Sun Valley is a mountain resort city at 6,000 ft (1,830 m), in South central Idaho; incorporated in 1967. Among skiers, the term "Sun Valley" refers to the alpine ski area, which consists of Bald Mountain, the main ski mountain, and Dollar Mountain, which is geared toward novice and lower intermediate skiers. Bald Mountain, or "Baldy," has a summit of 9150 feet (2789 m) and a vertical drop of 3400 feet (1036 m). With its abundance of constant-pitch terrain, at varying degrees of difficulty, coupled with its substantial vertical drop and absence of wind, Baldy has often been referred to as the best single ski mountain in the world. The treeless "Dollar" at 6638 feet (2023 m) has a moderate vertical drop of 628 feet (191 m).
The term "Sun Valley" is used more generally to speak of the region surrounding the city, including the neighboring city of Ketchum and the valley area winding south to Hailey.
PLACE TO VISIT
The Community Library. in Ketchum is one of the only privately owned and operated libraries in the country.
World Class Ice Skating Performances, Sun Valley Ice Rink.
Sun Valley Serenade (1941 film). The film is shown several times a day at the Sun Valley Opera House. Scenes were shot at Sun Valley in March 1941.
The Hemingway Memorial (dedicated in 1966). off Trail Creek Road, 1 mile from the Sun Valley Lodge.
The world's first chairlifts. installed on Proctor and Dollar Mountains in the fall of 1936. The chairlift design was adapted from banana loading equipment used on fruit ships in the tropics. The single-seat chairlifts were developed at the Union Pacific headquarters in Omaha in the summer of 1936. The chairlift went on to replace the primitive rope tow and other technologies used at ski areas at the time.
Wagon Days, Ketchum. First week in September. Wagon Days spans four days of Old West entertainment with street theater, dances, live music, food, antique shows, arts and craft fairs, and the highlight: the Big Hitch parade, the longest non-motorized parade in the Northwest. with more than a hundred museum-quality buggies, carriages, tacks, carts, buckboards, and wagons of every variety in existence today-- featuring the giant ore wagons pulled by a sixteen-draft mule team.
Ore Wagon Museum, 900 3rd Ave N; Ketchum. Free.
Sun Valley Arts and Crafts Fair (August 12 through 14), Sun Valley.
Sun Valley Music Festival. nationally known classical and jazz musicians in various locations, many outdoors. Fridays through Tuesdays from August 2 through 23, Elkhorn Music Festival includes 14 free orchestral repertory concerts, all outdoors at Elkhorn Plaza, starting at 6:30. August- Northern Rockies Folk Festival presents regional folk and western bands in Hailey city park.
WHAT TO DO
Skiing. Magnificant skiing! Baldy's 13 chairlifts, including high-speed quads, have a capacity of over 23,000 skiers per hour. With an average of 3500 skiers per day (& less than 6000 skiers per day during peak periods), Sun Valley has kept the lift lines to a minimum, a rarity among major resorts. Also Dollar mountain for learners, great place for children. edit
Fishing. Idaho in general is a mecca for fly-fishing.
Hiking.
River Rafting. Idaho is the Whitewater State. A number of river rafting companies offer 1 to 5 day trips on the Salmon River of No Return just north of Sun Valley
Ice Skating. at the Sun Valley Ice Rink or free at Atkinson Park in Ketchum.
Sun Valley Wellness Festival (May), provides education on health and wellness though programs and events. Past keynote speakers have included Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass, Marianne Williamson, Byron Katie, Dr. Marasu Emoto, Mariel Hemingway and Debby Ford.
Sun Valley Ketchum US Half Marathon (Half Marathon = 13.1 miles, 12K, 5K & Kids MaraFUN). Memorial Day Weekend. Experience one of the most scenic and traffic free courses imaginable. The US Half Marathon, Sun Valley Ketchum runs primarily along the Sun Valley and Wood River paved path and trail system
HOW TO REACH
By Air - The nearest airport to Sun Valley is Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, served by Horizon Air and SkyWest Airlines. It is reachable from the gateway sites of Boise (ID), Seattle (WA), Los Angeles (CA), Oakland (CA) and Salt Lake City (UT). These cities are served by most major airlines and are met by Sun Valley’s two connecting carriers. Horizon Air now offers daily direct, nonstop flights between Sun Valley and Los Angeles, Oakland and Seattle.
By Bus or Shuttle - Sun Valley Stages offer charter service to Sun Valley from the Idaho gateway cities of Boise, Twin Falls, Pocatello and Idaho Falls. Sun Valley Express offers daily bus service to the resort from the Boise, Idaho airport.
By Car - Sun Valley is located adjacent to the town of Ketchum on Idaho State Route 75, about two hours north of Twin Falls.
