Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch
Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch
DESTINATIONS
Stanley, Idaho
ABOUT 25 MILES NORTH OF Idaho’s famous Sun Valley ski resort, you'll find the headwaters of the Salmon River, a 1500-mile waterway that starts life as nothing more than a trickle of crystal-clear water running off the jagged Sawtooth Mountains. This whole area makes an eloquent argument for rating Idaho’s central region as one of the most scenic areas in America. And right in the middle of this region, the Sawtooth National Recreation Area offers some of nature’s purest vistas.
A spot that sharpens a
visit to this area is the Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch, about 60 miles north of Sun Valley on State Highway 75. Located about a mile off the highway, the Ranch has a rustic lodge with great
cabins on what remains one of the area’s last working cattle spreads. The main lodge includes the requisite dining room and guest facilities, but has one especially important feature: a front porch on which, reposing in a hand-hewn rocking chair with your feet on the rail and libations in your hand, you’re treated to a sumptuous view.
The Ranch caters to overnight guests, and offers superb dining and a wholesome atmosphere. And because of the great people who run the facility, your stay at Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch will likely be a memorable experience. The Ranch is open in the summer only, from early July to Labor Day. Reservations ( [208] 774-3544) are a must— and so is a tour of the porch and a ride in a rocking chair with a view.
—Jim Hansen
