The Best Hiking Trails in Sun Valley

The Lake Creek Trailhead is along the highway just north of Ketchum, and makes a great starting point for all kinds of outings. Hikers can enjoy short and easy strolls along the river or strenuous forays into the hills....

This is an easy jaunt in the vicinity of the White Clouds golf course, right across the street from Sun Valley Lodge. From the sagebrush-covered hillside, you’ll have wonderful views of the resort and its mountain backdrop....

This trail loop encircles part of the White Clouds Golf Course near Sun Valley Lodge, combining natural-surface trails and the paved Trail Creek Path. Despite the proximity to a golf course and a subdivision, it’s a trail for hikers and bikers that’s always open to the public....

If you want to see an alpine lake tucked beneath pointy peaks and patches of snow that linger into summer, but don’t feel up for a strenuous hike into the mountains, Baker Lake is the place you should go....

Titus is a small and shallow lake with clear water, perfect for wading and swimming on a hot day. Unlike some alpine lakes with rocky, barren shores, this one is surrounded by trees and grass, and has a nice little gravel beach, making it all the more comfortable to relax at....

Redfish Lake may be the largest lake around, but it’s far from the only water body filled by snowmelt from the Sawtooths. And though Redfish is quite scenic, you’d be missing out if it’s the only lake that you experience here....

Fishhook Creek is one of the best moderate hikes from Redfish Lake. The trail transports you quickly from arid pine forest and grasslands, to wet meadows along a meandering creek. The trail goes somewhat steeply up at the beginning, but then it’s gentle gradient with some brief downhills the rest of the way....

Sawtooth Lake is just one of countless alpine lakes in the Sawtooth Mountains, but is among the most well known, due in part to sharing the name and also due to its exceptional scenery....

This loop is one of Sun Valley’s best for a summertime jaunt in the hills. It combines the leafy Big Wood River with sunny mountain vistas. One half of the loop climbs onto the valley slopes, while the other meanders by the river and along a creek....

Edith Lake is a blue-green gem tucked into a high cirque within the Sawtooths, and Farley Lake holds forested shores with excellent camping along the way. At about 12 miles out and back, this can make a long day hike or an easy overnighter....

Trail Creek is one of the trails that begins from Grandjean in the Sawtooth Mountains. It is perhaps the most popular hike in the area, and is commonly done as a one-night backpacking trip or as a day hike....

Grandjean is an oft-overlooked jumping off point for hikes in the Sawtooths. Even though it’s closer to Boise than Stanley and Redfish Lake, Grandjean’s dirt road access and limited amenities make Stanley the preferable destination for most....

This hike from Redfish Lake goes to some of the most stunning high-elevation lakes in the Sawtooths. It’s doable as a long day hike, but is perhaps best as a backpacking trip over two or three days, camping at the shore of one of the lakes....

This hike combines great views over Sun Valley with a piece of its history––the Ruud Mountain chairlift, one of the world’s oldest according to [Visit Sun Valley](https://www.visitsunvalley.com/summer/hiking-in-sun-valley-idaho-a-summer-guide/). You’ll pass the top of it near the end of this loop, which is a rewarding workout but very steep in places....

Just up the road from Ketchum is this somewhat hidden gem of a trail, on the edge of the national forest. The length and distance make it perfect for an aerobic morning or evening jaunt....

The Cramer Lakes are a string of three alpine lakes in an especially remote reach of the Sawtooth Mountains. If you trek beyond the upper lake and to the alpine pass above, you’ll find the view that author [Michael Lanza](https://thebigoutside....

Sun Valley is steeped in mountains and trails among them, so deciding where to hike can seem overwhelming. If you only have limited time, don't miss out on the trail to Pioneer Cabin....

Sawtooth Lake, a mile-long pool of blue in a crater-like alpine basin, is a top hiking destination in the Sawtooth Mountains. Most people do it as a day hike from Iron Creek trailhead near Stanley....

This loop to Alice and Toxaway lakes is one of the best weekend backpacking trips in the Sawtooths. It features two huge alpine lakes plus numerous smaller ones, all surrounded by impressive granite peaks and montane forest....

Idaho has nine peaks that exceed 12,000 feet. At 12,009, Hyndman just makes the list, and it’s considered the easiest of the 12ers to climb. It’s an impressive peak nonetheless and among the most eye-catching on the skyline over Sun Valley....