by A. Sc.

Created on: June 20, 2008   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Sun Valley, Idaho, is a resort village nestled in the heart of the state, right next to the beautiful town of Ketchum. Referred to as "Sun Valley Ketchum", the area is located in the mountains and surrounded by pristine wilderness. Both the resort and town are also known for their amazing variety of astounding outdoor activities.

The best thing about every activity available in Sun Valley Ketchum is the intimate relationship it offers with nature. Wild animals, lush trees, and raging rivers all sit minutes from hotel rooms and restaurants. Flower-filled meadows offer breathtaking strolls and the outdoor focused town offers every kind of gear or equipment you could ever need.

Activities For Everyone

With less than a fifteen-minute drive, you can be swimming, white-water rafting, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, or boating. You can also go walking, hiking, horseback riding, and biking with just a short stroll. Don't forget that warm weather in the area also means hot-air balloon rides and world-class fishing.

Sun Valley offers an exquisite golf course, with exquisite fees to match. This is no muddy dump, but rather a huge and well-groomed course that even title-winners come to relax on. A somewhat smaller, though still pristine, golf course is also offered in nearby Ketchum.

The best thing about all of these activities is that they work for anyone. No matter your experience or inexperience, there is something for every age and skill. White-water rafting can be in truly dangerous white-water, or modified for families in a lazy stream with a few bumps and splashes. There is horseback riding for people who have never seen a horse, and for people who grew up training them.

Fishing opportunities range from lazy fun for your four-year old, to championship fly-fishing often seen in TV and movies. Hot-air balloon rides can be customized for a romantic marriage proposal, or for a rowdy family reunion.

There are also plenty of activities to work with your more relaxed moods. Summers in Ketchum and surrounding areas are filled with rodeos, art festivals, film festivals, theatre festivals, music festivals, food fairs and wine tastings of every variety. The Fly Fishing Film Festival goes on in June, while the Sun Valley Renaissance Faire and Sun Valley Shakespeare festivals take place in August

Activities For Specialists

Some of the more unusual attractions offered in the Sun Valley Ketchum area include BASE jumping, wilderness camping, extreme backpacking, rock climbing, and inland scuba diving. These activities are geared towards people with experience and knowledge of the sport, and usually don't offer any novice tours. Just remember to keep safe and check if special certification or permits are required, depending on the exact activity.

*Tips From A Local*

1. Be careful with hot pools. There are still a few natural hot pools hidden around the Sun Valley and Ketchum area, but be very careful with them. Hot pools can often look harmless, but turn out to be flesh-searing temperatures and literally deadly. Unless your with locals or an experienced guide, do not attempt to go relax in any natural "hot pools", especially if a bus load of Japanese exchange students is about to come barreling around the curve as you sit there butt naked.

2. Don't BASE jump in restricted areas. Idaho is really trying to cut-down on the amount of illegal BASE jumping going on, especially any bridge jumping. There have been several accidents involving illegal BASE jumping, and there's a high risk of a serious penalty if caught.

Learn more about this author, A. Sc..
Click here to send this author comments or questions.