Growing up in Oklahoma, we didn’t have the luxury of mountains nearby. A day’s drive to Colorado or New Mexico was the best that we could do. Growing up we did our best to ski once a year at places like Winter Park, Breck, and Keystone in Colorado, and Angel Fire and Taos in New Mexico.
Now that I have kids of my own, we’ve been able to ski some amazing destinations like Park City, Whistler, and even Japan. Over the years though, we never made it to Sun Valley, the resort that really started it all for destination skiing in the US. As we were putting together a trip to Yellowstone and Wyoming, we decided to include the drive over to Idaho, and it was everything we had read about – family-friendly skiing, a great ski town, and more terrain than we could handle. It was awesome! Read on to see why we loved Sun Valley.
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The AftT guide to skiing Sun Valley with kids
Two Mountains Means Twice the Fun
Dollar Mountain
Sun Valley Resort is actually two ski mountains, and nestled in between them is the town of Ketchum, Idaho. If the name ‘Ketchum’ didn’t tip you off to the Western vibe, let me assure you, it’s a special kind of Western ski chic that you’ll love.
Of the two mountains, Dollar Mountain is definitely the one for beginners and families with small kids. It’s great for getting your skis back under you – especially for those once-a-year skiers like our family. Here you’ll find slow, easy turns among the green and blue runs – almost no black diamonds here – and it’s a good way to spend that first half-day or so.
If you feel like hot doggin’ it, Dollar Mountain has several beginner and intermediate terrain parks to test your skills. I’m old so I know better, but they do look like a lot of fun!
Carol’s Dollar Mountain Lodge at the base of the mountain is a great place to warm up, have some lunch, or just take your boots off and rest for a bit. Burgers, chicken fingers, and pizza are all on the menu here as well as more parent-friendly fare. You can tell this isn’t their first family ski trip rodeo.
We found that Dollar Mountain does get pretty busy and crowded as the day progresses, so keep that in mind. If you’re beyond a beginner skier, you may only want to plan for a half day here, or maybe even no time at all. Bald Mountain has plenty of green and blue terrain to keep you busy as well, so that’s really up to you. Fortunately, you can take the free transportation system from one mountain to the other anytime you like. You do have to have the appropriate lift ticket to do both however.
AftT Tip: Transportation
Transportation around town and between Bald and Dollar Mountains is free on the local transit system provided by Mountain Rides Transportation Authority. Sun Valley Village is walkable, and if you're staying on-site at one for the Sun Valley Lodges, you can easily walk to the lifts or bus stops. Click here for more information and schedules.
Bald Mountain
The skiing at Sun Valley really shines over at Bald Mountain, so when you’re ready, head over for some of the best skiing anywhere. It’s got some great wide-open groomers that are great for families. You can also ski top to bottom on all greens which makes for a nice thigh-burner and a fun race for the last run of the day.
In our case, I took the kids with me to Bald Mountain while Mom took the day off to shop around town and go to the spa. Both are fantastic options and is part of what makes Ketchum such a great ski town. Although Bald Mountain is much bigger, there are still plenty of green and blue runs to go around, so don’t be intimidated and feel like you have to stay over at Dollar Mountain the entire time. Go enjoy both!
Lift Tickets at Sun Valley
Lift tickets for Sun Valley Resort can be purchased online for Bald Mountain, Dollar Mountain, or both. If you know that you have beginner skiers, then you have the option of spending a little less per day to stay at Dollar Mountain. Otherwise, I’d say try and ski at both during your trip. We split our 2 ski days up – 1 at each mountain.
Sun Valley Ski Rentals
As with any ski town, there a several places around to rent skis and boots. Sun Valley Resort partners up with Pete Lane’s Mountain Sports and you can find them at the base of Dollar Mountain, in town, and also Warm Springs. The shop at Dollar Mountain caters towards all skiers and is where you’ll want to rent if you’ve got beginners in your group.
We rented from Sturtevants because they have a shop right at the Limelight Hotel. It was ideal for us because we could rent our gear right there and also store it overnight so that it was nice and dry the next morning. When skiing, we believe that lugging equipment all over is not the way to do it, so this was totally worth it to us.
If you love family ski trips, check out our guide to the Best U.S. Ski Resorts for Kids here.
Where to stay at Sun Valley
Sun Valley Resort
If you want to experience all that Sun Valley Valley Resort has to offer, consider one of the lodging options right at the base of the mountain. Sun Valley Lodge is the original and has been operating here for nearly nine decades. Its access to the slopes, upscale comfort, and location near the shops and restaurants of the village will give you an unparalleled Sun Valley vacation.
Other lodging options around the village are the Sun Valley Inn as well as several cottages, condominiums, and townhomes. You can explore other options here.
Check here for the latest prices
Other hotels around Ketchum, ID
Ketchum doesn’t have a bunch of resort or chain hotels which is part of its charm. There are a range of accommodations to fit every budget, although in ski season, things will be higher. One strategy you can use is to pay with a credit card that will reimburse travel expenses like the Capital One Venture card. Just book your hotel and then use points to pay off part or all of the bill when you get home.
