Top Things to do in Idaho
Top Hotels in Idaho
- 1. The Riverside Hotel, BW Premier Collection
- 2. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Boise Towne Square
- 3. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Coeur d Alene
- 4. Modern Hotel
- 5. My Place Hotel-Twin Falls, ID
- 6. Hampton Inn & Suites Boise-Downtown
- 7. Best Western Plus Coeur D'Alene Inn
- 8. The Grove Hotel
- 9. La Quinta by Wyndham Pocatello
- 10. La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Twin Falls
Countries
10 Nature & Parks in Idaho That You Shouldn't Miss
A mixture of forested mountains, alpine peaks, wildflower meadows, deep river canyons, and high plains deserts, Idaho is a paradise for golf, skiing, fly fishing, and river rafting. Boise, the capital, is the state's largest city and airline hub. North of Boise are golf, lake, and ski resorts from McCall in the south to Sandpoint and Coeur D'Alene in the north. East of Boise are the ski slopes of Ketchum and Sun Valley. East of Sun Valley are Craters of the Moon National Monument, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, and the small town of Island Park just across the border from Yellowstone National Park. Boise's Basque Museum and Cultural Center reflects having the largest Basque population in the U.S. Reflecting Idaho's diverse heritage, near the Idaho Historical Museum in Boise's Julia Davis Park is the Idaho Black History Museum's chronicle of the slave York who served the Lewis & Clark Expedition. After a family visit to the Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey and an outdoor performance at the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, the next stop after Boise is likely to be Payette Lake in McCall or Sun Valley and Ketchum. About 100 miles north of Boise, past Cascade Lake, McCall takes you to the shores of Payette Lake. Go golfing, fishing, hiking, biking, waterskiing, sailing, boating, or whitewater river rafting. Ski or snowshoe Brundage Mountain or Tamarack Resorts, as well as Ponderosa State Park in winter. Ice skate year-round at Manchester Ice & Event Centre. About 450 miles north of Boise, there are resort lakes near skiing and golf at Coeur d'Alene, Hayden Lake, and Sandpoint. Golf, tennis, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, rafting, and hunting are popular in Sun Valley and Ketchum. Sockeye salmon may no longer do much spawning in Redfish Lake, but the boating and mountain scenery in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area make the short trip north to Stanley worthwhile. When the snows come the whole family will head for the slopes of Soldier Mountain, Bald Mountain, Dollar Mountain, or the Sun Valley Resort. A tiny forested town of about 250 people, Island Park has a large reservoir with fishing and boating, as well as Henry's Fork of the Snake River for fly fishing. It's only 15 miles from Yellowstone as well.
Restaurants in Idaho
1. Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 153 reviews
The deepest river gorge in North America, Hells Canyon is accessible by jet boat or raft. Those who explore this rugged wilderness will find ancient tribal carvings in the rocks, deserted ranches and closed-up gold mines.
Reviewed By chrisn521 - Seattle, United States
An outstanding white water rafting trip with ROW Adventures out of Lewiston, Idaho. Water is dam controlled so there is always plenty of water. This company had the best river guides, accommodating the wide variety of folks in a group of sixteen. Beautiful scenery, good food, very thorough trip with knowledgeable guides. The only downside to the trip was sharing the river with the loud jet boats that also have access to the water after day two of the trip. Somehow jet boats do not equate with wilderness.
2. Payette Lake
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 296 reviews
A 5,330-acre lake near the resort town of McCall.
Reviewed By idealjourney - Winter Garden, United States
I got a chance to visit Lake Cascade and Redfish Lake and you might be able to snag a better photo app at Redfish or even Cascade but overall Payette took the price for us. The most stuff to do in a medium sized lake. We visited both the State Park and also went paddle boarding on the lake. Paddle boarding and kayaking are the best on the Northeast end of the lake where you can rent from Backwoods adventures and take a journey up the Payette River. The current is almost non-existent so the up river paddling is easy. Ponderosa State Park is so unique in that it takes up almost the entire middle peninsula of the lake. It is worth $ 5 admission just to drive around and make sure you go to the end of the loop drive in the park because you will be rewarded with a higher up panoramic view of the lake.
3. Sawtooth Wilderness Area
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 176 reviews
The 217,000 acres within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area include some 300 lakes, 40 wilderness trails and a forest of fir, spruce and pine.
Reviewed By ugaworldtraveler8 - San Diego, United States
Snow had fallen and remained on both sides of the highway, although the roads were plowed and safe. An Idaho senator proposed this as a national park in the 1930s, unfortunately conservative politicians stand in the way. It really deserves national park status.
4. Boise River Greenbelt
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,436 reviews
Flows through Boise and provides more than 25 miles of scenic paths for biking, hiking and jogging.
