Bald Mountain Ski Area
Sun Valley's main mountain, known as Baldy: 3,400 vertical feet of groomed top-to-bottom runs, a fast lift network and the ski culture that helped invent the American resort.
Idaho
Sun Valley & Ketchum
Sun Valley is America's original destination ski resort, opened in 1936 beneath Bald Mountain, and Ketchum is the lively mountain town next door where Ernest Hemingway spent his last years.
Together they anchor Idaho's Wood River Valley: long groomed runs in winter, a free summer symphony, gondola rides, fly fishing and a paved valley trail in summer, and day trips over Galena Summit to Stanley, Redfish Lake and the Sawtooth Mountains. Craters of the Moon, Silver Creek and the Salmon River are all within easy reach. This guide covers 18 attractions, 9 hotels and 6 travel guides to help you plan.
Don't miss
Bald Mountain Ski Area
Sun Valley's main mountain, known as Baldy: 3,400 vertical feet of groomed top-to-bottom runs, a fast lift network and the ski culture that helped invent the American resort.
Hemingway Memorial and Gravesite
Follow the last years of Ernest Hemingway in Ketchum: a quiet gravesite in the town cemetery and a stone memorial beside Trail Creek carved with his own words.
Sawtooth Scenic Byway and Galena Summit
Highway 75 north of Ketchum climbs over Galena Summit for one of Idaho's great mountain views, then drops into the Sawtooth Valley and the headwaters of the Salmon River.
Craters of the Moon National Monument Guided Tour
A guided full-day trip to Idaho's otherworldly lava fields, with cinder cones, lava tubes and a landscape that astronauts once used for training.
Things to do in Sun Valley & Ketchum
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Bald Mountain in Summer: Roundhouse Gondola, Hiking and Biking
When the snow melts, Baldy turns into a hiking and mountain biking playground, with a scenic gondola ride to the Roundhouse and trails that drop back toward Ketchum.
Dollar Mountain
Sun Valley's gentle learning mountain, with wide groomed slopes, a terrain park and the easiest way for new skiers and snowboarders to find their feet.
Hemingway Memorial and Gravesite
Follow the last years of Ernest Hemingway in Ketchum: a quiet gravesite in the town cemetery and a stone memorial beside Trail Creek carved with his own words.
1 to 2 hoursDetails →
Wood River Trail
A paved, mostly flat path that follows the Big Wood River for around thirty miles between Bellevue and Ketchum, ideal for biking, walking and easy summer days.
1 to 4 hoursDetails →
Galena Lodge and Nordic Trails
A rustic mountain lodge about 24 miles north of Ketchum, surrounded by cross-country ski trails in winter and hiking and biking paths in summer.
Sawtooth Scenic Byway and Galena Summit
Highway 75 north of Ketchum climbs over Galena Summit for one of Idaho's great mountain views, then drops into the Sawtooth Valley and the headwaters of the Salmon River.
2 hours to a full dayDetails →
Stanley and the Sawtooth Valley
A tiny mountain town at the foot of the Sawtooth Range, with log buildings, river access, hot springs nearby and some of the most dramatic scenery in the state.
Half day to full dayDetails →
Redfish Lake
A glacier-carved alpine lake at the foot of the Sawtooth peaks, with swimming beaches, boat rides and trails that climb to quieter lakes.
2 hours to a full dayDetails →
Craters of the Moon National Monument Guided Tour
A guided full-day trip to Idaho's otherworldly lava fields, with cinder cones, lava tubes and a landscape that astronauts once used for training.
Sun Valley Center for the Arts
The valley's cultural hub, with gallery exhibitions in Ketchum, classes, lectures and film and performance events through the year.
Sun Valley Summer Symphony
A summer season of orchestral concerts under the open sky, famously free to the public, with the audience spread across the lawn beside the Sun Valley Pavilion.
2 to 3 hoursDetails →
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Sun Valley Resort
Sun Valley Village
The historic home of American destination skiing: a full-service mountain resort in Sun Valley village with lodge and inn rooms, restaurants, pools, an ice rink and lifts nearby.
Check rates →Limelight Hotel Ketchum
Downtown Ketchum
A modern, design-forward hotel in the center of Ketchum, a short walk from Main Street restaurants and the River Run base of Bald Mountain.
Check rates →Hotel Ketchum
Downtown Ketchum
A boutique-style hotel in downtown Ketchum, within walking distance of restaurants, galleries and the shuttle routes to Bald Mountain.
Check rates →Knob Hill Inn
Ketchum
An upscale boutique inn on the slope above Ketchum, known for refined rooms, quiet surroundings and easy access to Bald Mountain and downtown.
Check rates →Tamarack Lodge Sun Valley
Ketchum
A comfortable, mid-priced lodge in Ketchum with simple rooms, a friendly atmosphere and good access to the lifts and downtown.
Check rates →Best Western Tyrolean Lodge
Ketchum
A longtime Ketchum lodge with Alpine-style character, mid-priced rooms and a location close to Bald Mountain's lifts.
Check rates →Best Western Plus Kentwood Lodge
Ketchum
A reliable, mid-priced hotel in Ketchum with comfortable rooms and easy access to town, the lifts and the valley's trails.
Check rates →Hampton Inn by Hilton Hailey Sun Valley
Hailey
A modern chain hotel in Hailey, about twelve miles south of Ketchum, offering lower rates, easy parking and a short drive to the airport and the slopes.
Check rates →Wood River Inn and Suites
Hailey
A straightforward Hailey hotel with spacious rooms and suites, a good option for families and groups who want a lower-cost base in the valley.
Check rates →Tour + stay
Ready-made pairings: a top sight and a hotel that suits it. Add both to your trip and book each when you are ready.
Do
Bald Mountain Ski AreaStay
Sun Valley ResortSun Valley Village
Do
Hemingway Memorial and GravesiteStay
Limelight Hotel KetchumDowntown Ketchum
Do
Sawtooth Scenic Byway and Galena SummitStay
Hotel KetchumDowntown Ketchum
Sun Valley & Ketchum guides
Sun Valley and Ketchum for First-Time Visitors
How to plan a first trip to Sun Valley and Ketchum: where the resort ends and the town begins, how to get around, altitude, seasons and what to see.
Three Days in Sun Valley and Ketchum
A practical three-day itinerary for Sun Valley and Ketchum, with winter and summer options, a day trip and evening ideas.
Where to Stay in Sun Valley, Ketchum and Hailey
A guide to choosing between Sun Valley village, downtown Ketchum and Hailey, with notes on price, walkability and the hotels we picked.
Best Time to Visit Sun Valley and Ketchum
Season-by-season advice for Sun Valley: skiing winters, hiking summers, golden autumns and quiet springs, with crowd and price notes.
Hemingway in Sun Valley and Ketchum
A guide to Ernest Hemingway's connection to Sun Valley and Ketchum: where he stayed, wrote, hunted and is remembered.
Best Day Trips From Sun Valley
The best day trips from Sun Valley and Ketchum: Stanley, Redfish Lake, Craters of the Moon, Silver Creek and the Salmon River.
