Adventure Roadtrip: Idaho in 8 Days

Arriving in Idaho 

Evening // Perrine Bridge, Twin Falls

We arrived in Twin Falls, ready to hit the ground running the next day. To get the lay of the land, we visited The Perrine Bridge which stretches across the Snake River. The Perrine Bridge is the only legal place in the U.S. to B.A.S.E. jump year-round. If our stoke level to explore this state was high before, it was now getting out of hand – and we hadn’t even officially begun our trip yet! 

Day 1 

Paddling the Snake River

We kicked off our road trip with an adventure on the water: SUP the Snake River to Pillar Falls. We rented SUP boards from AWOL Adventure Sports in Centennial Waterfront Park, suited up and headed to the water. We paddled up the river, passing under the Perrine Bridge we visited the night before, and head to Pillar Falls. 

We docked our SUP boards near the center of the river where the rocks were exposed the water was shallow, and hopped out to explore the falls area. After enjoying the water and relaxing on the warm rocks, we paddled back to the dock with plans to find a bite to eat.

Milner’s Gate

We headed into downtown Twin Falls for lunch at Milner’s Gate Brewery where it promised to have “creative interpretations of classic American bistro and pub fare.” It sure did! Each of us opted for a different sandwich so we could all try a few bites of each item. The crowd favorite being a take on a Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich. 

We sampled the brew master’s recommendations with a beer flight, fittingly served on a custom wooden board in the shape of the state of Idaho.

Cloverleaf Creamery

We were pushing the limits of our waistline coming straight from lunch, but there was no way we could skip the place everyone had been touting about as the best ice cream in the entire state: Cloverleaf Creamery. 

After sampling almost every single flavor in this quaint little shop (we couldn’t get enough!), we ordered up our heaping cones of ice cream glory, and threw cares aside and devoured the giant cones.

Miracle Hot Springs

Our plan for the night was to Camp and Take a Dip at Miracle Hot Springs. We checked in to our canvas dome shortly before sunset, greeted the on-site alligator (because, why not? Geothermal water is prevalent in this area, hence the local alligator), and made a dash for the pools! 

Miracle has four different public pools with varying temperatures, as well as smaller private pools that can be reserved. The water has no smell that sometimes goes hand in hand with hot springs.

The camping domes offer all the basic supplies (queen size bed, AC unit, benches, fans, etc) for a super restful night with a unique twist.

Outside, in the cool summer morning, we brewed up some coffee, slathered some cream cheese on bagels and enjoyed breakfast before Day 2 started!

Day 2

Box Springs Canyon

One of the most unique things about Idaho, is its ability to surprise you at every turn. Just a short drive from Miracle Hot Springs, we ventured to Box Canyon Springs. This secluded canyon oasis is in the middle of what feels like miles of agricultural land. 

The contrast between the rim and the canyon below is insane! Eager to explore and cool off in the waters below, we descended with haste to the water’s edge. It’s a fun trail, with a couple of rocky descents and staircases, including one up against a beautiful waterfall with a small viewing deck. 

The payoff came when we reached the swimming area just after the wooden bridge. The only proper way to get into ice cold water is with a very ungraceful run and jump, which we did our best to do with gusto.

Though we could’ve stayed for hours, we had plans in Ketchum. We hiked our way out of the canyon, loaded up in the car and headed to our next destination.

The Elephant’s Perch

We headed straight to The Elephant’s Perch to pick up bike rentals to make the most out of the rest of our day on the trails. 

Since we only had half a day, the staff at the Elephant’s Perch helped us plot out a Mountain Bike the Griffin Butte Loop that promised easy access to the Adams Gulch Trailhead, a killer workout, beautiful views, and a super fun downhill stretch to close out the ride.

These trails were no joke, as they climbed quickly (taking our breath away), dropped away just as fast and snaked in and out around corners along super narrow single track.