Reviewed By marmot3 - Boise, United States
The beautiful Boise River flows through the heart of the city. Flanking the river on one side or the other or sometimes both, is the gently winding Boise River Greenbelt, a paved path that runs for 25 miles, from Lucky Peak Dam upriver to the town of Eagle downriver. Along the way, there are many entrances and exits, so you can make your Greenbelt experience as long or short as you wish. Previously, it was totally non-motorized, though recently e-bikes became admissible--with a speed limit. When my family gathered for a reunion in Boise in June, we loved our "bike hike" on the Greenbelt. Some people had brought their own bikes; others rented from bike shops downtown. One family rented a bike trailer/carrier for their little kids. Off we all went, our ride taking us through four leafy city parks, past the zoo, the Anne Frank Memorial, the Fallen Firefighters Memorial, Quinn's Pond and the Whitewater Park and beyond. On the return we stopped off for play time in one of Ann Morrison Park's playgrounds. Many cities are built on rivers, and many cities capitalize on these fortunate features. But I know of no other city that has been as successful as Boise in incorporating their river into the life of the city while preserving its natural beauty. Boise River Greenbelt is an extraordinary gift for the people of Boise and the Treasure Valley, as well as visitors. Just a word of caution: The Greenbelt is extremely popular for recreation, exercise, bike commuting, fun runs, photo shoots, etc. It's busy! The posted "rules" for use state that pedestrians always have the right of way, but many people are oblivious or careless. The yellow stripe down the middle of the path is there for a reason. Treat the path as a highway and stay on the right unless passing. Watch for children or the ubiquitous geese and squirrels straying into your path. Be reasonably careful, share the path, and enjoy this Boise treasure!
5. Salmon River
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 54 reviews
The "River of No Return" is the longest free-flowing river contained within one state of America's lower 48 states. This river begins South of Stanley, Idaho, through the towns of Clayton, Challis and Salmon before heading West through the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The Designated Wild & Scenic section, from Corn Creek to Carey Creek is one of the world's best wilderness river trips.
Reviewed By MFiello - Los Angeles, United States
I just spent 5 days on the Salmon River with Wayne Johnson and his tremendous crew. We stayed at various lodges along the way and were treated as honored guests. The food and drinks were fabulous! Besides the excitement of whitewater rafting, we enjoyed great wildlife viewing and stopped at several historical sites. Wayne is a great storyteller, and both he and his guides know well the flora and fauna found in the area. The best part of the trip was appreciating Wayne's vast knowledge of the history of the valley and his friendships with those who live year-round along the river. An absolutely delightful experience!
6. Coeur d'Alene Lake
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,397 reviews
Fed by waters from three different rivers, this pristine, 30-mile lake offers just about every water sport imaginable.
Reviewed By Gregg-Midlo
Whether you want to water ski, tube, fish, hike, bike, golf or just cruise the lake you will be amazed as the contrasting vistas of cool water against the green mountains and blue skies. Be on the lookout for bears, moose, eagles, egrets and more. What a magnificent place to create a memory.
7. Middle Fork of the Salmon River
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 128 reviews
The 105-mile stretch of the Salmon River cuts through a highly inaccessible and untamed part of Idaho's rugged countryside.
Reviewed By gamemasterh
My wife and I signed up for a late season trip with guided outfitter Northwest Rafting. The pricing was fair and the office staff was very helpful before and right up to the put-in morning. The guides with Northwest Rafting were truly a great bunch of human beings. Each was skilled at rafting and a pleasure to share the river experience with. What a joy to spend 6 days with such nice industrious young people. The food was amazingly good - while the highly-promoted omelet/egg muffin breakfast was very good, it was surpassed by the blueberry pancakes with chicken sausage and of course, the (meat or veggie) lasagna. The regular dutch over baking was unexpected and always cooked perfectly (not undercooked gooey nor overcooked dry - talent!). The Middle Fork is an amazingly wonderful unspoiled river. I encourage anyone to make this trip. We are enthusiastic about rafting more rivers with Northwest Rafting.
8. Japanese Pavilion
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 85 reviews
Reviewed By Stendel - Eastpointe, United States
A beautiful, peaceful garden .Sit by the peaceful stream that runs through this beautiful garden .Just across the street from downtown and the falls yet worth the visit. Absolutely beautiful.
9. Henry's Lake State Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
Camping site located a few miles from Yellowstone National Park.
Reviewed By mysugarpie - Tulsa, United States
Beautiful views of the mountains and crystal clear lake formed 50,000 years ago from two glaciers. The sites were well spaced. Some back in and pull thru. Some with fulll hookups. Lots of trails. Level, paved pad and roads. The restroom facilities were modern and clean. There were ample pet stations. The park was clean and quiet, but not many trees. It is two miles from main road. The staff was very nice. Would highly recommend.
10. World Center For Birds of Prey
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 693 reviews
Experience birds of prey eye-to-eye and explore the mysteries of their flight, survival, and relationship with humans. Live bird demonstrations and interactive exhibits complement hands-on experiences for all ages. Enjoy panoramic views of the Treasure Valley from the interpretive trail and gazebo, or browse the gift shop. Admissions and purchases support conservation programs worldwide. Reservations are required for admission, please book your visit with us today on our website!
Reviewed By Irishwriter1916 - Boise, United States
We brought the grandkids to the World Center for Birds of Prey last month and had a grand time. We checked their website ahead of time to see when things were happening and had the choice of four different live bird shows and two walking tours to their archives to hear about the history of falconry. We chose the morning and were able to do a pair of bird shows (the grans loved both Bob and Winston) and the walking tour highlighting their archives and Arab falconry wing. Then we wandered right next to inside and outside bird exhibitions ... and the kiddos were so excited to see a bald eagle, an arctic Gyrfalcon, a gorgeous red-tailed hawk, Lucy the turkey vulture and two giant California Condors in the outdoor areas. The inside habitats featured an Applomado falcon, a very talkative Harris' Hawk, a peregrine falcon, a great horned owl and the find of the day, a huge and impressive harpy eagle! The staff was obviously very dedicated and informed and we look forward to coming back in the fall for their outdoor flight program. Highly recommended by the entire party .. grandparents, parents and bird-crazy grandchildren!
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