Getting Out There in Sun Valley & Stanley, IdahoFrom Sun Valley to Stanley, this fall trip packs in mountain biking around Redfish Lake, sunrise lakeside hikes, guided horseback rides and ridgeline trails. Between adventures, warm up in hot springs and refuel with fantastic local eats all along the way.Authorsjackprobasco
DestinationsIdahoItinerary

Day 1

Slick Rock Coffee Co
Quick stop for coffee en route to Sun Valley. This cozy Boise café pours lattes, breves and pour-overs, with bagels, croissants and cookies to grab for the road.
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Konditorei Restaurant
Settle in by the fire at Konditorei, a chalet-style café in Sun Valley Village that’s loaded with delectable eats, from Austrian-inspired brunch to fresh pastries. Save room for the Old World hot cocoa, made with steamed milk and melted dark chocolate.
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Pioneer Cabin
Rode mountain bikes to this spot for the most epic light show. Perched at about 9,400 feet in the Pioneer Mountains, this rustic cabin went up in the late 1930s as a ski hut, giving Sun Valley’s alpine touring school a base for backcountry skiing in the range.
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Best Western Plus Kentwood Lodge
Best Western Plus Kentwood Lodge sits right on Ketchum’s Main Street, with an indoor pool and hot tub ready for the end of the day. Hungry? Wrap City Café on-site serves breakfast and lunch. Every room has a fridge and microwave, and some even come with a fireplace or balcony.
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Enoteca
Tucked inside Ketchum’s historic Lane Mercantile building, Enoteca serves up Italian comfort with house-cured meats, cheese platters with local honey and Napoletano-style pizzas from an open wood-fired oven. Save room for dessert, since the sweets are made in-house.
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Day 2

4 Roots Ketchum
Grab a bite here before a big day in the mountains. 4 Roots is a local go-to for breakfast burritos, açaí bowls and organic smoothies, with plenty of gluten-free options and espresso to go.
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Little Redfish Lake
We did a sunrise hike at Little Redfish Lake, just north of Redfish Lake near Stanley, and watched the light hit the Sawtooth Mountains across the water. Come back later in the day for kayaking, canoeing, swimming or a little fishing.
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Balance Bike Works
Rent bikes at Balance Bike Works for the Redfish Lake Loop and beyond. The Stanley shop also sells gear and handles repairs, which comes in handy with so much singletrack and open road around this mountain town.
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Redfish Trailhead
A roughly 14-mile ride around the lake with steep, rocky climbs, fast descents and big Sawtooth views. For something mellower, the Fishhook Creek Trail is an easy spin up to the wilderness boundary.
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Stanley Baking Company & Café
Stanley Baking Co. is a log cabin bakery right in town, with a patio looking out at the Sawtooths. Get coffee and a cinnamon roll at the walk-up window, or go inside for a plate of oatmeal pancakes.
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Redfish Lake Lodge
Book dinner at Limbert’s, the restaurant inside Redfish Lake Lodge, named for founder Bob “Two Gun” Limbert. Go for the trout or salmon with the lake right outside the windows, then swing by Two Gun’s Cafe out front for a Bullet Hole, the lodge’s signature donut.
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Mountain Village Hot Spring
Each bathhouse at Mountain Village Resort has a big door that opens onto the Sawtooth Mountains, so you can take in the peaks from the hot water. It’s one of the most sought-after hot springs in Stanley, so be sure to book in advance.
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Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve
The country’s first International Dark Sky Reserve stretches from Sun Valley up to Stanley, and it holds gold-tier status for some of the darkest skies around. On a clear night, look up to see the Milky Way spilling over the Sawtooths.
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Day 3

