With easy non-stop flights from Seattle, Salt Lake, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Denver, you can now be in the small mountain towns of Ketchum and Sun Valley faster than ever. After you’ve spent a few days hiking, mountain biking and trout fishing, take to the road for some of these awesome adventures only an hour away.

Whitewater Rafting in Stanley- One of the best way to experience the powerful snow in the summer is enjoying the snow melt and the high water levels for whitewater rafting. With class 3 and 4 rapids you can supercharge your adventure levels fairly quickly. Several rafting outfitters have half day adventures but if you’re a diehard fan, consider doing a multi-day trip that includes camping along the river banks. Click here to read a personal story of whitewater rafting in Stanley. 

Spooky Ghost Towns– Located near Stanley, Custer and Bonzana ghost towns are great day trips for people who want to imagine what life in an Idaho mining community was like back in the late 1800s. There are a few buildings for you to explore and the drive puts you one on one with Idaho’s great outdoors.

Kayak around Redfish Lake– Another day trip close to Stanley, Redfish Lake is one of the best all in one family day trips offering kayaking, boating, swimming, SUP and more. Rent a kayak from the marina and take off around the lake. If you make it towards the back and more private area of the lake, you’ll see waterfalls, deer and find the perfect quiet area for a sack lunch.

SUP in the Salmon River– Get ready to experience your new favorite outdoor adventure. Stand up paddle boarding, known by lovers of the sport as SUP, is a great adventure for almost any age and any fitness level. Start off with a quick lesson on easy to balance river boards (more stable than your standard surf board and have the ability to bounce off rocks instead of a fiberglass material) before taking off on a smooth, class 1 river trail.

Moon walking- A visit to Craters of the Moon National Monument will impress even the non-space fans of your group. An easy hour and a half drive from Sun Valley and you can hike over lava fields and experience what 1969 Apollo astronauts studied for future trips to the moon.

Looking for even more adventures? Check out our list to top extreme adventures in Sun Valley. 

Sponsored by Sun Valley Tourism.