Idaho Vacations Idea #1:
Spend some time in at an Idaho
backcountry ranch guesthouse. Experience the land as Lewis and Clark did, in it's natural state. Learn about the native Sacajawea people. Enjoy horseback riding, fishing, river floats, hiking, cattle drives and more.
A few of these ranches are
100 Acre Wood Resort, Broken Arrow Resort, Indian Creek Guest Ranch, Syringa Ranch, and
Hearthstone Lodge.
Idaho Vacations Idea #2:
Contributed by Boise area resident Jeannette. You can read more about local goings-on in her
Boise activities and events blog.
Boise, Idaho is a beautiful city nestled between the mountains in a high desert valley. The arid climate means summer is nearly void of rainy days providing incredible opportunities to take day trips to the mountains and surrounding small mountain towns.
In addition to the many recreational opportunities such as white water rafting, hiking and mountain biking, the area offers numerous summer outdoor theatrical performances and lots of family-friendly entertainment including Roaring Springs Water Park, Zoo Boise, and much more.
In the winter, snow sports are a favorite activity here. Bogus Basin ski resort is a short and scenic 45 minute drive from town and offers downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and a terrific tubing hill. We also have several other ski resorts within a couple hours from town. Our winters tend to be much milder than most would expect.
Idaho Vacations Idea #3:
Bruneau Dunes State Park is home to the largest sand dune in North America. For 15,000 years sand has been collecting here and the dune now stands at 470 feet. The area is good for viewing desert wildlife. The small lakes at the foot of the dunes offer excellent bass and bluegill fishing.
Idaho Vacations Idea #4:
Silver City Ghost Town, in Owyhee County, was a thriving silver mining town until 1889 when the mines finally played out. Today you can still get a good feel for what life was like back then because so much of the original town has been preserved. In fact the Idaho Hotel is still in operation and is being fully restored.
Idaho Vacations Idea #5:
Coeur d'Alene, located in northern Idaho, has a wide variety of things to do. Play golf on America's most beautiful resort golf course (according to Gold Digest). Enjoy a lake cruise on beautiful Coeur d'Alene Lake. Try your luck at one of the 1000 slot machines, off-track betting, or bingo at the
Coeur d'Alene Tribal Bingo & Casino. Family fun and adventure is at
Silverwood Theme Park, largest theme park in the Northwest.
Idaho Vacations Idea #6:
Rent a houseboat on Lake Pend Oreille, at Sand Point, and fish out your front door for world-record size Kamloops. Lake Pend Oreille is one of the largest fresh water lakes in the western U.S. The lake is 1200 feet deep and has over 100 miles of pristine shoreline. Besides fishing and relaxing you can try some waterskiing, sailing, or windsurfing.
Idaho Vacation Ideas #7:
Kellogg, Idaho, is home
Crystal Gold Mine, an authentic 1880's underground gold mine. This official tourist Historical Attraction is open for tours.
The Shoshone County Mining & Smelting Museum has mining exhibits from the Bunker Hill Mining and Smelting Company. Also in Kellogg, is the Miner's Monument dedicated to the miners 91 miners lost in the 1972 mine fire.
Vacation Ideas in Idaho #8:
Visit the museums at
Nez Perce National Historic Park Headquarters in Spalding. See exhibits and films that tell the story and culture of the Nez Perce people. The
Nez Perce National Historic Trail starts its Idaho section at Lewiston. Then goes across north-central Idaho to Lolo Pass. The trail marks and commemorates the route taken by the Nez Perce natives as they were pursued by the U.S. Army in 1877.
Idaho Vacations Idea #9:
Ketchum is a small town with western pioneer charm. Take a chairlift ride for some great views. Nearby Bald Mountain is great for hiking, picnicking and horseback riding. In August celebrate Wagon Days Celebration with flapjack breakfasts, band concerts, music, and dancing. Winters you can head out of town for
Sun Valley Ski Resort or try your hand at dogsledding.
Vacation Ideas in Idaho #10:
Mystic Saddle Ranch has a
Family Adventure Camp called Camp Stanley, located in the Sawtooth Mountains. They provide all the camping gear. You just bring the family and get ready for some relaxing good times. Activities include volleyball, horseshoes, horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking. Go floating down the river. Take a boat out on lake and do a little fishing. You can even try some mountain climbing, a day trip to famous Sun Valley or just relax and get to know each other around a campfire.
Idaho Vacations Idea #11:
Does the idea of a vacation for women only interest you? Then Holiday Expeditions may have what you are looking for. You can attend their 4-day women only retreat in the beautiful Idaho wilderness. This vacation idea is all about introspection and comradery. Women guides will take you down the canyon rapids. Practice meditation and hatha yoga on a secluded beach. Connect with your mind and body through Swedish massage, aroma therapy, reflexology and sculpting. It's a vacation that could turn into a unexpectedly rewarding experience.
Vacation Ideas in Idaho #12:
River Dance Lodge located in Syringa, Idaho, is a great place for a Family Adventure Camp vacation. You can stay in the lodge or in one of their handcrafted log cabins and take off on many different types of family adventure activities. They are situated in the heart of trout fishing country near the Lochsa, Selway and Clearwater rivers. Fly fishing packages and clinics are available. You can take a family rafting, canoeing or kayaking trip. National Forest lands nearby provide many miles of hiking trails.
Idaho Vacations Idea #13:
Idaho has a lot of beautiful backcountry that makes it an excellent vacation spot. A great way to enjoy this is with an adventure trip on the Salmon River. Western River Expeditions is an outfitter that knows how to create a whitewater rafting vacation for you. They will take out for 5 days on the Salmon River for some of the best whitewater rafting anywhere with over 100 rapids in 100 miles. Western River Expeditions has been providing exciting river rafting vacations for over forty years with spectacular results.
Idaho Vacations Idea #14:
Hunters can spend a four day vacation at
Flying B Ranch in Idaho and enjoy some of the world's best mixed-bag shooting - Hungarian partridge, pheasants, huns and chukar and more. Flying B Ranch is a five-star 12,000 square-foot hunting lodge. They provide hunting vehicles, excellent guides and a variety of hunting dogs to choose from - Elhew pointers, labs, shorthairs, and Brittanys. If your idea of a great vacation is big country bird hunting where a typical party of three can bag thirty or forty birds a day, then check out Flying B Ranch.
Idaho Vacations Idea #15:
Drive the scenic 22 mile long
Hells Canyon Scenic Byway and stop at the
Hells Canyon National Recreation Center. It's North America's deepest river gorge. Here you can take a guided float trip or a jet boat out on the Snake River. Tour Hells Canyon Dam. With some 900 miles of trails there is plenty of opportunity to hike and bike as well as camping.