Alpine Way Trail
Take the Alpine Way Trail up to the ridge for a wide-open look over the Stanley Basin. On the way up, Redfish Lake sits far below and the jagged Sawtooth peaks rise just above.
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Sawtooth Coffee Company
Sawtooth Coffee Company in Stanley has good coffee with fresh-baked treats, and the patio looks out over the river.
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Redfish Lake Corrals
Redfish Lake Corrals is run by Mystic Saddle Ranch, a family-owned outfitter that has been guiding riders through the Sawtooths for decades. The trail horses are gentle, so it’s an easy way for anyone to see the mountains from the saddle.
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Sawtooth National Recreation Area
We saw this corner of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area from the saddle, riding through quiet pine forest and open meadows with alpine lakes along the way.
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Mountain Village Resort
Mountain Village Resort sits in the middle of Stanley, within walking distance of just about everything in town. The family-owned property has its own restaurant, a saloon with an outdoor fire pit and a dance hall that hosts live music
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Papa Brunee's Pizza and Subs
Swing by Papa Brunee’s after a great day for personal pizzas, calzones and subs from this rustic little shop in downtown Stanley.
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Day 4

Valley Creek Hot Springs
We squeezed in a morning soak at Valley Creek Hot Springs before heading out of town. It’s a free, rock-lined pool on the edge of Stanley, just a few steps from the creek.
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Optional Stays

Sun Valley Lodge
Ernest Hemingway finished For Whom the Bell Tolls in Suite 206 of Sun Valley Lodge, the flagship of America’s first destination ski resort, and photos of famous guests still line its halls. The lodge has 65 rooms with fireplaces, five Celebrity Suites named for stars like Marilyn Monroe and Clint Eastwood, a 20,000-square-foot spa and one of the oldest bowling alleys in the Northwest.
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Hotel Ketchum
Guests at Hotel Ketchum can borrow bikes for free and pedal a few blocks into downtown, then warm up by the outdoor fire pit or book a room with its own fireplace. The heated outdoor pool and hot tub are open all year, and mornings start with a complimentary continental breakfast.
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Triangle C Cabins
Twelve standalone log cabins make up Triangle C Cabins, spread across 2.5 open acres in Stanley with room for yard games. Each cabin has a porch for watching the sun drop behind the mountains, and larger groups can book the four-bedroom Triangle A Cabin or the Triangle C Lodge, which sleeps up to 22.
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Stanley High Country Inn
Reserve a private soak in the outdoor hot tub at Stanley High Country Inn, a year-round inn in downtown Stanley with rooms, suites and cabin-style units. From January through April, the inn also serves brunch.
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Smiley Creek Lodge
Once a sawmill, Smiley Creek Lodge is now a family-run outpost near the headwaters of the Salmon River, with a restaurant, general store and gas station on site. Stay in a yurt, a teepee or a cabin, including newer ones with full kitchens, then rent an e-bike or paddleboard in summer or a snowmobile in winter.
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Sawtooth Hotel
The Sawtooth Hotel serves dinner in a dining room filled with antiques or out on a deck facing the peaks, with dishes like Columbia River steelhead on the menu. Rooms are available mid-May through mid-October, and two upstairs have king beds and heated bathroom floors, but none have TVs or phones.
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Galena Lodge
Galena Lodge stands on the site of a former silver-mining boomtown in the Boulder Mountains, about 23 miles north of Ketchum, and remnants of the old town were used for much of its interior. Its 47 miles of trails include routes on old mining and logging roads, and the lodge rents mountain bikes in summer and skis and snowshoes in winter.
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Tours

Whitewater Rafting - Full Day with Lunch
Spend the day rafting Idaho’s Salmon River, as experienced guides steer you through a string of Class I to III rapids. In the calmer stretches, watch for wildlife along the deep canyon walls, then pull over for lunch on the riverbank.
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Guided Steelhead Fishing on the Salmon River in Idaho
Hard-fighting steelhead are the prize on this guided day of fishing the Salmon River, offered in both the spring and fall seasons. You’ll float in a drift boat with padded seats and all the gear on board, while your guide works with anglers of every skill level, from first-timers to experts.
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