Day Hiking Sun Valley - Washington Trails Association

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April 2008 » Washington Trails
On Trail
Photo by Herb Stusser
Northwest Explorer »
Hiking Sun Valley
Hikes abound in Sun Valley, Idaho—which is closer than you might think
A view of the Sawtooth
Mountains of
Idaho. With trails
close to town, Sun
Valley is a day
hiker’s paradie.
It doesn’t get much better than this. In early
summer, the wonderful combination of incredible
wildflowers, open hillsides leading to
higher snow-covered ridges, and creeks running
full, combine in many easy-access day hikes
literally within minutes of Sun Valley and the
adjacent town of Ketchum, Idaho. Sun Valley is
closer than you might think. It’s about a 10-hour
drive from Seattle and considerably less from
Spokane.
Since all of the trailheads start at a minimum
of 6,000 feet, you’re in a high mountain setting
the minute you start walking. It’s a great place
to set up a basecamp in town (that is, with hot
showers, restaurants and a soft bed at night)
and explore the mountains during the day.
This is high desert very much like the eastern
Cascades. My wife and I have been hiking
these trails for over 20 years and still can’t
believe how fast and easy it is to get from Sun
Valley into a true mountain environment. Here
are a few suggestions, most of which are in the
range of three to four hours hiking:
Chocolate Gulch
A beautiful loop that winds up through open
woods to a view over the Smoky Range and
then drops back through barren chocolatecolored
rocks to the Big Wood River and a
return to the trailhead. This hike offers a great
opportunity to see the variety of terrain and
wildflowers typical of the area.
Baker Lake
Drive 25 miles through a valley to a 7,000-foot
trailhead that takes off through open hillsides
on a graded trail to a small, pristine lake (catch
and-release-trout fishing is OK) surrounded by
stark granite cliffs topped off by 11,000-foot
Baker Peak. Afterward, find a wonderful picnic
spot along Baker Creek as you drive back towards
Sun Valley.
Adams Gulch
This is a very popular network of trails, all
Herb
Stusser
Herb is a WTA Fireside
Circle member
who divides his time
between Seattle and
Sun Valley.

» On Trail April 2008 » Washington Trails www.wta.org
Photo by Herb Stusser
You’re likely to encounter
sheep if you
spend any time hiking
the trails near
Sun Valley.
Aspens and pines
on trail. The high,
relatively dry climate
is similar to the
mountains around
Spokane.
of which lead up a valley before splitting off
into a variety of loops from 3 miles to 12 miles
in length. Aspen and conifer forests alternate
with open grassy slopes. The August 2007
Castle Rock wildfire roared through some of
these hillsides, and after the snow melts it will
be interesting to see what changes resulted. It
should be great for wildflowers.
Proctor Ridge
This loop takes you up to big views looking
back toward Sun Valley and Mount Baldy (the
main downhill ski mountain) and then on to an
open ridge that looks toward the Boulder Mountains
in the distance and up the Trail Creek
valley. Bring your camera. Return along a creek
running steeply through an aspen forest.
Greenhorn Gulch
Ten miles south of town is another, wilder
network of trails leading deep into the Smoky
Mountains. You’ll run into fewer people here.
From the hillside near the trailhead we’ve often
seen a mother moose with her calf eating lunch
in the stream below.
Titus Lake
Take a drive 30 miles north of Sun Valley and
park at the last switchback below Galena Pass
(elevation 8,700 feet). This trail climbs through a
pine forest with increasing views of the distant
Sawtooth Mountains and then bends around
an open ridge from which emerald green Titus
Lake can be spotted far below. Dropping steeply
down to the lake, you’ll find several spots
along the shore to take a dip in the lake or just
chill out. On the drive back, lunch at the beautifully
restored Galena Lodge is a great option.
Excellent trail information and maps are
available at the Ketchum Ranger Station right
in the middle of town, as well as at recreation
stores and lodges throughout the area. You’ll
find a wide array of motels, condo rentals and
campgrounds available in and around Sun Valley.
A four-wheel-drive vehicle would be helpful
to get to the trailhead for Baker Lake; standard
vehicles are fine for all the other hikes. You may
encounter mountain bikers or horseback riders
on these trails, and dogs are allowed everywhere.
Don’t be surprised if you run into one of
the many large herds of sheep crossing the trail
on their way up to midsummer grazing in the
high meadows.
While all of these trails are usually open
by late May, the extremely heavy 2008 winter
snowpack may delay access to some of them.
Contact the Ketchum Ranger District at (208)
622-5371 for current information. Cross-country
skiing in this same area in the winter is equally
wonderful; watch for ski trail descriptions in a
future issue of Washington Trails.
Photo by Herb Stusser