Sawtooth Peaks, Lava Fields, and America's Deepest Canyon. 4 routes through volcanic moonscapes, jagged alpine peaks, and the deepest canyon in North America.
Idaho is the most underrated road trip state in the American West. The Sawtooth Scenic Byway rivals anything in Colorado or Montana for mountain grandeur but with a fraction of the visitors. Craters of the Moon looks like the surface of another planet. Hells Canyon on the Oregon border is deeper than the Grand Canyon. And the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness is the largest contiguous wilderness area in the lower 48. Idaho delivers top-tier scenery at bargain prices with empty roads.
The Sawtooth Scenic Byway alone would put Idaho on any road trip list. When you crest Galena Summit and the entire Sawtooth Range appears before you - dozens of granite peaks over 10,000 feet, jagged and snow-streaked even in July - it's one of the great "reveal moments" in American driving. The fact that Stanley, the town at the heart of it all, has a population of 63 tells you everything about Idaho's crowd levels.
Idaho is also a hot springs paradise. From developed resorts like Lava Hot Springs to backcountry soaks along the Salmon River, you can find a natural hot spring to soak in after almost every day of driving. And because Idaho has no sales tax, everything from gas to groceries is cheaper than neighboring states.
From volcanic moonscapes to the deepest canyon in North America.
The Sawtooth Scenic Byway (Highway 75) from Ketchum to Stanley is one of the most beautiful mountain drives in America that almost nobody knows about. You'll climb Galena Summit (8,701 feet) where the view of the Sawtooth Range suddenly explodes before you - 40 peaks over 10,000 feet, sharp as shark teeth, reflected in alpine lakes below. Stanley (population 63) sits in a valley surrounded by three mountain ranges and four designated wilderness areas. Redfish Lake is the crown jewel - glacially carved, impossibly blue, framed by granite spires.
Craters of the Moon National Monument covers 750,000 acres of volcanic landscape that looks genuinely extraterrestrial. Lava tubes you can walk through, cinder cones you can climb, and a landscape so otherworldly that NASA trained Apollo astronauts here in the 1960s. The 7-mile Loop Road accesses the main features, but hiking into the backcountry reveals lava fields stretching to the horizon. Nearby, Shoshone Ice Cave maintains sub-freezing temperatures year-round inside a lava tube.
Hells Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon - 7,913 feet from the Seven Devils peaks to the Snake River below - yet most Americans have never heard of it. The scenic byway loops through the canyon country from Riggins through White Bird to the Hat Point overlook (the most dramatic viewpoint, accessible by gravel road). Jet boat tours from Riggins or Lewiston take you into the deepest sections where bighorn sheep scramble on basalt walls. The Nez Perce National Historical Trail adds cultural depth.
Northern Idaho's Panhandle is lake country with a distinctly Pacific Northwest personality. Coeur d'Alene Lake is regularly ranked among the most beautiful lakes in the world - the North Idaho Centennial Trail follows its shoreline for 24 miles. From there, head east to historic Wallace (the entire downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places), north to Sandpoint on the shores of massive Lake Pend Oreille, and through the cedar-lined forests of the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. This region feels more like British Columbia than the American West.
Essential preparation for the Gem State.
Galena Summit (8,701 ft) can have snow as late as mid-June and as early as September. Check road conditions at 511.idaho.gov before heading over.
Stanley has extremely limited services - one gas station, a few small restaurants, and no chain hotels. Book lodging well ahead in summer.
Hells Canyon access roads are largely unpaved and can be rough. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended for Hat Point Road. Some roads are single-lane.
Idaho hot springs are everywhere - Trail Creek, Kirkham, Sunbeam, and dozens of undeveloped pools. Bring a swimsuit and be prepared to share with locals.
Cell service disappears through most of the Sawtooth Valley, Hells Canyon, and Frank Church Wilderness. Download offline maps. Tell someone your itinerary.
Idaho has no sales tax, which means cheaper fuel, food, and supplies than neighboring Montana, Oregon, or Washington. Stock up.
The local favorites of America's most underrated road trip state.
Glacially carved, surrounded by the Sawtooth peaks. Boat shuttle crosses to remote trailheads. Water is cold but swimmable by August.
750,000 acres of volcanic landscape. Lava tubes, cinder cones, and terrain so alien NASA used it for astronaut training.
8,701 feet. The viewpoint where the Sawtooth Range suddenly appears is one of the great driving reveals in the American West.
7,913 feet deep - 2,000 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon. Best experienced by jet boat from Riggins.
25 miles long, ranked among the world's most beautiful lakes. The resort town of Coeur d'Alene anchors the southern shore.
15-mile rail-trail through 10 tunnels and 7 trestles in the Bitterroot Mountains. One of the top bike trails in America.
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