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3. Sun Valley Resort, Idaho

3. Sun Valley Resort, Idaho

Sun Valley local flavor
(Photo: Courtesy of Sun Valley)

There’s a special magic on tap at Sun Valley. It’s the birthplace of the modern ski vacation, having installed the first chairlifts in the world in 1936. That’s some pretty significant history right there, and something that this elegant, well-coiffed resort remains proud of to this day. And rightfully so.

The history is palpable in the hallways and common spaces at the Sun Valley Lodge—where Hemingway finished “For Whom the Bell Tolls” in Suite 206, and dozens of Hollywood stars rubbed elbows with international royalty in the 1940s and ’50s.

It’s still a place with a sense of glamour—off the slopes and on. Sun Valley’s loyal fan base ranks it favorably in skier amenities: Lodging, Dining, Après, Nightlife, Lifts, Service, Grooming, you get the gist. And the skiing—intermediate to expert terrain at Bald Mountain, or Baldy, and a beginner’s paradise at Dollar Mountain—satisfies all comers.

The village at the base of Baldy is a convenient and luxurious place to bed down, but the action is in nearby Ketchum, possibly the perfect iteration of a ski town—swathed in Western authenticity, with a serving of rustic chic on the side. A special place, indeed.

RG 24 Top 30 West

No. 3 in the West: Sun Valley, Idaho

Sun Valley Mountain Stats

Average Snowfall Acres Lifts Trails
220″ 2,457 18 121

Sun Valley Pass Info

Sun Valley is on the Ikon Pass and the Mountain Collective pass. Full Ikon Pass holders get 7 days of skiing at the resort. Ikon Base Plus pass holders get 5 days. Sun Valley is not accessible on the Ikon Base pass. Mountain Collective pass holders get two blackout-free days at the resorts plus 50 percent off additional lift tickets.

Trip Planning

From lodging to dining to what to do off the slopes in Sun Valley, Idaho, check out the SKI Editors’ top picks.

What’s New

The Christmas and Seattle Ridge lifts are both getting upgrades this season. The Christmas chair, formerly a quad, will become a chondola, with six-passenger chairs as well as gondolas running from the base to the Roundhouse Lodge. The Seattle Ridge chair will be upgraded from a quad to a high-speed six-pack.

Must Ski

The Sunrise terrain expansion added 380 additional acres of advanced, gladed, backcountry-esque terrain served by a new high-speed quad.

Family Experience

Rent snowshoes from the Sun Valley Nordic & Snowshoe Center and explore the surrounding snow-packed trails with mountain views off in the distance.

Best Value

Thrift-store shoppers, rejoice! The Gold Mine is a Ketchum treasure, and likely the spot where you’ll find your next treasure, as well. People have been known to score everything from practically new skis to high-fashion duds.

Lodging

Sun Valley Lodge aside, the Limelight, in Ketchum, ushers in a new era in hotel options. Check it out.

Best Breakfast

We love the brioche cinnamon French Toast at the log cabin Kneadery.

Family Activity

A skate on the year-round outdoor ice rink is a must.

Dinner Reservation

Ride the gondy to the Roundhouse: elegant on-mountain dining in a timber-and-stone structure built in 1939.

Local Secret

Natural hot springs. The Big Wood River Valley abounds with them, and you don’t have to get naked. (It’s illegal. Phew.)

Dinner Pick

Rickshaw is tiny and cozy with amazing Southeast Asian cuisine stashed in a renovated house a couple blocks off Main.

Lunch Spot

The ramen bowls at newly rebuilt Warm Springs Lodge might be the ultimate ski lunch: warm, filling, and healthy.

Sun Valley’s Website

Sun Valley local flavor
(Photo: Courtesy of Sun Valley)

There’s a special magic on tap at Sun Valley. It’s the birthplace of the modern ski vacation, having installed the first chairlifts in the world in 1936. That’s some pretty significant history right there, and something that this elegant, well-coiffed resort remains proud of to this day. And rightfully so.

The history is palpable in the hallways and common spaces at the Sun Valley Lodge—where Hemingway finished “For Whom the Bell Tolls” in Suite 206, and dozens of Hollywood stars rubbed elbows with international royalty in the 1940s and ’50s.

It’s still a place with a sense of glamour—off the slopes and on. Sun Valley’s loyal fan base ranks it favorably in skier amenities: Lodging, Dining, Après, Nightlife, Lifts, Service, Grooming, you get the gist. And the skiing—intermediate to expert terrain at Bald Mountain, or Baldy, and a beginner’s paradise at Dollar Mountain—satisfies all comers.

The village at the base of Baldy is a convenient and luxurious place to bed down, but the action is in nearby Ketchum, possibly the perfect iteration of a ski town—swathed in Western authenticity, with a serving of rustic chic on the side. A special place, indeed.

RG 24 Top 30 West

No. 3 in the West: Sun Valley, Idaho

Sun Valley Mountain Stats

Average Snowfall Acres Lifts Trails
220″ 2,457 18 121

Sun Valley Pass Info

Sun Valley is on the Ikon Pass and the Mountain Collective pass. Full Ikon Pass holders get 7 days of skiing at the resort. Ikon Base Plus pass holders get 5 days. Sun Valley is not accessible on the Ikon Base pass. Mountain Collective pass holders get two blackout-free days at the resorts plus 50 percent off additional lift tickets.

Trip Planning

From lodging to dining to what to do off the slopes in Sun Valley, Idaho, check out the SKI Editors’ top picks.

What’s New

The Christmas and Seattle Ridge lifts are both getting upgrades this season. The Christmas chair, formerly a quad, will become a chondola, with six-passenger chairs as well as gondolas running from the base to the Roundhouse Lodge. The Seattle Ridge chair will be upgraded from a quad to a high-speed six-pack.

Must Ski

The Sunrise terrain expansion added 380 additional acres of advanced, gladed, backcountry-esque terrain served by a new high-speed quad.

Family Experience

Rent snowshoes from the Sun Valley Nordic & Snowshoe Center and explore the surrounding snow-packed trails with mountain views off in the distance.

Best Value

Thrift-store shoppers, rejoice! The Gold Mine is a Ketchum treasure, and likely the spot where you’ll find your next treasure, as well. People have been known to score everything from practically new skis to high-fashion duds.

Lodging

Sun Valley Lodge aside, the Limelight, in Ketchum, ushers in a new era in hotel options. Check it out.

Best Breakfast

We love the brioche cinnamon French Toast at the log cabin Kneadery.

Family Activity

A skate on the year-round outdoor ice rink is a must.

Dinner Reservation

Ride the gondy to the Roundhouse: elegant on-mountain dining in a timber-and-stone structure built in 1939.

Local Secret

Natural hot springs. The Big Wood River Valley abounds with them, and you don’t have to get naked. (It’s illegal. Phew.)

Dinner Pick

Rickshaw is tiny and cozy with amazing Southeast Asian cuisine stashed in a renovated house a couple blocks off Main.

Lunch Spot

The ramen bowls at newly rebuilt Warm Springs Lodge might be the ultimate ski lunch: warm, filling, and healthy.

Sun Valley’s Website

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