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the USA🇺🇸 | regionsIdahoSawtooth lakes, lava fields, Hells Canyon, Boise Greenbelt | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in Idaho
👌 Worth visitingregion ranked #32
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 22, 2026

Idaho is famous for potatoes, yet the state’s real draw is wilderness, with about 2.4 million acres in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness alone. It sits in the northwest of the United States, and I’d spend the extra time in the Sawtooths over a city stay. I picked up a free wilderness permit at a trailhead box in Stanley and filled it in with a pen on a string. Sunrise over Redfish Lake follows.

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✨ Why go?
Ranked #32 region in the USAWhat makes this region worth visiting

Idaho rewards backpackers who want mountains without queues. The Sawtooth Range gives alpine lakes and granite spires within a short drive of Stanley, while the Salmon River offers rafting and hot springs along one road corridor. Southern Idaho adds lava fields and Boise’s river greenbelt, so a car and a loose plan let you swap peaks for pavement in a single day. Distances are big, but you rarely repeat a landscape.

💡 HighlightsMust-see experiences and standout moments

  1. Sawtooth Mountains: jagged granite peaks with trails to dozens of alpine lakes.
  2. Redfish Lake: glacial lake near Stanley with a lakeside beach, boat shuttle and backcountry trailheads.
  3. Craters of the Moon National Monument: black lava fields, cinder cones and caves you can walk into.
  4. Shoshone Falls: a waterfall near Twin Falls that is taller than Niagara, best in spring runoff.
  5. Bruneau Dunes State Park: North America’s tallest single-structure sand dune, with an observatory for stargazing.
  6. Hells Canyon: North America’s deepest river gorge, on the Snake River along the Oregon border.
  7. Boise River Greenbelt: a riverside path for walking, cycling and floating in summer through downtown.
  8. Shoshone Ice Caves: a lava tube where ice persists year-round, closed since a walkway collapse in August 2025 until
… read more 👉
  1. Sawtooth Mountains: jagged granite peaks with trails to dozens of alpine lakes.
  2. Redfish Lake: glacial lake near Stanley with a lakeside beach, boat shuttle and backcountry trailheads.
  3. Craters of the Moon National Monument: black lava fields, cinder cones and caves you can walk into.
  4. Shoshone Falls: a waterfall near Twin Falls that is taller than Niagara, best in spring runoff.
  5. Bruneau Dunes State Park: North America’s tallest single-structure sand dune, with an observatory for stargazing.
  6. Hells Canyon: North America’s deepest river gorge, on the Snake River along the Oregon border.
  7. Boise River Greenbelt: a riverside path for walking, cycling and floating in summer through downtown.
  8. Shoshone Ice Caves: a lava tube where ice persists year-round, closed since a walkway collapse in August 2025 until a new walkway is built.
  9. Lava Hot Springs: a small town with soaking pools in the southeast, often missed by visitors.
  10. Silver Valley Sunshine Mine Memorial: a Kellogg-area tribute to miners, with a statue and a quiet mining history.
Idaho is best started at Craters of the Moon, because the lava landscape is unlike anything else and sets the scale for everything after it.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

⌛️ 5 daysHow to make the most of Idaho

Day 1: Boise: Idaho’s roads are long and sparse, so a car sets the pace. Start in Boise to rest, bike the Greenbelt and stock up before the mountains.
Day 2: Craters of the Moon: Drive east and walk the lava tubes while the light is soft. Overnight nearby to keep the next leg short.
Day 3: Stanley: Continue north through high desert into the Sawtooths, where services thin out and plans matter. Hike to a lake and soak in a hot spring.
Day 4: Redfish Lake: Spend the day on the water or trail.
Day 5: Stanley: Day 3 justifies the trip: the drive into Stanley, with the peaks appearing ahead, is the best of Idaho.

🌤️ When to go?Best time to visit Idaho

  • Summer (July to September): Highs of 24 to 32°C (75 to 90°F), long daylight, and the only reliable window for high-country trails and the Sawtooths. Crowds and lodging prices peak.
  • Fall (October): Cool 10 to 18°C (50 to 64°F) days, quiet trailheads, and lower rates.
  • Winter (December to March): Highs near -4 to 2°C (25 to 36°F), short days, deep snow, and skiing around Sun Valley. Many mountain roads close.
  • Spring (April to June): Muddy, snowmelt-swollen rivers; great rafting, but high passes stay snowbound into June.
Book Sawtooth and Salmon River permits months ahead for July and August.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: below average for travelingFEBFebruary: below average for travelingMARMarch: fair for travelingAPRApril: good for travelingMAYMay: good for travelingJUNJune: highly recommended for travelingJULJuly: excellent for travelingAUGAugust: excellent for travelingSEPSeptember: highly recommended for travelingOCTOctober: good for travelingNOVNovember: fair for travelingDECDecember: below average for traveling
united-states-region-idaho
© Google | Jon Chiyeg