Limelight Hotel Ketchum – A mini-review
For our 3 nights at Sun Valley, we decided to stay at the Limelight Hotel Ketchum which was a good home base for us. They have on-site ski rentals and storage, big rooms to spread out, complimentary shuttles to take you to either ski mountain, and cookies and cocoa waiting for you after a day of shredding the slopes. The are also very pet-friendly so we got to meet lots of doggos and good bois in the elevator.
The hotel is situated on the edge of downtown, but still within a short walking distance of most everything. We didn’t have any trouble at all walking from the hotel to dinner or downtown shops. Ketchum is a great town to stroll around in the snow, and the Limelight makes it very convenient. In fact, the only time we really used the car was to drive out to the cemetery to try and find Ernest Hemmingway’s grave marker. Unfortunately, the snow was too deep!
We sampled several things from the restaurant and a highlight is their wood-fired pizzas. Happy hour is also good with food and drink specials to warm you up after a day of skiing. We also enjoyed scampering out to the outdoor hot tubs to soak and watch the snow fall. They have complimentary robes and a heated towel room close by for drying off when you get out. It’s a nice touch and appreciated since the temps were COLD!
The Limelight was certainly a splurge for us, but considering the Christmas holiday and the location, it’s not going to fit everyone’s budget. We used a combination of Amex points and cash to lessen the blow a bit and were happy we did. Limelight operates 3 hotels – in Ketchum, Aspen, and Snowmass – and so they know the ski crowds.
We were happy to see that they were enforcing COVID protocols and requiring proof of vaccination, both to check in and also at the restaurant in the evenings. Masks were also required. Other things we appreciated were the covered underground parking. It’s nice to not have to scrape windshields every time we need to go somewhere.
Overall, we can recommend staying here, especially for families. The rooms were comfortable for the 4 of us, and because they participate in American Express’ Hotel collection, you can use points for your stay as well as get a room upgrade and $100 hotel credit for services if you’re a Platinum card holder.
Click here for the latest prices.
Things to do in Ketchum, Idaho
Explore historic downtown
Downtown Ketchum is pretty great. We especially loved it when the snow was falling after a day on the slopes as we were walking to dinner or to do some shopping.
Ketchum began as a gold and silver town in the late 1800’s. Although the industry fizzled, Ketchum survived and in 1935, Sun Valley was founded and the destination ski resort was born. Ketchum still retains that rustic, Old West vibe and we loved just walking around with some hot cocoa, popping into shops and enjoying the snow.
Be sure to check out The Kneadery for some hearty breakfast or a tasty pastry on the go. For dinner, we enjoyed Saffron Indian Cuisine for some warm curry and Ketchum Pizza Restaurant
Visit Ernest Hemmingway’s final resting place
Ernest Hemmingway was a frequent visitor of Sun Valley and ultimately established a permanent residence here. Sun Valley is where Hemmingway finished his novel For Whom The Bell Tolls and visitors to Ketchum can visit his grave just outside of town at the Ketchum Cemetery.
Shop and dine around the Sun Valley Village
The Sun Valley Village is nice place to walk around and in our case, enjoy the afternoon snowfall. We popped in to happy hour at some of the restaurants for some warm snacks before doing a little souvenir shopping and then a later dinner in downtown.
Skiing and Festivals
Sun Valley is home to the Sun Valley Film Festival in March, the Sun Valley Music Festival, and occasionally host some championship skiing like the U.S. Alpine Championships. Be sure to check the calendar of events.
How to get to Sun Valley
Sun Valley is easy to get to and is serviced by several nonstop flights from around the country. We drove over from Jackson, Wyoming which was about a 4.5 – 5 hour drive depending on weather and flew home out of Ketchum.
Weather at small airports like Ketchum is a gamble in winter, so be prepared for delays or cancellations and be sure to watch the weather. If you absolutely have to be somewhere, you might want to formulate a plan B as there are limited car rentals in smaller airports like Ketchum. Fortunately, the day we flew out was gorgeous and we did have any issues, but flying into Salt Lake City presented a new set of issues with weather. Pack your patience and be flexible!
Sun Valley is fantastic!
Overall, we loved our short trip to Sun Valley and Ketchum, ID. Although it’s off the beaten path, you won’t regret a trip here – especially if you love to ski. The snow is amazing and the town caters nicely to families and hard corps season pass holders alike.
Have you skied at Sun Valley? Tell us what you loved the most!
You May Also Like
- Colorado: A Winter Adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park
- Colorado: Winter Park Resort-One of the Best Ski Resorts for Families
- Canada: Planning a Great Ski Trip to Whistler with Kids
- Japan: Skiing the Japanese Alps with Kids
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1 Response to "Winter in Idaho: Skiing Sun Valley With Kids"
This place looks so much fun! I will be saving this for next year, wanted to try some other resort this time!