jug Mountain Ranch. They offer a ton of different activities – during this particular trip we decided to try our hand at fat tire snow biking. It is a WORKOUT! Dustin and Andy got us set up (you can bring your own helmet or use one of theirs) and explained the trails. They also talked us through the difference between regular biking and snow biking (there’s a lot less traction so you’ll be doing more work than you would be with regular biking.). The trail system was great – everything is well groomed and easy to navigate. There are a lot of trees and if it’s sunny it can get pretty warm in the sun (and cold in the shade) so I suggest wearing layers and bringing a backpack. Overall, it was a ton of fun. I want to come back for mountain biking!
7. Lizard Butte
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 7 reviews
8. Silver Mountain Resort
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 197 reviews
Close to Coeur d'Alene, Silver Mountain offers nature trails, biking, skiing and an annual microbrew festival on August 3.
Reviewed By Fearesd - Nampa, United States
The one bedroom condo is very spacious. Great full kitchen and large bathroom. Nice sized tub. Wife was pleased about that. The only thing I could say as a negative is the parking situation. Not enough parking in front of our building. I had to park in the lot for the next building over.
9. Borah Peak (Mount Borah)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By Poppenlander
If you're an experienced hiker or climber, this trail is a great option while in central Idaho. I stayed in Mackay to get an early start. I was up at 5:00 a.m. and on the trail by around 6:00 a.m. The standard route to summit Borah Peak is less than four miles one way, but it gains nearly 5300 feet of elevation. The park service guide suggests allowing 12 hours and I wanted several miles under my belt before the sun got hot. The first mile or so is pretty standard stuff, a trail climbing steeply up switchbacks through a scrubby forest. Once you gain the ridgeline, you are out in the open, with no tree cover, above 9000 feet; keeping an eye on weather conditions is a good idea. The most famous section of the trail is Chickenout Ridge, a class three scramble that ends in a sharp drop of about 15 or 20 feet. I was concerned about Chickenout going in, but found the footing solid, the vertigo manageable and multiple decent route options at most junctures. After Chickenout, the trail skirts a rock outcropping before coming to the saddle. The last ascent section is very steep and was pretty windy. I was there in September and found a little bit of snow at the saddle before the final summit. I saw a total of nine other people on the trail that day. All but one of them made it to the top; the last one turned back at Chickenout. My total time was just under 10 hours. The views from the top - the highest point in Idaho - are well worth the effort!
10. Heaven's Gate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By Claudio_Ivrea - Ivrea, Italy
Heaven Gate offers a 360 degree view on a large set of mountains from Oregon, Montana and Idaho. When arrived at the parking the end of the Seven Devils road a 18 miles road (5 paved and 13 unpaved but in good condition) I did a 15 min hike to the top where a fire patrolling cabin is located. I'm been welcome by the people working there and they explained me a little bit of the life in such a context. It was a good day with no wind at all and the view was outstanding. You can see a good portion of the Hell's Canyon of the Snake river and all around a lot of mountains chains one behind the other. Unfortunately I didn't see a lot of wild life but squirrels but I'm been assured there is all variety of Idaho wilderness wildlife around. It might be you'll have better chance than me when there. Highly recommended