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🛏️ Where to stay?Best areas and accommodation options

Boise is the easiest base for backpackers, with a walkable downtown, a riverfront greenbelt, plenty of breweries and the region’s best bus and airport links. Ketchum and Sun Valley suit hikers and skiers, with a social outdoorsy crowd, free local shuttles and trailheads minutes away. Stanley is tiny and remote, but it puts you at the foot of the Sawtooths, and campfire chats come free. Sandpoint in the north is a relaxed lake town with a good music scene and easy skiing at Schweitzer. Dorm beds run about US$30 to 50, camping far less.
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🚌 Getting aroundMoving around without the hassle

Idaho’s towns are walkable in the middle, with Boise’s downtown and Ketchum’s core easy on foot, but the moment you want a trailhead, hot spring or the next town, walking stops making sense. Distances here are measured in hours of empty highway, and public transit mostly pretends the backcountry doesn’t exist. Most backpackers end up combining a bus or two with a rental car or a friendly stranger’s truck.
  • Rental car: US$45 to 90 a day plus gas, and it is the only way to reach most trailheads and hot springs. Splitting it among three people makes it the best value, and you control the schedule.
  • Intercity buses: Flixbus and Greyhound-type services link Boise, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls for roughly US$20 to 60, taking 3 to 5 hours per leg. Cheap, but you will arrive with no wheels in a town that
… read more 👉
Idaho’s towns are walkable in the middle, with Boise’s downtown and Ketchum’s core easy on foot, but the moment you want a trailhead, hot spring or the next town, walking stops making sense. Distances here are measured in hours of empty highway, and public transit mostly pretends the backcountry doesn’t exist. Most backpackers end up combining a bus or two with a rental car or a friendly stranger’s truck.
  • Rental car: US$45 to 90 a day plus gas, and it is the only way to reach most trailheads and hot springs. Splitting it among three people makes it the best value, and you control the schedule.
  • Intercity buses: Flixbus and Greyhound-type services link Boise, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls for roughly US$20 to 60, taking 3 to 5 hours per leg. Cheap, but you will arrive with no wheels in a town that closes at 9 p.m.
  • Local shuttles and Mountain Rides: Free or under US$5 around Ketchum and Sun Valley, which is the one place a car becomes optional.
  • Hitchhiking and ride boards: Free, slow and patience-testing, though trail towns are friendly about it.
Fly into Boise, rent the car there, and drop it before you stay in Ketchum.

🍲 FoodLocal Flavors for Backpackers

Start with the Idaho potato, which shows up as fry-sauce-slicked fries, loaded bakers and hash browns the size of a plate. Try huckleberry everything: pancakes, milkshakes, jam, even sour beer. Trout from mountain rivers is a staple, and Basque cooking in Boise brings chorizo, croquetas and lamb stew to the table. Eat at diners, food trucks, farmers’ markets and brewpubs; mains run US$10 to 20. Tip 18 to 20 percent, and expect kitchens to close early outside Boise.

FAQFrequently asked questions about Idaho

Plan on 5 to 7 days for Idaho if you want a sampler. Spend 1 to 2 days in Boise, 2 to 3 around Ketchum and the Sawtooths near Stanley, and add a day for Shoshone Falls near Twin Falls. Hikers could easily fill two weeks in the Sawtooths and Frank Church Wilderness.
Getting around Idaho without a car is possible but slow. Intercity buses connect Boise, Twin Falls and Idaho Falls for roughly US$20 to 60 per leg, and Mountain Rides shuttles around Ketchum are free or about US$5. Trailheads, hot springs and Stanley are mostly out of reach, so many travelers split a rental car at about US$45 to 90 a day.
Idaho is known for potatoes, vast wilderness and whitewater rafting. The Sawtooth Mountains, the Salmon River and Craters of the Moon National Monument are the headline sights. Sun Valley is a historic ski resort, and Shoshone Falls, a drop taller than Niagara at 212 feet (65 m), draws spring crowds.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other American regions near Idaho

Explore more nearby:

  • Montana—Going-to-the-Sun Road, ghost towns, Flathead cherries, hot springs| 436 km away
  • Oregon—Crater Lake blue, Columbia Gorge falls, coastal sea stacks, high desert playas| 461 km away
  • Washington—Rainier meadows, Hoh rain forest, Pike Place, San Juan ferries| 498 km away

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We 💚 feedbackKey takeaways before you go

Idaho rewards a full week, because the drives between the Sawtooths, Hells Canyon and the Salmon River country eat whole afternoons. With only a weekend, I would pick the Stanley area and skip the rest. Anything longer than ten days needs a car and a spare tire.

✈️ When did I visit the USA?
In January 2023 I visited New York. Many years before, before digital cameras existed, I discovered most of the national parks in the West.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in the USA, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

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