In true small adventure town fashion, we went straight from trail to tavern to meet with some friends who would be joining us for a few days. Grumpy's a great spot to wind down and share trail tales over greasy burgers washed down huge beers served in schooners.

Our friends know about a great camping spot for the night, so we returned our rentals, and set up camp for the night.

Day 3

Breakfast

After a quick camp breakfast, we headed off to get a quick hike in that was recommended to us: Baker Lake.

The weather wasn’t ideal, but we after assessing the weather conditions we decided to keep going. Weather is part of any adventure, sometimes for the better, and sometimes not so much. In this case, it made for a unique experience, kept us cool, and made for some moody photos.

The trail itself was well maintained, and it snaked its way through varying terrain of lush forest and remnants of past fires ending at a crystal-clear alpine lake.

Redfish & Stanley Lake

We made our way to Stanley and grabbed some lunch while we waited for the weather to clear up. When the clouds cleared, we made our way to Stanley Lake to find seek out a spot for the night. Before deciding on a spot, we ran into friends to who wanted to show us around Idaho’s iconic Redfish Lake.

Over perfectly clear waters, we headed straight across the water towards the Sawtooth Mountain Range in the distance. Rain couldn’t put a damper on our adventure.

We turned the dial up on adventure with a quick wakeboard run, in the rain.An amazing end to another killer day, and the sunset did not disappoint. 

Day 4

The River Company

This morning was the event that many of us had been most hyped for: Take a Guided Raft Trip Down the Salmon River. 

We linked up with The River Company based in Stanley, put out good vibes for the weather to pull through, loaded the van and headed to the put in.

Just after clearing the first rapid, the sun popped out, to keeping us warm for the remainder of the trip. We paddled the Upper Main Salmon, which is the headwaters of the Main Salmon, bouncing through two main rapids: Piece of Cake and Warm Springs Narrows.

Along the run, our guides pulled us into a spot perfect for taking a few jumps into the refreshing river before continuing to the lunch stop. 

Lunch included delicious, homemade chicken skewers and salads, a cozy campfire and some time to just sit around and enjoy this scenic area.

Stanley

While most of the group paddled the Salmon with The River Company, two of our crew stayed back to watch the team pup and sneak in a bit of fishing. 

The trio (Ricki, Lori and their dog, O.D.B) headed to a small creek known as Valley Creek to test a few flies on the water. (See: Fly Fish at Valley Creek). The scenic Sawtooth backdrop made this day of fishing practically perfect.

Papa Brunee's

A delectable dinner was at the top of the to do list in the evening after a hearty day of adventuring. With numerous recommendations from locals and visitors alike, we sauntered into Papa Brunee's to grab a few slices.

Some members of our crew were raised in Chicago and New York, so we can be, let’s say, opinionated, when it comes to pizza. We ate our words. Literally. 

Day 5

Stanley Baking Company

Delicious food, great coffee, and friendly service made us feel like we were still cozied up at home.

Boat Box Springs

En route to our next stop, we made a detour to soak in one of Idaho’s renowned hot springs.

The chilly morning air still lingered, so the hot water geothermal waters were just what we needed. We bounced back and forth between the icy river water and the soaking cauldron to get our minds and bodies ready for the day ahead.

Craters of the Moon 

After a couple of hours on the road, we checked into the Lost River Motel, tossed our bags down and headed straight into Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. After speaking with the rangers, and getting the proper permits, we set out exploring the park before embarking on our main adventure: The Hike to Indian Tunnel. 

This entire park is otherworldly in many ways, leaving it hard to compare to any other park that any of us had been to before. We felt as though we were walking on the surface of another planet, and then scrambling through an underworld full of natural skylights (there may have been a bat or two).  

Island Park

We woke up early, packed our bags and headed to Eastern Idaho with our sights set on Island Park. We utilized UTV (utility task vehicles) rentals with High Mountain Adventures who were fantastic in not only setting us up in two UTV RZRs, equipped us with directions, trail maps, and gos, but also gave us the confidence to ride safely.

The entire afternoon was spent ripping trails, crossing bridges, and looking for wildlife sightings and getting jostled around while we took turns at the wheel. 

This truly is one of the best options to explore the area, Summer UTV Adventures in Island Park. In addition to a UTV option, there is also fishing and kayaking, but we’ll have to make another trip to tackle those adventures.

Harriman State Park

Totally stoked on our adrenaline-fueled day, we headed to our lodging for the night: Yurt Camping in Harriman State Park. 

After drawing straws for bunkbed positions, we tried our hand out at chopping some fire wood, with varying results! 

Taking the trail behind the yurt, we spent the golden hour walking along the edge of Silver Lake hoping to spot some wildlife and reflecting on an epic day before heading back to the yurt for some cards for the night.

Day 7

Mesa Falls

Only a 15 minute drive from our yurt in Harriman State Park, lies the trailhead and starting point for a half day of exploring Upper and Lower Mesa Falls. 

We started off at Upper Mesa Falls scoping out the different viewpoints of the falls and canyon below from the boardwalks and trail systems. The visitor center, as well as area information was also available near the upper falls.

In order to check out the second waterfall of the day we hopped on the trail to the overlook of Lower Mesa Falls. This path is a little more rugged and should be considered more like a hike.

Big Hole BBQ

Hungry after our waterfall explorations, we drove to Victor to eat at the famous Big Hole BBQ. We devoured our meals and as it turns out, the burnt ends are so good that we were almost forced to end our trip a day early due to the crew almost coming to blows over who got the last piece! 

We spent the afternoon basking in the sun on the outdoor patio, and sharing stories. It was a very hearty meal, and exactly what we needed to set us up for success for our final day of adventures.

Day 8

City of Rocks

To beat the heat and stay out of the sun for as long as possible, we got an early start for our Climbing Experience Program lead by the park rangers at City of Rocks National Reserve . They took us to an unnamed wall that was a great place to set up a couple of ropes and get acquainted with the rock. 

Our crew had varying levels of climbing abilities, so it was an incredibly beneficial introduction for the new guys as well as a great refresher for the more experienced. The rangers bounced us between a couple different routes before we headed into town for some lunch.

Tracy General Store

Loaded with history, the Tracy General Store was such a treat. We chatted with the locals about the area while we dined on delicious homemade enchiladas, the special of the day. We rounded out our meal with a heaping cone of huckleberry ice cream, and when we say heaping, we mean heaping. 

Surprisingly, the daily special that day was enchiladas. Not surprisingly, they were quite amazing being that everything is completely homemade here. 

They definitely don’t skimp out on packing the top of your cone with huckleberry ice cream before sending you back on your way!

Slacklining at Castle Rocks

Our climbing guides, and new friends, took us over to check out Castle Rocks State Park and to enjoy a very laid back afternoon on the lawn next to the lodge. This state park is the next door neighbor of City of Rocks, so it was an easy detour. We set up a slackline and took turns flopping around, laughing at each other’s obvious inability to walk the line. 

It was a great midday reprieve, hanging under the shade of trees, keeping it low key before our final climb later that evening. 

City of Rocks

For our final adventure we decided to Camp and Climb at Breadloaves Bread Loaves in City of Rocks. It was a fitting finale since it was the activity that brought us all together in some way over the last 11 years, and then wound up bringing us back together for this epic road trip through Idaho! And it was perfect! 

We set up camp, walked around one of the huge boulders at Bread Loaves, and took turns climbing incredibly fun routes as the sun dipped below the horizon.

We thought we had a good idea of what Idaho had to offer, and we were wrong. It’s a land full of scenic surprises, varied geography from one portion of the state to the next, friendly people, and endless opportunities for solitude and adventure. We’re already planning another trip to experience more of what this sensational state has to offer.